Thanks, Lost & Found, and a few Announcements

We'd like to thank everyone who helped make our third Yarn Party a great success. We had over 550 attendees (not counting vendors, helpers, or organizers) throughout the day and gave away nearly 50 prizes.

• Our wonderful volunteers. I’m not going to name you all individually because I’m afraid I’d miss someone but you guys were such great help this year that the organizers actually had time to shop and sit and socialize a bit. Thanks for helping us get set up on time, make sure we had everything we needed, get door prize tickets to all our visitors, and thanks especially those of you who stuck around to make sure we all got out on time. Thank you SO SO much!

• Our super-talented vendors. You are all rockstars and we hope you had a great show!

• Our sponsors, who give us much needed financial support to keep putting this party on: A Tangled Skein, Fibre Space, Lovelyarns, The Yarn Spot, Woolwinders, Yarns International. These are all great shops - make sure you check them out!
  

• Blueswirly for our excellent new logo, which was featured on all the Homespun Yarn Party swag this year.
  

• Everyone who came out to the Mill and shopped and learned and shared and stopped by to say hello! (psst - that’s you)

We’ll have the leftover Homespun Yarn Party swag up on etsy soon, so if you missed out on the tote bags, project bags, notecards, or tape measures, stay tuned for how you can get your very own.

A button was found on the floor during cleanup - it's large, round, with a gold rim and a cream conical center. If it came off your garment and can't be replaced please let us know.

A ladies ring was lost during the event. If you found this and picked it up, please let us know so we can put you in touch with its owner.

Ewes-ful Fiber Arts has asked us to announce a Spin-In coming up on April 10 from 12-6pm in Westminster, MD. If you are interested in attending, please email Susan at ewesfulfiberarts at gmail.com.

If you took photos at the event, please add them to our Flickr Group (brand new for 2010)!

Persimmon Tree Farm

1. What is your website?
www.angoragoat.com/persimmon

2. What do you make?
I have been doing fiber shows for about 18 years now up and down the east coast and Midwest. I have even had a booth at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, Black Sheep Gathering and Estes Park CO. I hand dye custom/commercial spun yarn. I also produce hand dyed blended 50/wool/50/mohair roving for handspinng/felting. I also carry handspun yarn, hand knit/woven finished items. Raw and washed natural colored mohair.



3. How did you get into making stuff?
I got into all this wonderful stuff when my husband and I bought a farm in 1989. We needed some lawn mowers, so first came some Border Leicester sheep, and then came Natural Colored Angora goats.

4. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
They are just as nice and friendly as the local sheep and goat breeders, wonder people.



5. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Just ask my family, it is my life, and they get drug into it also. It is a huge part of my life. I enjoy working with the animals and the fiber.



7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
Stories?? Which one do you want to hear? Fiber and animal folks are full of stories. Like when the head gasket blew on the way to Michigan and we had to stop every hour to put water in the radiator, or the time the truck/trailer broke down going up the mountain getting home from SAFF, or even the time I put diesel in the gas tank and could not figure out why the truck would not run ,,that was on the way back from Michigan another year. I could go on and on. Life is an adventure. I keep telling my girlfriend we should write a book.

Woolarina

1. What is your website?
http://woolarina.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
woolarina



3. What do you make?
I dye yarns, mostly, along with a little roving and spinning some yarns.

4. How did you get into making stuff?
My mom taught me to knit when I was 5 or so. I remember having this awful minty seafoam green hat that I made! It's SUCH A GOOD THING that there are awesome indie dyers today, as it just wasn't so pretty in the 80s!



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
People are so willing to pitch in and help out! This is our third year of HYP, and it's all volunteer-based. It's great to meet so many people as interested in fiber and yarn as I am!

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Playing with yarn grounds me, I think. Life was pretty hectic already, and we now have a 6 month old keeping us busy. Being able to escape into the yarny world every so often keeps me happy!

Loop! - needs text

1. www.loop.etsy.com
2. loop
3. I blend specialty fiber for spinners and make art yarn for knitters, crocheters, and weavers.



4. I've always been a "creative" type, but it manifested itself previously through dance and creative writing as a kid and young adult. I'd always envied artists who made something tangible, but never seemed to find my medium. Years later, my mother-in-law tried to teach me how to knit and instead of being a good student of knitting I became obsessed with yarn. I googled "spinning lessons" in my area and found my spinning teacher and mentor. About a month into my classes with her, she introduced me to my first drum carder and I was hooked.

5. My goal is to make hand-carded batts and handspun yarns that are as beautiful as the finished objects produced by those who use them. By focusing on supplies, and not on the end product, I feel like I'm able to share my affinity for fiber with many other crafters. This artistic collaboration is what drives my work. Nothing motivates me more than seeing my customers' finished projects.



5. Favorite thing about the local fiber community.
I love meeting other fiber enthusiasts and have enjoyed meeting them at spin-ins in my studio. The online fiber community is awesome, but there's nothing better than getting to spend time with fiber friends. I've met some of my best friends through Loop and I treasure that more than anything.

