Introducing Meg of Hoobody Fibers

Last but not least, that's my motto. I'm Meg, your Fiber Barista from Hoobody Fibers. I'm the other LYSO of the group, having owned Yarn Expressions for almost 15 years. I'm a Midwesterner born and raised, but job changes sent us to Huntsville, AL 16 years ago. Our children were in elementary school at the time, so I took a year to get them settled and acclimated, and then I looked for something to occupy the rest of my time. I've been knitting for as long as I can remember -- my grandmother taught me when I was five, just to keep me out of trouble -- so opening a yarn shop was my dream come true. It still is!

Hoobody Fibers has been a part of Yarn Expressions for two years now, and I really enjoy being able to share my love of color and texture with my customers in this new way. I have a few repeatable colors in my repertoire, but mostly I like to play with color combinations and let them tell me how they should be.

Huntsville is known as Rocket City, and is home to Marshall Space Flight Center and the U. S. Space and Rocket Center. The large influx of scientists and engineers makes Huntsville very different from other Southern cities, and I'm hoping to share some of that non-traditional Southern Hospitality with y'all.

Although knitting is my first love, spinning is my latest obsession. We've recently started selling hand-dyed spinning fibers at Yarn Expressions, which gives me just one more outlet for playing with color.

I hope you've enjoyed the color-filled travelogue we've given you over the past few weeks. I'm so pleased to be a part of this fantastic group of dye artists. I can't wait for the club packages to start rolling in!

Sign up ends in just a few days, so if you haven't secured your spot yet, do it now -- you won't be sorry!

Introducing Catherine of Knitting Notions

Hi!
I am Catherine, owner of Knitting Notions, and Fiber Baristas dyer for the month of June. We opened our business in August 2005 by introducing our handcrafted wood yarn swifts. I started dyeing that same year and have enjoyed learning and perfecting this art form. I never felt like color was “my thing” so I was quite pleased and surprised by how well I took to it. My favorite part was learning how to combine the artistic expression with the science. For me, dyeing yarn is a culmination of this dual aspect of my nature.

I have been a knitter since I was 14 and it is still one of my favorite things to do. I like to combine that activity with one of my other passions, either reading or music. I am rarely found knitting without my iPod. I knit a wide variety of things, but I really love socks, fingerless mitts, sweaters, and in the last couple years scarves and shawls have topped my list of projects. I have developed a passion for lace and use it for all sorts of projects. I prefer knitting with wool; so that dominates my stash.

The past year I have had the privilege of getting to know the group of dyers that the Fiber Baristas were spawned from. There are 15 of us in our little group, some of whom weren’t able to join this initial club, but will likely be involved in subsequent clubs. The talent and diversity is amazing!

Anyway, on to the part you are really here for; pictures!

I don’t normally post pictures of myself, so consider yourselves privileged, LOL!

Thanks for reading!

Catherine

Introducing Libby of Northwoods Dyeworks

Northwoods Dyeworks is truly a family business, and we try to incorporate those values into everything that we do. Also a bricks & mortar LYS located in a small town in Northern Wisconsin, we deeply understand the importance of knowing your community and acting responsibly.

Dyeing both fabrics and yarns professionally since 2000, we have become known for our vibrant colors and bold combinations. Years of specializing in children's tie dye has spilled over into everything we do, and although subtle tones do surface from time to time, our more whimsical colorways continue to define our style year after year.

In 2008, we added a new line of products to our spinning fibers, "Batts by Bea." And yes, there is a Bea! These unique and often luxurious batts come from a 6 year old girl's uncontrollable desire to play with color. Of course, she lets the rest of us pitch in, but customers are often amused by the sight of a second grader laying bags of fiber in lines along the shop floor, deciding which ones to blend. Every colorway features at least one uniquely blended or dyed color.

Our family is proud to be a member of the Fiber Baristas and we're so excited about what this partnership can bring to the fiber world. Located only a block from Lake Superior and sandwiched between several national parks & forests, the hardest part will be picking just one thing to inspire our colorway. We look forward to serving up something special come September!

