Consumption of Raw Materials by Crafters: Desired Characteristics of Yarn and Retailers

Crafters are reliant upon raw materials in order to create craft projects; however, there is little research focused on understanding how the characteristics of raw materials or the retail environment affect the consumption of crafters. The purpose of this research was to describe why crafters choose to consume from certain craft businesses and what characteristics of yarn affected the consumption of crafters. The levels of design as described by Donald Norman and principles of the slow fashion movement provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were gathered using an online survey. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. A total of 657 usable surveys were collected. Four themes emerged related to the characteristics of retail environments and raw materials, which influenced crafters to consume yarn: business factors, utilitarian requirements, visual/tactile requirements, and intangible requirements.