Minnesota Yarn Shops Raise $588K Selling Red Hat Patterns

When Gilah Mashaal launched the "Melt the ICE" hat pattern in January, she didn't expect to run out of red yarn across the entire country.

The owner of Minnesota yarn shop Needle & Skein created the pattern after aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids hit her state. Inspired by a Norwegian design made to oppose Nazi Germany in the 1940s, the simple red winter hat with a tassel became an instant symbol of solidarity.

The digital patterns cost just $5 to download. That small price tag turned into something massive: over $588,000 raised so far, with $250,000 already distributed to local organizations helping immigrants.

The St. Louis Park Emergency Program received $125,000 from the first round of donations. Another $125,000 went to the Immigrant Aid Emergency Fund, with more distributions planned as the fundraiser continues.

But the runaway success created an unexpected problem. Red yarn has disappeared from store shelves across America.

"Finding red yarn in Minneapolis has become like finding toilet paper at the beginning of the pandemic," Megan Boesen, owner of craft store Knit & Bolt, told The New York Times. Crocheters on Reddit reported Twin Cities shops were "basically out of red yarn."

The shortage spread far beyond Minnesota. In Seattle, shoppers described scenes like "Christmas Eve day in a toy store" with at least 20 people searching for red yarn. Canadian crafters joined in too, creating demand across the border.

Yarn companies themselves are now completely sold out. Kelly Bridges, owner of Elegant Ewe in New Hampshire, placed reorders with four different suppliers and only received half the red yarn she requested. Everything else sits on backorder.

The Ripple Effect

Small yarn makers are working overtime to meet demand. MUSE Fiber in Hastings, Minnesota, has been dyeing new batches of their "red cap yarn," which gives back to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota with each purchase.

For crafters who can't find red yarn, Mashaal has a simple message: use any color. "I love it," she told Good Good Good about people asking if maroon or pink would work. "They can knit it in any yarn."

Those who can't knit or crochet can still participate. Needle & Skein set up an exchange program where people donate money and receive handmade hats from volunteer crafters.

The shortage itself has become a source of hope for participants who see empty shelves as proof the movement is growing.