The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA)

Name

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA)

Legal name

The National NeedleArts Association

Website

https://tnna.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913), Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Yarn, Knitting & Crochet Shops (CRALADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pattern & Sewing Instruction Retail (Patterns, Books, Classes) (CRALADAH), Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE)

Keywords

• Needlearts trade association
• Yarn retail membership
• Craft industry education
• Needlework instructional publishing
• Fiber arts networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Zanesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership subscription at $50/year providing access to member resources, discounts on products and classes, and community participation. This is the primary recurring revenue stream supporting the association's operations as a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization.
2. Product Sales: Sale of educational books (how-to guides for needlepoint, crochet, knitting, embroidery), merchandise (LYS Day enamel pins), and digital products (industry surveys). Books priced at $7-14 for members; pins at $50 retail.
3. Class Registrations: Fee-based educational classes and workshops for business owners, ranging from free (new shop owner meetings) to $45-100 for paid workshops covering topics like seasonal marketing, community building, and maximizing LYS Day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TNNA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that connects yarn shops, designers, and suppliers in the North American needlearts industry. It sells an annual membership subscription ($50/year) that unlocks member-only pricing, plus fee-based Zoom classes, instructional how-to books (needlepoint, crochet, knitting, embroidery), an annual industry survey, and commemorative merchandise such as the Local Yarn Store Day enamel pin. Its flagship non-product offering is the Local Yarn Store Day consumer promotion, designed to drive retail traffic to independent yarn shops across the U.S. and Canada.

Product overview

TNNA operates an e-commerce platform built on Shopify offering a membership subscription program ($50/year) and various products and services for the needlearts industry. The core offering includes educational classes (live Zoom workshops on business topics and community building), instructional books covering needlework crafts (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, embroidery), and merchandise like commemorative pins. Key annual events promoted include Local Yarn Store Day (LYS Day) and Make a Hat Day. The platform also provides an Industry Survey report for business planning. All resources are designed to support yarn shops, designers, and suppliers in the fiber arts community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Local Yarn Store Day (LYS Day): A TNNA program designed to drive traffic to local yarn stores, celebrated on the last Saturday in April. It brings yarn enthusiasts from across the US and Canada to local shops to see exclusive products.

Products and services

• TNNA Annual Membership Annual $50/year membership subscription for yarn shops, designers, and suppliers in the needlearts industry, providing access to member-only pricing on books and merchandise, free and discounted classes, the TNNA Industry Survey, member-only resources, and community participation.
• New Shop Owner Meeting Free monthly Zoom meeting for TNNA members who have owned their needlearts shop for 3 years or less, providing peer support and business guidance from experienced shop owners (regularly priced at $100 for non-qualifying participants).
• Maximize LYS Day for You & Your Customers Interactive business class priced at $45 for members, teaching yarn shop owners how to maximize Local Yarn Store Day with effective planning and marketing strategies.
• Seasonal Yarn Switch: When to Pivot & How to Market It Marketing class priced at $45 for members ($100 regular price), covering month-by-month seasonal transition tactics for yarn shops with replay access available until July 2026.
• Welcoming Every Maker: Building Community on Purpose Two-part workshop priced at $45 for members ($100 regular price) teaching shop owners how to foster inclusivity and belonging within their yarn shops and fiber community spaces.
• TNNA Industry Survey 2024 to 2025 Annual industry report free for members ($9 for non-members) tracking yarn business trends including busiest months by region, sales trends by product type and years in business, and overall industry growth.
• How to Needlepoint (National Needlework Books) Beginner-friendly paperback booklet priced at $7 for members / $14 retail, teaching basic needlepoint techniques and versatile stitches for new crafters.
• How to Crochet (National Needlework Books) Beginner-friendly paperback booklet priced at $7 for members / $14 retail, introducing essential crochet techniques and foundational stitches for new crafters.
• How to Knit (National Needlework Books) Beginner-friendly paperback booklet priced at $7 for members / $14 retail, teaching basic knitting techniques and versatile stitches for new crafters.
• How to Embroider (National Needlework Books) Beginner-friendly paperback booklet priced at $7 for members / $14 retail, with clear instructions guiding readers through embroidery basics and essential stitches.
• Starting Out Right: How to Open a Needlearts Store (2011) Guidebook providing an overview of how to open a needlework shop, originally published in 2011, with most topics still relevant though an update is in development.
• 2026 LYS Day Commemorative Enamel Pin Collectible enamel pin (1.25 x 1.25 inches) commemorating Local Yarn Store Day 2026, sold in packs of 10 at $2 per pin for members / $5 per pin for non-members ($50 retail pack price).

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• H+H AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026H+H Americas is the premier industry expo for crafts professionals, held May 6-8, 2026 at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. TNNA promotes this event and offers classes leading up to the expo. The event features 330+ educational sessions and is described as 'WHERE CREATIVE & BUSINESS MEET' for retailers, educators, students, influencers, and professional makers.
• Warm Up America!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNNA partners with Warm Up America! during Yarnsgiving, encouraging makers to create holiday-themed projects that can be shared with loved ones or donated to this nonprofit that distributes handmade items to people in need. This partnership runs from I Love Yarn Day through Giving Tuesday.
• Craft Yarn CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Craft Yarn Council is referenced as the organizer of I Love Yarn Day, celebrated annually on the second Saturday of October. TNNA participates by promoting this day to its members as a celebration of all things yarn.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lion Brand Yarn: Major yarn manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer serving knitters and crocheters. Comparable as a yarn industry participant that interacts with TNNA's retail and designer membership base.
• LoveCrafts: Online retailer of yarn, fabric, and patterns selling directly to the same maker community TNNA's member shops serve. Comparable as a needlearts retail channel competing for the same end-customer spend.
• Knitting Fever Inc. Yarn distributor whose leadership teaches TNNA classes (e.g., Seasonal Yarn Switch). Directly comparable as a yarn supplier participating in TNNA's member education and promotional ecosystem.
• Craft Yarn Council: Non-profit standards body for the yarn industry that administers I Love Yarn Day and yarn labeling standards. Directly comparable as a parallel industry association serving overlapping membership of yarn retailers, designers, and manufacturers.
• WEBS (Webs yarn store / America's Knitting Store): Large independent yarn retailer and long-standing industry participant. Comparable as a needlearts retail channel and potential TNNA member representing the scale end of the LYS segment.
• Warm Up America!: Non-profit that mobilizes fiber-craft volunteers to make handmade items for donation. Comparable as a non-profit partner in the same fiber-arts community that participates in TNNA events such as Yarnsgiving.

Broad incumbents

• JOANN: National big-box fabric and craft retailer selling yarn, needles, and patterns. Comparable as a competing distribution channel for needlearts supplies, though it serves a broader craft assortment than TNNA's specialist member shops.
• Michaels Companies: North America's largest specialty arts and crafts retailer carrying yarn, knitting, and needlearts supplies. Comparable as a broad incumbent distribution channel competing for the same end-craft-consumer wallet.

Emerging players

• Ravelry: Online community and pattern marketplace serving knitters and crocheters. Comparable because it organizes makers, designers, and yarn retailers in the same needlearts ecosystem that TNNA serves, though via a digital community rather than an association model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tnnaorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLcdNbC_OYgTGFWTY6yfQJA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TNNAORG
• Instagraminstagram.com/tnnaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-national-needlearts-association-tnna-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA)