Dyer Moments: Jonathan Perks

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design. 

Join me today in getting to know Jonathan Perks!
 

Describe the first time you dyed.
~Alchemy. Pure alchemy. It’s a surprise and a delight every time. I had some old Rowan yarn and a half finished jumper and a small guilt complex about it. Can’t remember why I decided to start dyeing and how I even got the dyes but the Rowan was transformed into something wholely new and a light bulb went on in my head….

How did you begin your business?
~I’ve always wanted to do something to pursue my own creativity and create a business from it. So I discovered some yarn and dye powder suppliers, approached some retail business and off it went. Ironically, most people don’t do it this way around. They sell at events and online and then move to retail shops..I have some very supportive businesses (Spins and Neddles in Lincoln) who are enthusiastic about my product and are prepared to negotiate on price.

What inspired the name of your company?
~Colour - of course. I work creatively with colour and don’t do repeatables. That’s the focus - colour. I’ve come to realise how important it is and how it can influence the way you feel. I often pull out a bright and vibrant skein on a dull day and you can’t help smiling.

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?
~Weird and wacky. That’s what I go for. Some names come fully born. Others are quite random. Sometimes my partner names them. Sometimes names might be related to something I’ve seen on TV - my Nigella’s Plums was very popular - deep berry reds and purples.

Do you also knit? Crochet?
~I knit and crochet throughout the year. I don’t tend to use patterns and have taught myself top down and seamless percentage methods. The maths appeals to my scientific part of my brain. I tend to crochet in summer and the knitting mojo returns in Autumn. I attend about three knitting groups on and off and this keeps the enthusiaism going. Knitters are a great bunch of people - friendly and ready to share. I set up a knitting group at the National Centre of Craft and Design in Lincolnshire and have run workshops there on toe up sock knitting and yarn dyeing.

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn?
~I love blues and I like mixing turquoise and royal blue in my yarn dyeing to give a bright vibrant blue. My favourite pattern is the one I’m knitting or crochetting at the moment - a bit like if you ask me who my favourite singer is - Alana Del Rey is playing in my car every day and I can feel some ginger and red combinations happening in my yarn dyeing.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~Don’t have a favourite really. The colour is first and foremost important althought I have acquired some angora merino mix that produces the most saintly colour haze just like Scandinavian Lett Lopi’s.
Is there anything especially cool about your yarns we should know?
~I’m a mad scientist. If I want to achieve an effect I play around and build equipment to help me achieve what I want.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company?
~I went to University and did a Degree in Geography in the late eighties/early nineties. I suppose it doesn’t directly influence what I do, but you learn skills and gain life experience too.

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~Dive in and play.

Tell us about your biggest dye fail.
~No such thing. Something is always salvageable. Even if the hank is the most ugliest thing in the world you can overdye it all black and suddenly its the most beautiful thing in the world to Goths and witches.

Most importantly, whats the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?
~I have started a shop on Big Cartel: http://chromayarns.bigcartel.com and am learning about improving yarn photos. I’m not there yet. I am launching some long colour run yarns. I want to launch a season-based yarn club in the next few months with patterns to take advantage of this new product.

To get a better idea of the people behind the product... I ask our dying interviewees these insight questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What is your favorite word?
~Gusset.

What is your least favorite word?
~It’s unprintable.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
~Music, film and computer games - games are getting so sophisticated that they can really draw you in emotionally into storylines and play.

What turns you off?
~Snobbery and cliques and jealous bad mouthers.

What is your favorite curse word?
~I’m a gentleman and shouldn’t really say and you couldn’t possibly print it either.

What sound or noise do you love?
~Benjamin Britten’s Second String Quartet. Anything by Debussy but especially L’isle Joyeuse.

What sound or noise do you hate?
~Anything by Mozart - sorry Mozartians.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
~Professional musician. Maybe a Pianist. I am tempted to take up the alto sax but have to watch the pennies at the moment.