Introducing Jenny of Bare Sheep Yarn Company

Hello, I am Jenny from Bare Sheep Yarn Company. I am a life long Maryland girl and have been in love with Art since I could hold a crayon. I married my high school sweetheart, We have three wonderful Rays of Sunshine and now live in the middle of farm country.

My husband was born to be a Farmer, however I struggled to find my passion, especially in the country. One day, I went into a yarn store and all of the yarn was nice but it wasn't perfect. I dyed reeds for basket weaving in college so I had that light-bulb moment and decided why not just dye the yarn myself. My passion was found and my love of color came out of retirement. Whew!

I sell yarn on Etsy http://www.baresheepyarn.etsy.com/ and on my site http://www.BareSheepYarn.com/

I dream; lust after my own brick and mortar store however, I can settle for my online stores just as long as I can keep on dyeing yarn.

Have a good one,

Jenny

Introducing Ruth of PennyRose Yarns

My name is Ruth, I live in New Jersey, and I'm a retired librarian with a new career: dyeing and selling yarn. This is my second year in business and I've enjoyed every minute of it. My shop is here on Etsy: http://fritzl.etsy.com

Color is how I express myself. When I go to a museum, I am caught first by the colors of a painting. I can almost taste color. So here I am, in this amazing new career. Retirement doesn't get any better than this: playing with color, knitting up my yarns, and then dyeing more. It is such a joy to take a palette of colors and then combine them in different ways to get new colors.

Here are some of the yarns I have dyed. You'll notice a lot of pastels. Someone on Ravelry called me the Pastel Queen, and I think that might be accurate.

I am so honored to be a part of the Fiber Baristas. What a group of professional, talented women! I hope you share our journey through our various states and countries.

Introducing Roxanne of ZenYarnGarden.com

Hello everyone! My name is Roxanne and I am your Fiber Barista from Ontario, Canada and the fiber artist behind ZenYarnGarden.com. I'm really excited to be a part of this wonderful group of fellow dyers who are all going to bring you a little piece of home with yarn included!

As for me, I started dyeing yarn in late 2005 and am pleased to say that I am now in my 4th year of creating colours! My goal, as a dyer, is to create colourways that inspire the knitter within each of us. As a fiber artist, I believe that colour speaks to us on many levels not only from how it affects our moods but also to how it affects what we are inspired to knit. My hope is that all the colourways I create are tools of inspiration for each and every knitter that has bought one of my yarns. Currently, I'm very much into spinning so I have also taken up dyeing fibres in colourways to inspire everyone's inner spinner! Colour is my motivation and is what keeps me going from day to day!

Here's a little sampling of some of my work:



For this club, I already have ideas brewing for what I'm going to be sending to everyone and it will be a nice representation of my home province of Ontario, Canada. Won't you join us? This is going to be a lot of fun!

Introducing Debbie Tomkies of DT Craft & Design

Hi! I'm Debbie, owner of DT Craft & Design, dyer, spinner, knitter (and tea-maker extraordinaire!). I'm thrilled to be part of this group and am looking forward to taking you on a whistlestop tour of my home county of Cheshire, later this year.

Dyeing has been my passion for nearly 20 years (knitting and crochet for even longer!), and I like nothing more than a day in the dye studio with some good rock music, a blank "canvas" of yarn or fibre and a line-up of dyes waiting to be turned into something magical!

Since the publication of my book, Hand-dyed Yarn Craft Projects, in 2004, my little business has grown from just 12 items to over 50 base yarns (can you tell I have a yarn thing going on?). I love nothing more than picking a yarn, squooshing it and waiting while it tells me what it wants to be. I'll have lots of fun choosing something extra special for our club members.

Inspiration comes to me from many sources. It may begin with plans for a design, a photograph, or my favourite colours. I love to collect paint swatches, fabric sample books, and even plant catalogues!

I like to offer repeatable colourways for larger projects as well as one-offs, and my current pet project is playing with new techniques for subtle multi-blends.