6. How does what you do influence the rest of your life?
I started Loop while I was working in international development and pursuing a PhD in international education policy. Since then, Loop has grown from a part-time hobby into a full-time fiber business. I basically fell under a spell. I became fascinated with fiber as a creative medium and realized I wanted more than anything to work with it every day. And that's exactly what I do now!



In 2009, I moved Loop from my fiber-packed living room in Maryland to a 2500 square foot studio in a pre-Civil War textile mill turned arts center in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley. The new studio is like a fiber candy store. Visitors can hand pick their favorite color and fiber combinations from the rows of bins and jars lining the shelves. They can blend these ingredients on a drum carder themselves, or have me feed them into my new mini mill carding machine to make custom clouds or roving. The studio is a perfect setting for fiber gatherings and classes- from carding and spinning to felting and weaving.

Wild Hare Fiber Studio

1. What is your website?
www.wildhare.etsy.com
wildharefiber.com (under construction)

2. Your Ravelry username?
wildharefiber



3. What do you make?
I'm primarily a hand spinner and dyer. I love creating beautiful colors on wool and other natural fibers, and spinning yarn of all kinds, including art yarns (one of my skeins was pictured in a recent Spin-Off article about art yarns). In my spare time I also knit, crochet, felt and do a bit of frame loom weaving.

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I was cutting up socks and fabric scraps to make doll clothes when I was three -- so I've been 'making stuff' pretty much my entire life. My great-grandmother, who was an accomplished quilter and crocheter, passed her skills on to me at an early age, and I taught myself to knit in middle school. I studied fine art and design in college, and also sew and do a bit of light carpentry/home renovation. I guess I'm like Tinkerbelle, making and 'tinkering' with stuff is just what I do!



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
the enthusiasm! It's so gratifying to connect with people who share my love and appreciation for these things.

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Involvement with fiber arts has always been an important part of my life. The meditative and creative qualities of knitting, spinning and other handcrafts have brought me peace through the ups and downs of life, in good times and bad. In recent years, my passion for these pursuits has become even more important, as I've transitioned to follow my dream of being a full-time fiber artist. I hope that my children will grow up with the confidence to pursue their personal dreams as well.



7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
Sometimes people assume that "Wild Hare" means I'm selling angora rabbit products -- which is ironic, since angora is one of the few fibers I have trouble working with (it makes me sneeze). In reality, the name 'wild hare' comes from the old saying that someone doing something crazy and unexpected was 'going off on a wild hare' (which refers to that animal's mating behavior). I thought the name expressed the creative, adventurous spirit of my shop, along with the 'crazy' leap of faith I made in pursuing my fiber-business dream.

Alpacas of Windswept Farm

1. What is your website?
www.WindsweptAlpacas.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
WindsweptAlpacas

3. What do you make?
We make a variety of yarn with alpaca and other natural fibers. We hand dye/paint a large portion of our yarn selections but also offer 100% natural, un-dyed for those concerned with allergic reactions. All our alpaca fiber is raised in the USA; from our own farm or neighboring farms. We also try our best to support the other local farms when we need other natural fibers. We also offer roving, batts and raw fiber for the quilter, spinner or crafter. Our latest addition to our project list includes making scarves and shawls from our yarn.



4. How did you get into making stuff?
The making of the yarn, roving etc. was a natural extension of raising the livestock. We both have a creative side expressed through gardening and eventually hand dying of yarn/fiber.



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
The People – no doubt about it. We have met so many wonderful folks who are involved in either raising livestock or using the fiber for yarn or craft projects. It’s always a joy to speak with people and share experiences and stories.

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
After 20+ years in the IT industry, it is pure bliss to work with the alpacas and the fiber. It was the best change we have ever made to our lives.

7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
Every day is a treasure just waiting to be unwrapped.

Crash into Ewe

1. What is your website?
www.crashintoewe.etsy.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
crashintoewe



3. What do you make?
hand-dyed yarn, roving, row counters

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I started as a hobby then took a chance on selling what I had made and it worked.



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
The local fiber community is so supportive of one another. I love that about this area.

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Well, it sure keeps the rest of my life much busier!



7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
Make sure you really like doing what you're doing because it really does end up taking alot of time. Also make sure that you not only account for materials, but the time involved when you're setting your prices.

HYP 2010 Map, Swag, and Prizes

Want to know where your favorite vendors will be? Here's a map!



We're excited to have lots of fun Homespun Yarn Party merchandise for sale this year. We have project bags, tote bags, pins, and tape measures featuring our logo (created for us by the wonderful Blueswirly), as well as notecards featuring the winners you chose in our Photo Contest!



Each of our vendors will be providing something great for our door prize drawings, and we have awesome prizes from some of our sponsors as well. We have a Louet Hand Dyeing kit and tote bag from Fibre Space, a project amount of Berroco Sprite yarn from The Yarn Spot, a yarn bowl from Clayations, and more! Make sure you get a ticket at the door, and listen for your number to be called throughout the day.

Sponsor - The Yarn Spot

We'd like to thank a new sponsor this year - the brand new shop in Wheaton - the Yarn Spot!