What profession would you not like to do?
~Sales in a call centre - unless it was selling my own yarn of course.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
~Well, you were wrong but it doesn’t matter. Come on in.

Be sure to visit Jonathan's online store at http://chromayarns.bigcartel.com

Dyer Moments: Sarah Rohn

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color. I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with. If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape. But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate? I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.

Join me today in getting to know Sarah Rohn!

Describe the first time you dyed.
~I had just moved to a new city and didn’t know anyone. I ended up meeting a girl through Ravelry who was into everything crafty. She introduced me to spinning and I bought her old fiberglass spinning wheel off of her. After I got better spinning store-bought fibers, I decided to branch out into dying my own. We spent half the day in her kitchen experimenting with colors. We mixed them up in those plastic ketchup bottles and squirted them out in stripes onto the fiber. It smelled like steamy vinegar and wet wool and our hands were colorful for days. I was definitely hooked.

How did you begin your business?
~I loved dying fiber but I was a novice spinner and I couldn’t spin fast enough to keep up. I couldn’t justify spending all the money to buy fiber only to have it sit in beautiful piles around my house. My crafty friend who taught me to spin and dye also introduced me to Etsy. She had her own shop and made it seem super easy for me to have one, too.

What inspired the name of your company?
~The name took a million years to think up. I wanted something clever that would easily lend itself to a cute logo. I’m visual by nature so I started drawing pictures of fiber related things and thinking up names around that. I got stuck on the idea of a sheep and roving. I started to think about the different meanings of the word roving and suddenly loved the idea of a sheep “roving” about the land looking for yarn.

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?
~I love color! I keep notes on color combinations that I see and fall in love with. Right now I’m a big fan of mustard and turquoise. When it comes time to dye I’ll sometimes think of that list, but mostly I become a mad scientist, mixing up whatever colors strike my fancy. I name them when they’re done and dry. The color will usually remind me of something- an object or a time or a feeling. I just name them around that. One of them – Autumn in New York- is full of oranges and yellows. It reminded me of a Fall month I spent at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen taking care of chickens rescued from Hurricane Katrina.
It was the best month of my life.

Do you also knit? Crochet?
~I started knitting in high school. It was a scarf that started out being about eight inches wide and ended up being more like twenty inches. Thank you inadvertent yarn overs! Needless to say, that scarf never got finished. I took up knitting again on my birthday after I graduated college. I like to learn something new on my birthday every year as a gift to myself. The next year I taught myself to crochet. My mom had showed me how to make a chain when I was a little girl, probably about six or seven years old. But I just made chains that went on for miles and nothing else. I love them both for different reasons. Knit socks and crocheted granny squares will always have a place in my heart.

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn?
~I love every color and my favorites change all the time. Right now it’s mustard, which seems weird since yellows were always on the backburner in my mind. But now I can’t get enough of it. I want everything I knit to be mustard. My favorite patterns are ones with intricate cables or colorwork. I mostly like solid or semi-solid yarns so the stitchery can really shine.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~I haven’t dyed too many. I mostly use superwash merino but BFL takes color in such an amazing way. I just wish it was a little softer. I’m so biased towards soft yarn. I’d like to branch out into more plant fibers. I’m a (sort of) vegan and tried to avoid wool for a while but couldn’t do it. It’s just the best to knit with. Most of the fiber I buy I get some a little shop in Marengo, Illinois called The Fold.
It’s the most amazing place and there are often the animal’s names hanging next to their fiber. So I like the idea that they are coming from small family farms around the area.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company?
~I have an art degree with an emphasis on painting. I think it has helped with mixing colors and deciding what colors look good together.
It’s especially useful when I have a particular color in mind. I can usually get something pretty close to what I imagined. Also, I’m learning more about computer art and photography so I’m hoping to revamp the shop in the near future.