Have a little peek in my stash and see what I've been up to recently......

I hope you'll join us and look forward to sharing this adventure with you!

Introducing Brooke of ThePaintedTiger

Hi! I'm Brooke at ThePaintedTiger. This year is my seventh in business and my fifth year of creating hand dyed yarn and fiber. I'm a full time mom, homeschool teacher, and fiber artist. We live along the Mississippi River in the 'nose' of eastern Iowa. My other talents include music, and I greatly enjoy singing in our local choir and playing trumpet with the symphony. In my former 'life' (before kids), I taught 8th grade Science. Don't groan....I actually like 13-14 year olds!

Oh, you want to see some yarn?

Yes, I know....there are quite a few rainbows in there. Apparently they are pretty good, since I can hardly keep them in stock in my shop, and they were even 'Harlot-ed'....to my great 'squee-ness'!! Over the last two days, I have dyed 7lbs of rainbows, and have a couple more to go.

When I'm not painting rainbows, I create quite a variety of variegated and semi-solid yarns, both mild and wild. I dye on lace, several fingering/sock yarns, worsted, and bulky. Fibers include Merino, BFL, Bamboo, and domestic wool. I pride myself on supporting yarn mills located here in the United States. I also have an exciting line called 'Fillet of Sole' which are double stranded sock blanks that you unravel as you knit. The rainbow socks in the mosaic were from this process.

This year, I succumbed to the lure of the spinning wheel. I'm very much enjoying learning to spin, and also love the interesting effects you can get by dyeing on wool top. I have two varieties of wool currently, and will be adding more soon. I've also just ordered a drum carder, and am rubbing my hands together in true mad scientist style!

Fiber Baristas is very special to me. I was so glad to 'meet' the dyers in this sock club. Everyone is a fantastic dyer, business woman, and friend. I hope you will join us on this journey as I look forward to bringing you a postcard of Iowa!

Introducing Lindsay of Woolen Dyeworks/WhimzyPinzyCreations

My name is Lindsay, I live in Wisconsin with my hubby, our 3 kids and our puppy. I am a stay at home mom. I started WhimzyPinzy Creations in March of 2007. The name chosen simply means fun with color... the pinzy... well that a long story but the nickname was given to me by one of my cousins, many many years ago. This year I am planning expansion so I gave my business a Mothership name; Woolen Dyeworks. (however no matter which name you call us by we will answer *wink*, they are linked to each other to prevent confusion)

At WDW/WPC we love all aspects of fibery goodness, so when asked to be a part of this wonderful group... there was not a thought. Of course I would join in!
We feature hand dyed yarns  and fibers , our own handspun yarns, our own blended batts, and so much more!  Our signature fiber is bamboo :) :) :)

But this club is about the yarns so here are a few examples of what may be in your package - our hand dyed yarns come in a few different forms:
2 socks @ once: 2 -50g skeins
Tippy Toes: 2 -50g skeins + 80 yds for heels/toes
Just 1 skein: 100g skeins
Feet Sheets: flat knit skeins (made by me)
Toobies: round knit skeins (made by me)

2009 Registrations - Now Closed

Happy New Year everyone! The Fiber Baristas are now open for registrations and we invite you to register in the right hand sidebar by choosing your appropriate location ---->

The memberships are as follows:

US Residents ($35/mth x 9 mths = $315 total)
Non-US Residents ($43.33/mth x 9 mths = $390 total)
(you will be billed for the total amount when registering)

Shipping is included with the membership fees noted above and each month, the packages will include 1 skein of sock yarn in a blend chosen by the Fiber Barista featured that month as well as information on the location they are theming their yarn colourway on. The Baristas are working behind the scenes on these details and will provide some hints on the blog and the Rav group about what your package will entail for the month - for now, we wanted to keep it mostly a surprise! Surprises are fun!

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to either ask in a comment here or ask in the Rav group!

Won't you join us? The Fiber Baristas are excited to bring you their rendition of a colourway based on their location along with postcards from home.

Deadline to register is January 31, 2009.