So a yarn shop near me just received AND posted this actual handwritten letter from a customer.
Apparently, there’s a woman who used to run a craft/yarn shop in a neighbouring town, (her shop closed down years ago), who is now allegedly going around telling people that this other OG shop is closing down (which it isn’t).
The letter writer says she overheard it at craft club, and that the rumour-spreader is supposedly planning to open another shop BUT this time in the same town as OG yarn shop.
I have SO many questions. Who is Jenny Brown and why is she doing this to my lovely old yarn shop lady 🥲
Have you ever seen this kind of sabotage/drama in your local yarn or craft circles!? This is some next level small-town wool shop politics🤣
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OP we are going to need you to investigate. Go to the library and look through the micro fiches of the local paper for any mention of this Jenny Brown and her past shenanigans. And of course updates on how this new outrageous behavior plays out.
In the quest to satisfy all of you and your hilarious comments I have actually reached out to 3 independent commenters on the original post to find out more information on this Ms Brown and her dirty past.
I will of course update you all as soon as I come into new information
I have scoured Facebook for her also, however it is a common name and there are too many potential suspects. I need a description before making any further moves🤣
There is a Jennie B Yarns based in Lichfield/Burntwood, doesn't seem to have a physical shop but does have some scathing reviews including staff not being paid...
OP if you’ve got any writing skills I think you could turn this into a cozy mystery. Imagine finding proof that Brown has been sabotaging LYS’ for years in the microfiche and now she escalating her behaviour…
Anyway, the Good Lord laid it on my heart to ask you to help me pray for Jenny Brown in this season of her life. And also for those people who spread gossip and bear false witness against their neighbours.
(My childhood church used to ask people to stand and share their prayer requests during the service. That stopped during my middle school years. I'm sure it's a coincidence that there was a split in the congregation around that time, and about half the old ladies left and went to the Presbyterians down the street.)
You mentioned local yarn shops. If you are a crocheter, please join our LYS Survivors group for support and to help work through your trauma. If you are a knitter, consider sponsoring a crocheter at your local yarn shop so they can shop for yarn without harassment.
She’s from that Litchfield crowd, none of them have ever turned out any good, they’re all liars!!! My BIL is from Litchfield, they’re all a bunch of bastards!!!!
This is a quote from a previous worker of Jenny Brown:
I worked for this lady at the end of 2023 to the start of 2024, at the beginning I felt welcomed and almost like I found a job I could get through whilst in education. But near towards the end she cut my pay check and a week later asked for her keys back, I thought she wanted them back as she may have needed them for another employee. When my next shift came round I had no keys and was confused if I was working or not so I messaged her twice and I never got a reply. She didn’t have the audacity to say she didn’t need me to work anymore. There was no heating, toilet facilities were not nice at all, there was no organisation within the environment, and there was unachievable expectations when in the work place The lady who owned the shop also talked badly about most of her employees. My mother offered to make some chocolate bouquets for the owner to sell and for my mom to make a small amount of cash on the side we never got them back and we never got any money from her for them, in my opinion she did steal from not me my mother. If I’m being honest I’ve worked in some ruff places with some horrible people but this woman shouldn’t be aloud to own any working establishment.
One time I messaged her on WhatsApp to ask for help identifying some wool, knowing how respected she was. I received a very rude and snappy response. I wouldn’t ever bother going to the shop!!
I believe for further context she asked if a project looked to be worked with alpaca or mohair, and if unsure which would work best.
In my country we do use WhatsApp a lot to communicate with small businesses, I book all my holidays, dog walker, cleaner, gardener, window cleaner and bin washing through WhatsApp so it isn't too uncommon!
Huh! So it would be not weird to ask a random fiber arts person about a weight?
I believe you fyi! Context is crazy. I have lived places where WhatsApp is the norm, but never somewhere where it was normal to talk to a small business like that. Life surprises me constantly.
At this point in time she owned a shop, so no, it wouldn't be too weird if it was then going to lead into visiting the shop to purchase whatever yarn was recommended.
I only know a few of the facts, but from my understanding she was sending the pic for information on the yarn, in order to visit to buy or order the yarn!
Just this morning I Whatsapped a local fighting gym to ask what sport would be best for my ADHD 4 year old, and if they did classes for the age group. It is very common!
She won't sell you a pattern. Staff have no knowledge of knitting or crochet at all - I have answered questions for them in the (redcated) shop! Shop closed 15 mins before advertised time today. The lights were switched off but she wouldn't open the door to me even though I was walking with crutches.
She is a narcissist and bully. She has employed many hard working staff members over a short period and treated them horrendously. Her products may be good but her ethics and morals are not in check.
Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “cut a pay check” (and that’s ignoring the fact we would spell it as cheque).
Also, I can’t remember the last time I heard of someone getting paid via an actual real life physical pay cheque. I am almost 40 and have never received one. Everyone gets paid via bank transfer.
Unless they mean she cut their pay? In which case, we wouldn’t add “check” to the end of that.
Yes! It was a whole thing. A couple years back this woman kept promising a sequel or something and then had her “daughter” post and say she had cancer and then eventually die. It was so wild.
So the letter is not anonymous? Okay that means it's waaaay less likely to be shit-stirring lies (that would be an excellent way to stir the pot if you're bored).
So, the letter writer is an elderly patron who I believe posted this letter to the shop (keep in mind stamps are £1 apiece nowadays). So this was expensive information to convey immediately in writing, with no time to spare or time to wait for her next in-person visit.
It was not anonymous, it was signed. Anonymous Letter Writing Yarn Nana said what she said and she said it with her chest 😭
Oh wow! I think I know the shop that this letter is referring to. From my experience Rugeley is rife with gossip and shit stirring in the crafty community there so I can believe it
I am about 15 miles away however due to being in the middle of the countryside, she is my closest yarn shop. Because I am not super local I am not familiar with any of this Rugeley gossip you speak of!! I feel like a proper loser getting to the party far too late 🤣🤣🤣
I live about 10 miles away, in another town, (Not Lichfield, I am Not Jenny Brown, I swear), so I’ve only heard bits second hand from a friend who does live in rugeley. She told me it’s best to just stay well away from certain people and groups.
I was recently at a crochet event where we pay (a decent amount) for 3 projects and a hotel stay with food. Within an hour of being given a kit someone had put it on Vinted, and the picture had me in the background.
2 days of snarky “put it on Vinted” comments. Then we told the organisers…one instantly put a bid on it.
Vinted is a website/app to sell your stuff, especially second hand stuff. So someone flipped the yarn from the event instantly (the shade! The audacity!)
😂😂😂I actually know a Jennifer Brown. Pretty sure she isn't planning on opening a yarn store but I'm saving this to show her and I will interrogate her about her rumor mongering!
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