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~Don’t be afraid! It’s sometimes intimidating to see blank white fiber staring at you, but there is plenty more where that came from. Don’t be afraid to experiment and make mistakes. Sometimes when I don’t know what colors I want, I just jump right in and see where it takes me.

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?
~I have an online shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRovingEwe. Right now it’s only spinning fiber but I have a bunch of sock weight yarn waiting for dye as we speak. I’m hoping to have that up sometime in the next few months.

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What is your favorite word?
~Yay!!!

What is your least favorite word?
~Cumberland. Just something about it. Cummerbund is perfectly fine though. Go figure.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
~Nature and other peoples’ creativity. Whenever I’m feeling stagnant creatively I’ll go for a hike or to a museum. Nothing recharges your batteries like seeing beautiful things.

What turns you off?
~Gloomy weather

What is your favorite curse word?
~Poops!

What sound or noise do you love?
~The clicking of high heels on marble, the crunching of boots in the woods and the cooing of a chicken in your lap.

What sound or noise do you hate?
~Motorcycles, music with too much bass, the sound of my cat scratching the couch

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
~Right now I have a pretty good Government job in downtown Chicago.
It’s not creative but it pays the bills and lets me create without worrying about making a living from it. If I could be a full time artist, I would but I tried that and it was just too stressful. I like the balance that I have now. Although when I retire I want to move to the country, raise sheep and alpacas and open a little fiber/yarn shop out of my house.

Be sure to visit Sarah's online shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheRovingEwe.
Her part life/part crafting blog can be found at http://fellow-earthling.blogspot.com.
Sarah's Etsy shop also has a blog at http://therovingewe.blogspot.com
Enjoy them ALL!

Dyer Moments: Melissa Ricks

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.  

Join me today in getting to know Melissa Ricks!

Describe the first time you dyed.
~Aside from childhood attempts to crush berries and color doll clothes, my first dyeing experience was in high school.   I had just knitted my first sweater - a vivid hot pink  wool raglan pullover.  When I realized that the color wasn't the best for me, I fearlessly decided to dye it.  I used gold dye from the supermarket and my hot pink sweater became a lovely warm brick red - perfect! I guess I just have always looked at things with an eye to what they could become, not just what they are, so it seemed the natural thing to do.

How did you begin your business?
~The dream of having a fiber and yarn business of some type began in childhood, but it wasn't until 2008 that I got up the courage to pursue the dream.  I  started by selling handspun yarn on etsy.com as a sideline to support my knitting and spinning   Other spinners admired the fibers I dyed for my own handspun, so I began to also sell hand dyed fibers.  Then, once I began selling at fiber festivals, knitters who didn't spin saw my colors and asked for hand dyed yarn. Within a year and a half, my 'sideline' business became my full time occupation.  The name, 'Wild Hare Fiber Studio' came about when I was gathering my courage to start a fiber business, and comes from an old southern saying: if someone does something unexpected and daring, people say they 'go off on a wild hare.'  I was working as a Realtor, dreaming of yarn and spinning wheels and one day decided to 'go off on a wild hare' and pursue my dream.  

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?
~Generally, my colors are inspired by the beauty of the natural world, but I love to play with how colors interact with one another, so some of my colorways are spontaneous and some are based on color theory.  I have some colorways that I repeat and keep in stock, but each season I do a batch of new ones -- a few may be added to the repeatables, but many of them are just for a season. While I don't copy from it, I do keep an eye on the Pantone 'color forecast' to make sure I have some of the colors that will be appearing in ready-to-wear that season so that my yarns will work with other garments.   Most of the time, the colorway tells me what to name it.

Do you also knit? Crochet?
~Oh yes.  My great-grandmother taught me to crochet when I was a preschooler, I taught myself to knit from a book in junior high.  I added spinning in 1990, and recently discovered that sock yarns work really well on a rigid heddle loom!  There's always something new to learn or try in fiber arts!

