This Fort Worth yarn shop is helping combat LGBTQ youth suicide
Bertie Gardner pulls a string of pink and white yarn and wraps it around his crochet hook. He sits in a circle in JuJu Knits in Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood, with colorful yarns hanging from hooks and project bags all around him.
“I’m going to have to frog this entire row,” Gardner said, while pulling the end of his hook through a loop in the blouse he’s making for his mother.
In crocheting, “frog” means to unravel stitches. This can be done to correct mistakes, adjust a project’s size or shape, or create something new.
In June 2020, JuJu Knits created something new: a yarn called “Y’all Means All” with a mission to collect money for LGBTQ Saves.
Gardner, who works at Texas Wesleyan University, is a regular at the yarn shop, but not just because he likes to crochet. He’s also the program director at LGBTQ Saves, an organization that provides support and suicide prevention for youth in Fort Worth. He and other volunteers at LGBTQ Saves frequent the yarn shop for it’s fiber fellowship.
“This is very important to us and a core value of our shop to be inclusive,” said Julie Hatch Fairley, the owner of JuJu Knits.
According to her, most shoppers had a positive reaction to the fundraiser.
“We do occasionally have a few people who choose to no longer shop with us or to unsubscribe from our mailing list, and that’s okay,” Hatch Fairley said. “They need to go someplace where they’re more comfortable.”
Since then, the store has held a yearly fundraiser in which 20% of the proceeds on their Pride merchandise goes to LGBTQ Saves.
Gardner says LGBTQ Saves is primarily a social support system for youth ages 12 to 24.
“We focus on providing community to these kids, who are often feeling isolated or like they’re the only one that is LGBTQ in their area,” he said.
The organization began in 2010 in response to youth suicide. According to the 2023 survey, 41% of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year.
“What I have really noticed is knowing that they are not alone and being surrounded by people who are affirming them has really helped to heal them,” Gardner said.
LGBTQ Saves is a volunteer-run organization, and money from donations goes to emergency grocery cards, clothing, scholarships and supplies for meetings.
Since 2020, JuJu Knits has raised $3,300 for LGBTQ Saves. This month, the store has collected more than $300 for the organization with a goal of reaching $600 by July.
Throughout the year, JuJu Knits hosts fundraisers for Cancer Care Services, victims of sex trafficking, and UT Southwestern Cancer Center.
Hatch Fairley believes that giving back through crafting not only helps the community, but also the person making the crafts. After her mother died of cancer, she turned to knitting and crocheting.
“Our primary goal when my husband and I started this was to be able to share what I call the healing power of yarn with others,” Hatch Fairley said.
Every Wednesday, the store hosts a knitting circle for crafters of all skill levels.
“Our only rule here is that we refrain from discussing anything political so that we can keep this a safe space for everyone,” Hatch Fairley said.
On this recent Wednesday, Gardner was joined by 10 others working on their latest projects — an affirmation, he says, that “LGBTQ people belong in the store and in the circle.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts, there is help available. Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
This story was originally published June 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM.
