Miss Purl's New Yarn Boutique Brings Fiber To South Side

CHICAGO — A Morgan Park mom has found a way to turn her hobby into a business. Kamacaa Champion will open her long-awaited Miss Purl yarn boutique and craft space at 1824 W. 95th St., Chicago, Friday, Sept. 3.

Knitting and crocheting soared to new heights in popularity during the global pandemic, but there was no place close by where South Siders could go to feed their need for yarn crafts. They traveled 30-plus minutes to the North Side, often through hellish traffic, or they headed for the suburbs. Now, Miss Purl welcomes knitting enthusiasts and newbies to explore their creativity on 95th Street.

Miss Purl will be the only yarn craft store located south of downtown Chicago and only the second African American-owned specialty yarn shop. Champion, a fiber hobbyist and designer, believes that a South Side community space for creative expression is critically needed. One craft retailer, Michael’s, closed its Hyde Park and Roosevelt Road locations in 2020.

“Currently, all crocheters and knitters travel a minimum of thirty minutes to shop for yarn or take lessons outside their communities,” Champion said in a news release. “Now more than ever, local amenities and assets are necessary to sustain and grow communities.”

Champion located Miss Purl intentionally along the 95th Street corridor, where CTA bus routes, the Rock Island Metra station, and the Red Line 95th Street terminal can make her store accessible to those without cars.

“Miss Purl is a South Side location for people to craft with every fiber of their being,” Champion said. “Creative expression is personal, but it is also place-based. South Side residents deserve to create and be inspired right in their own backyard.”

Chicago fiber hobbyists are excited for a yarn store closer to home. In the two months since Champion has been chronicling her store’s opening, Miss Purl’s Instagram feed, @MissPurlChicago, quickly amassed a following of over 1,000 followers. Miss Purl’s opening marks the end of a 15-year quest for Champion, who had spent years as a stay-at-home mom before returning to the work force in 2019. She saved her money, polished her business plan and gathered the gumption this spring to go for her dream while also investing in her local community’s commercial vitality.

Miss Purl will offer hand-dyed yarns from BIPOC and LGBTQIA artisans, small-batch fibers, crochet and knit instruction and supplies. Champion will also offer workshops that appeal to experienced knitters and beginners, to help nurture burgeoning interest in the craft. This fall, Miss Purl will be open Thursday through Monday, noon to 7 p.m. For information on inventory and workshops, call 312-513-6464, visit Miss Purl Chicago and follow Miss Purl on Instagram @misspurlchicago.