What is your favorite color?
~Colors are like children -- no fair playing favorites!  Different colors play different roles, and sometimes an 'ugly' color is just what is needed to make another color really shine.  When dyeing my yarns and fibers, I intentionally create a range of colors in each yarn or fiber to appeal to a variety of people.  Sometimes a color that I would never choose for myself can become a best seller!  In my own knitting bag, you're most likely to find teals and greens, purple, coppery browns and neutrals.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~Probably superwash merino wool, because it dyes so vividly and well.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company?
~After a childhood spent drawing, painting, sewing and doing anything creative I could find to do, I attended Duke University and double-majored in Political Science and Fine Art/Design.  After graduation I worked for the university in marketing and communications.  When I married and began having children, I became a homeschooling mother who did a variety of other things on the side, such a creating t-shirts featuring my artwork, selling clothing for nursing mothers on ebay, and 'flipping' houses.  When my marriage ended, I became a Realtor, something I chose both because I really enjoyed helping buyers and sellers through the process of finding or selling a house, and because it offered the flexibility I needed as a single mom with small children.  Having a fiber business draws upon the sense of color and design that I developed in college as well as skills in marketing and sales that came through my work experience -- and I can design my own schedule so that my families needs still take priority.  In order to keep the house focused on family and have enough space to meet the demands of my business, I now rent a studio so that I have a dedicated dye kitchen, carding station, and a room where I can package and display my products and hold classes.  It's next door to the elementary school that my children attend and within walking distance of home -- perfect for my current family and business needs.

Tell us about your biggest dye “fail”.
~Hmmm.... I once tried to do natural dyeing with pokeberries and forgot to add the mordant.  In the dyepot the yarn was this most amazing shade of magenta... but all that lovely rich color washed out and I was left with straw-colored yarn.  It was a pretty shade so I used it anyway (the thing I made won 'Best of Show' at a fiber festival, so maybe this is a bad example of a fail.)

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?
~You will find me online at either www.wildharefiber.com or www.wildhare.etsy.com, and at many shows and festivals on the east coast.  There are several yarn shops that also carry my fibers and yarns as I'm gradually adding wholesale accounts.  I don't have my own club, but I've dyed yarn for several clubs that feature different dyers each month (I'm doing yarn in March for Pulling at Strings yarn club, for example)

Melissa Ricks - Wild Hare Fiber

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
~the beauty of creation - the ocean, a sunset, the beauty of flower, babies soft fuzzy little noggins, soft white wool

What turns you off?
~strong smells, loud noises, bossy controlling people, cheap plastic yarn

What sound or noise do you love?
~string music, distant trains, rain on my metal roof

What sound or noise do you hate?
~squeeling tires, revving engines, yelling

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
~I really just want to play with yarn and fiber, which I'm already doing, but if I could combine this with working in another country as a missionary or Peace Corps volunteer, that would be cool.

What profession would you not like to do?
~I wouldn't want to be a professional wrestler, circus clown, or The President of the United States.  My head is sufficiently in the clouds so that I would probably make a pretty bad waitress too.

Dyer Moments: Laura Coleman

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.  


Join me today in getting to know Laura Coleman!

Describe the first time you dyed. 
~i dyed with kool aide for a long time.  just playing around.  i got great colors, and i loved the smell.  plus, it was great summer fun for my neighborhood kids.

How did you begin your business?
~a friend and i started magic & moonshine to sell jewelry.  then i got into dyeing yarn, and she moved in other directions with her creative muse.  color and the interplay of color--i love using color in a way that suggests waves or movement, like long stripes in tonal colors--on the skein is much more exciting to me then beading, so i moved to dyeing.

What inspired the name of your company?
~the “moonshine” is  a nod to my southern upbringing, and the “magic” just came to me. just like that.  cause the world is magical.

