ST. PETERSBURG \u2014 Fiber arts is more than a hobby. It’s a form of self-expression; a way to slow down, create something tangible, and explore handmaking traditions passed down through generations.<\/p>\n
Shannon O\u2019Brien, owner and founder of the Common Thread Yarn and Coffee shop, says fiber arts is not a \u201cnew-fangled trend.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis has been around for millennia, something that our ancestors did,\u201d O\u2019Brien said. \u201cPart of my mind wants to be like, its yarn, it\u2019s not that deep, we like to make things. And part of me is like, no, this is an act of spiritual creation that ties us to our lineage and our matriarchs. It\u2019s the animals that give us the wool and the plants that give us the fiber.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien\u2019s vision came from the idea of a \u201cthird space,\u201d a place between home and work where people can find a cozy spot to create and connect without feeling \u201ctransactional\u201d or \u201cintroverted\u201d in social environments.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they have something to do with their hands, it\u2019s easy to have a conversation and takes the edge off of that social anxiety,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like a safety blanket for forming those human connections.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cozy hub for yarn lovers and creatives<\/p>\n
Located in the Warehouse Arts District at 2462 Fifth Ave. S., The Common Thread is a yarn boutique combined with a coffee bar serving locally roasted coffee and pastries. The shop offers a wide range of yarns, tools, and accessories, while classes cover knitting, crocheting, embroidery, and techniques like brioche stitching, sock knitting, rug tufting, and needlepoint.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien said the shop isn\u2019t a production house for finished items to sell, but samples are on display for inspiration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe joy comes in the journey of the making, not just the finished project,\u201d she said. \u201cIf someone gives you a knitted object, it\u2019s really a testament to how much love and respect they have for you because it takes a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a certified crochet instructor with the American Crochet Association, her workshops focus on guidance without judgement, where everyone feels welcome to learn, create, and connect.<\/p>\n
She described times in fiber arts retail, where buying materials and learning the craft can feel intimidating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to walk in and feel like all of the knowledge is accessible,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re not here to play yarn snob. I want people to feel like a kid in a candy store. Know that we\u2019re your friends and we\u2019ve got your back. There are no hierarchies. We\u2019re here to enjoy something together. Let\u2019s just have a good time. That\u2019s \u2018Good Fibes Only\u2019 for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making mistakes is part of the process, she said, and has had projects she\u2019s \u201cfrogged\u201d \u2014 the term used for ripping out work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a fallacy that we should be good at every hobby that we pick up on the first try,\u201d she said. \u201cRelease the expectation that you have to be good at everything right from the jump.\u201d<\/p>\n
From digital world to brick-and-mortar<\/p>\n
Originally from San Francisco, O\u2019Brien spent years in marketing and launched Apothecary at Home, an e-commerce subscription service teaching people to grow and make their own herbal remedies. The business has been operating for five years.<\/p>\n
During the Covid-19 pandemic, she came to St. Petersburg to complete an herbal apprenticeship at Traditions School of Herbal Studies and bought a house in 2022.<\/p>\n
Though her two businesses are separate, O\u2019Brien says they share a common thread: a love of hands-on creation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople want to make and feel things with their hands,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very sensory experience \u2014 to make herbal tea, work with wool, make a garment. It\u2019s kind of this primal desire that people are really attracted to. I love all those cozy hobbies that make me feel self-sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
She feels younger people have been robbed of creating something with their hands and seeing it through to completion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something about doing that that really anchors you to the moment and your body,\u201d she said. \u201cThat can be a lifeline in a world that is rapidly becoming very two-dimensional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overcoming challenges<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien said that while she has an e-commerce business, she\u2019s never had a brick-and-mortar shop, and building one came with uncertainty.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the beginning, you\u2019re just sort of feeling around in the dark,\u201d she said. \u201cAny time you take a big swing, especially if you\u2019re investing in an idea and you don\u2019t see that working, it\u2019s like, am I on to something, or am I totally dulu?\u201d<\/p>\n
Pushing through \u201cthe fearful voices\u201d she kept moving forward.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Brien stumbled on the website of Cleo\u2019s Yarn Shop, a modern fiber arts cafe in Brooklyn, New York. She reached out to the owner for guidance and developed an \u201cinformal mentorship.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there, the pieces fell into place, and the yarns that once sat in boxes in her home finally went up on the walls of her storefront.<\/p>\n
She recalled a moment during the soft opening in August involving a friend and his teenage daughter who learned to crochet together as a way to bond. It was then she realized she built The Common Thread for the next generation as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt almost like talking to my inner child,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels like what I\u2019m exactly supposed to be doing right now. I could sit alone with yarn in my house for the rest of my life, and it wouldn\u2019t be as fun as sharing it.\u201d<\/p>\n