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?
~i am inspired by everything.  the jumble of dirty laundry on the floor, flower gardens, the ocean, mountains of fabric, you name it. even books and music inspire colorways.  we spent 10 days in india this fall, and i am planning a line of colors based on the trip.  i also have a line of colorways in mind from one of my favorite books.  i can’t open my eyes wide enough.

how do i name the colorways?  it’s so completely random.  poetry, memories, the inspiration for the color...a lot of the time i just type the colors into google and look at the images til i find something that catches my eye.  my long-striping yarn, “handkerchief trick” is named after magicians.  naming them is the hardest part for me.  i tend to think in pictures and not words.

Do you also knit? Crochet?
~i do knit.  some.  i have about 6 ufos in a basket by my bed right now, and i have 3 more things i need to start (and finish) this month.  if i am not dyeing, reskeining, or winding yarn, then i am reading or painting these days.  i don’t crochet YET.  anyone want to teach me?

Laura Coleman - Magic & Moonshine

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn?
~i don’t have a favorite color.  when i was little, i said my favorite color was rainbow.  i still feel that way.  sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that i am not dyeing just for myself.  i tend to dye bright variegated yarns because that’s what i love; it’s really hard to do semi solid jewel tones even though i know that folks love them.  but as winter sinks in, my colors are getting deeper and richer.

please don’t tell anyone this.  i have only knit with my yarn once--i made a citron with a long striper.  i have seen stuff that other people have made though.  there’s a pair of striped socks knitted by a rav friend  in a custom colorway i did for her that i really like.  there’s also a lovely pair of pooling socks done with a’s night out--a colorway custom dyed from a picture of a club at night.  i loved the colorway so much that i repeated it.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~i mainly dye merino blends, but i would love to start trying out new fibers.  bamboo for instance, takes dye so differently and has a natural sheen.  a friend gave me a skein of bamboo to dye--it’s so gorgeous i have it hanging on my wall.   bfl and silk also have a natural sheen.  i have played with both fibers, but not seriously.  bfl will come soon though--it makes lovely hand painted skeins.  

Is there anything especially cool about your yarns we should know?
~hmmm...people tell me my yarn smells like limes.  i rock at looking at pictures and interpreting that picture into yarn.  it’s one of my favorite things to do.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company? 
~my education is a big old bag of scraps.  it took me 6 years to get my bachelor’s because i kept changing my major.  my degree is in literature.  i have been a baker, a server, a youth worker, a massage therapist, an art researcher...the list goes on and on.  

my background: i was born and raised in mississippi--a hotbed of creativity and inspiration.  i was too busy partying like a rock star to be particularly artistic there.  but i have always loved the world:  walks in the woods, sitting by the ocean, climbing some rocks, gardening, smelling the flowers.  growing up in mississippi on a farm--i spent a lot of time outside.  since we lived a ways from my friends, i spent a lot of time alone.  reading and pretending.  imagination=the beginning of creativity.

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~wear gloves and jump right in;  don’t worry too much and have fun.

Tell us about your biggest dye “fail”.
~i have three--i once forgot a skein on the stove, and it boiled--a great big roiling boil.  beautiful felt.  i was heating a skein in the microwave and all the water evaporated.  it was literally burned to a crisp.  third--heating a skein wrapped in plastic in a roaster.  melted the plastic into the skein.  just keep moving.  (and i’m not even mentioning the tangled skeins.)

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?  
~ETSY--magicandmoonshine@etsy.com.  no retail--just don’t want to commit myself to something i might not be able to keep up with.  purplegoddessdesigns and i are offering a yarn club right now--cookies and cake.  she is a pastry chef; i am dyeing yarn inspired by her yummy treats.  i also have another club coming up in the spring inspired by my trip to india.

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What is your favorite word?
~serendipity

What is your least favorite word?
~i can’t tell you--i won’t even say it, but it isn’t profanity.  i don’t mind profanity.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
~the great wonderful wide wide world:   dance. people.  trees. music. trains.  passion.  politics.  books.  travel.  gardens.  learning.  being alive.

What turns you off?
~mean selfish people.

What is your favorite curse word?
~fuckity fuck fuck fuck.  i have a sailor mouth.  i inherited it from my great grandmother.  

What sound or noise do you love?
~hmm....trains or wind.  trains remind me that i am never stuck.  wind reminds me of change.

What sound or noise do you hate?
~sometimes just loud cacophonic noise drives me up the wall.  like being in a bar after the lights go on and everyone is still yelling.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
~i would love to be a teacher or a monkey mother (behavioral biologist) or a party planner.

What profession would you not like to do? 
~i don’t think i would be a good stock broker.  

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
~thanks for enjoying my creation.

Please visit Laura's Shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/magicandmoonshine?ref=si_shop
Laura can also by found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/magicandmoonshine?sk=wall
And she has a Blog at http://magicandmoonshine.blogspot.com/

Dyer Moments: Brandy Marilla

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.  


Join me today in getting to know Brandy Marilla!

"Celestial"

What inspired the name of your company?  

~I was inspired by the woman described in Proverbs 31.  It tells of a woman whose worth is far above rubies and pearls, seeks wool and flax, and works willingly with her hands.  The name 31Rubies reflects what is in my heart, what I strive to be everyday.

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?      
~I am inspired by what I am feeling mostly.  My moods, thoughts, trials, triumphs and musings are soaked right along with the yarn in the dye pot.  I can be a deep thinker :)

Do you also knit? Crochet?    
~YES!  Nearly everyday for 11 years!  I knit for my four children, mostly!

"Beautifully Blue Moon"

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn?  
~Red is always a beloved shade, but I change my mind often.  Colors speak, and have quite a bit to say.  They can convey moods,thoughts and yesterdays wordlessly.  So my favorite color would depend on what's in my heart at the moment.  Plain, seamless top down sweater patterns and longies show hand dyed yarn well, no need for intricate stitches!

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~Wool.  I sincerely love wool!  Wool is very much an alive fiber, and it's properties are nothing short of amazing.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company?  
~I have been a stay at home mama since I was married and my first child was born.  I have four little ones looking up to me, and want to show them how important character, living, and loving is.  That influences not only my etsy shop, but my entire life.

"He's Waiting in the Meadow"

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~Put your heart into it!

Tell us about your biggest dye “fail”.  
~There is no such thing.  It is a piece of yourself, and can always be over dyed.

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?      
~I have an etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/31Rubies, and a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/31Rubies/218817138183808?sk=wall that I can sell from.  I am always open to custom orders since I love to dye colorways based on stories, fabric, anything!

Brandy Marilla - 31Rubies

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?  
~New life, kindness, when someone just "gets you", hard work, quiet nights, the moon.

What sound or noise do you love?  
~The "hum" that our bodies have, the water running in the creek behind our house, creaking trees, the hush of night and snow.

"What's an Alice"

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  
~Midwifery

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  
~"Well done, good and faithful servant."  :)

Please visit Brandy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/31Rubies

Dyer Moments: Shayla Myst Morrigan

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.  


Join me today in getting to know Shayla Myst Morrigan!


Describe the first time you dyed.
~ I saw so many pretty colors in the world around me and wanted to see if I could translate those colors into yarn. So I bought a dyeing kit from Knit Picks, just to see if I could dye at all. I made a huge mess in my kitchen and was tickled when the skeins were finally dry and the colors were so pretty.

How did you begin your business? 
~Some of the women in the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House cup group really liked the skeins I'd dyed and someone suggested that I sell them. Since I already sold herbal salve online, it wasn't a big leap to add yarns to my shop.

What inspired the name of your company?
~ Many years ago I wanted to come up with a name to represent my online presence, so I began looking up various names and words. Alina means "away from home" and Shea means "a magical place".

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them?
~ A lot of my colors are inspired by the things I see in life. From Morning Glories, Nightshade, & Bright Vincas to Melted Lipstick, Nightfall, & Chocolatey Mint, it's all out there in the world to see. The names just come to me as the colors form in the pots and they just seem "right".

Do you also knit? Crochet?
~ Yes, both! I also like to spin and I weave a little bit. I can't imagine sitting for very long without some project in my hands.

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn?
~ This varies between deep purple and rich green. One of my favorite colorways is Nightshade since it has both colors. Favorite patters? I think that changes every time I see a new project that someone used my yarn with.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye?
~ I carry a base called Frosted Moon and I love how it soaks up the color and gives just a hint of sparkle.

Is there anything especially cool about your yarns we should know?
~ I try to get really soft yarns. I ask companies for lots of samples, and when they don't quite feel soft enough to make baby clothes, I probably won't carry them.

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company?
~ My mom was known as an "Earth mother" so there was a lot of hippy-ness going on during my younger years. A lot of time spent outdoors looking at pretty flowers, interesting leaves, animal tracks, and so much more. I think that really influenced my ability to see beauty in so many things. Education? Well, I was home-schooled, then in college at 16. The most useful class I took was interpersonal communications, but I still have trouble communicating even now. (The other classes dealt with computer programming, drafting, and math.)

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~ Play! Don't be afraid of adding a little extra color, or a little less. Trust your intuituion. If a color doesn't look right, over-dye it with a harmonizing color (blue for cool colors, bold orange for warm colors) and you'd be amazed at the way it changes.

Tell us about your biggest dye “fail”.
~ Mud. I was trying for a soft blend of blues, greens, and browns. Sadly, I dropped the skein fully into the brown (while my tongs were on the other counter) and the whole skein ended up looking like the mushy leaves at the end of winter. I over-dyed in in black and never put it in the shop.

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club?
~ I have an online shop through Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlinaSheaCreations) and you can keep up with the weekly updates through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/alina.shea.creations).

~ I do have a yarn club! I have so much fun coming up with colors and gifts each month and the members are truly amazing people. Most of the information is found on AlinaShea.com (http://www.alinashea.com/club.html)

Shayla Myst Morrigan - Alina Shea Creations

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.

What is your favorite word?
~ Illume. It just seems to hold all the magic of a tiny point of light growing slowly to help us to see clearly.

What is your least favorite word?
~ Can't. Only because so many people believe it when they use it and everyone has so much potential for "Can".

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
~ So many things. The sparkle in my kids' eyes (14 & 19), the love from my friends, the purring of my cats, the wind blowing the bright leaves in my yard, The snow glittering when the temperatures drop, the rain hitting my window...

What turns you off?
~ Intolerance and beligerance. I think they just send out such negative energy that it hurts anyone around the one doing the sending.

What is your favorite curse word?
~ I don't really have one, but I usually say "snack crackers" when I'm really mad.

What sound or noise do you love?
~ The wind. It has so much life to it.

What sound or noise do you hate?
~ A car's tires screeching. That one stops me in my tracks everytime in a near panic.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
~ Alpaca breeder, or farmer, they are both tied.

What profession would you not like to do?
~ A public defender. You don't really get a choice in who your clients are and that could easily go against a person's own morals.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
~ Yes, you made a positive impact in people's lives.

Please visit Shayla at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AlinaSheaCreations

Dyer Moments: Shannon Shaw

When I design knit patterns, my inspiration usually begins with a color.  I like to design textures and patterns that represent, in some way, the color I’m working with.  If a particular dye lot reminds me of fire, or a stormy sea, or a leafy vine, I’ll try to reflect that in the stitch pattern or overall shape.  But where do those beautifully colored yarns originate?  I'm particularly fond of the work of indie-dyers, and so I've created this interview process - Dyer Moments - to expose the people that make the colorways that inspire new design.  

Join me today in getting to know Shannon Shaw!

Describe the first time you dyed. 

"Don't Call Me Nymphadora"

~The first time I dyed, I had a skein of Patons wool & some grape & lime Kool-Aid. I dyed half of it lime green & half purple. I still have it. I haven’t found the perfect pattern for it yet.

How did you begin your business? 
~I started dyeing with Kool-Aid & then graduated to what my friends call “big girl” dyes. I bought Jacquard Acid Dye from Knit Picks & some of their Bare yarn. Once I was comfortable with my chosen dye method, I started building up my inventory before I officially listed my first items in my shop last year. What’s a little ironic is that 10 minutes after I set myself up on my Etsy shop as a seller, I got a call from my regular job that they were closing in 2 months. Needless to say, it was the kick in the pants that I needed to get my inventory built up & open my shop.

What inspired the name of your company? 
~After I found the wondrousness of Harry Potter, I searched online for Harry Potter quilt patterns & found a site on Livejournal. An amazing person had listed free quilt patterns she designed especially for Harry Potter on a Livejournal community, hp_paperpiecing. I joined Livejournal with the username of hermione_jean. On there I met others who adored Harry Potter as much as I did & got me back into crocheting & eventually teaching myself to knit. I learned of Ravelry from them & carried the same username over. It just became who I was known as & I didn’t want to change that familiarity so I kept it when I started my Etsy shop. Plus, who wouldn’t want a company named after the brightest witch of her age.

"Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch"

What inspires your colorways and how do you name them? 
~My favorite fandoms inspire my colorways. I usually come up with my ideas while I’m listening to my audio books or watching movies or my favorite TV series. I always have a notebook with me to jot down the ideas. I’ve got many colorways jotted down that haven’t been dyed yet.

Do you also knit? Crochet? 
~Yes, I knit, crochet & spin.

What is your favorite color and do you have a favorite pattern for showing off your yarn? 
~I love green but if you want to know my favorite colorway I‘ve dyed up so far, it would have to be…all of them. Really, that’s like trying to choose a favorite child. ;) Honestly, I adore anything that has been knit or crocheted with my yarn. It always gives me a thrill when I see something made with my yarn.

What is your favorite fiber/yarn to dye? 
~I love to dye with merino yarn especially superwash because I don’t have to worry too much about felting it.

Is there anything especially cool about your yarns we should know? 
~I don’t know how “cool” this may be but I’ve had a dear friend tell me that she loves my yarn because I put thought behind the colorways & the names of my yarns. There’s always a reasoning to them. They aren’t haphazardly thrown together.

"The Unbreakable Vow"

Describe your background / education. Does it have any influence on your company? 
~I have a B.S.B.A. in Business Management & Accounting. I wouldn’t say it’s had an influence on my company but it has given me the knowledge I’ve needed to run a business. I feel the influences have been from my family. I was taught to sew when I was 8 by my mother & to crochet at the same age by my grandmother. I’ve always dabbled in crafts whether it be sewing to quilting to yarn.

What advise would you give others looking to dye?
~I would say just start dyeing, try all the methods you can & find the one that suits you best. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, sometimes those are the best.

Most importantly, what’s the best way to purchase your yarns? Are you in retail stores or do you have a shop online? Do you offer a yarn club? 
~My yarns are only available in my Etsy store. I’m on my second yarn club which starts in December. I have plans for another one after that & possibly one in worsted weight.

Shannon Shaw - Hermione Jean Creations

To get a better idea of the people behind the product…I ask our dying interviewees these insightful questions developed by Bernard Pivot.


What is your favorite word? 
~Magic

What is your least favorite word? 
~Ignorant ~ It’s not the word that I dislike but that some people are ignorant.

What is your favorite curse word? 
~I don’t really curse all that much but I do say crap a lot.

"Hogwart's Halloween Feast"

What sound or noise do you love? 

~I love the sounds of water. It’s very soothing.

What sound or noise do you hate? 
~The sounds of town. It’s too much noise, I live in the country.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? 
~I would love to be a costume maker for the theater or movies. I think that would be so much fun.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
~Well done!


Please visit Shannon at http://www.etsy.com/shop/hermionejean