What is your website? www.theyarnspot.com

What is your Ravelry name/group? The Yarn Spotters

What kind of things do you carry? Is it all for knitting/crocheting, or do you have spinning/weaving/etc supplies?
We support knitting, crochet and spinning, and have a small selection of weaving supplies. (and believe me, I can carry on if you like ;)

What's your favorite thing about having your own yarn shop?
I love being around yarn all day - talking about yarn, helping people learn about the crafts we support and getting to further my own knowledge.



Do you have any knitting groups meeting at your shop? Any fun classes coming up?
We have great groups coming in to knit for our official open knit times: Wed. & Thurs 6 - 8 PM and Sunday afternoons 2 - 4 pm. People are always welcome to come sit and knit, and we have spontaneous groups popping up all the time!

8th Street Soap Kitchen

1. What is your website?
www.8thstreetsoap.com

2. What do you make?
I make soap. And a handful of other nice-smelling things (scented oils, etc).



3. How did you get into making stuff?
I have always loved making stuff. I got into soapmaking after picking up a soapmaking book about 10 years ago. I was intrigued. And then hooked.

4. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
I don't knit or crochet and am generally a total dodo when it comes to fiber arts. But I love looking at and touching the yarns and the wonderful finished products -- I can't help it, they're so beautiful (and I'm tactile like that)! Some of the nicest, coolest people I've met in the craft world are in this community.



5. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Often, a new soap idea will develop out of a memory/story from my non-soap life, or to commemorate a special event -- in some ways, it's like a blog. Like a blog I don't update very frequently, that is.

I strongly believe that soapmaking has helped me keep my sanity. When I have a bad day at my normal day job, I think about soap and it makes me feel better. I haven't bought commercial "store soap" for years (and neither do members of my family, come to think of it).

6. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
I was handing out little slices of soap samples at a fair recently and had someone eat one by mistake (granted, it was one that looks a bit like dill havarti cheese). He was so mortified, he ate the whole thing rather than spit it out. His wife could not stop laughing. He survived, by the way. Not that I'd encourage that sort of thing.

Words of wisdom? If you haven't tried handmade soap, you should! You'll never go back to that awful stuff they sell at the drugstore!

Shelby B's Designs

1. What is your website?
shelbysyarns.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
shelbyknits



3. What do you make?
Hand painted yarn and stitch markers.

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I started beading in grad school, and got back into it after I started knitting and wanted some fun stitch markers. I made too many, so selling them was the next best thing. Then I had a hard time finding really funky color combinations in yarn, so I started playing with Kool Aid and Wiltons colors. Then got into acid dyes and have been hooked ever since!



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
Everyone is so supportive of each other!

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice
versa?
Dyeing for me is an outlet from my every day life. I am mom of 2 and a scientist, so my life is very analytical. I take my time dyeing and just let go of that completely.



7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
I just have a lot of fun with it! I take my inspiration from the magical world of Harry Potter, which is fun and different.

Folktale Fibers

1. What is your website?
folktale.etsy.com
folktalefibers.blogspot.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
folktale



3. What do you make?
Mostly I spin yarns. I use quite a bit of locally grown wool, so many of my yarns start from a raw fleece that I wash, dye, and process myself. I try to use all local, recycled, and sustainable fibers. I also occasionally sell other fibery things - hand dyed and hand carded fiber, felty bits, and sometimes handsewn or handknit items.

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I've been making stuff ever since I can remember! I probably picked it up from my mom, who is also pretty crafty - she got me into sewing and crochet at a young age.

5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
I love meeting local fiber people, who have all been very helpful and fun and inspiring, but I think my favorite thing might be the fiber producers: the animals and the people who raise them. There is nothing I love more than taking a trip out to buy fleeces from a local farm!

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Making things is so ingrained in me that it's very hard to separate it from the rest of my life. For example, even when it comes to cooking I prefer making everything from scratch, all the way down to grinding my own flours and fermenting my own sauerkraut. I think making things has influenced me in that I really pay attention to details, think about where almost everything I use comes from and how it was made, and makes me appreciate things that I don't have the skills to make more.



7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
At the time I thought it was ridiculous, but when I was about 13 years old I took one of those extensive tests through my school that is supposed to be able to suggest your ideal careers to you, and it told me that I should be a llama farmer. I remember joking about it with my friends because I thought it was hilarious, but I now find it eerily accurate.

Gnomegarden Yarn & Fiber

1. What is your website?
dawndoran.com
dawndoran.com/blog
gnomegarden.etsy.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
gnomegarden



3. What do you make?
Hand dyed and spun yarn, hand dyed spinning fiber, custom blended batts and rovings

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I think I finger knitted my umbilical cord. :) I was was raised by some very crafty ladies, and blessed with crafty sisters. My grandmother was a craft goddess and got us headed in the right direction. I remember going to out babysitters for the day and packing my embroidery, and crochet, and sewing, etc... I was always afraid I'd run out of crafts.



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
My favorite thing about the local fiber community is the Homespun Yarn Party. No kidding. I remember leaving last year with the best case of "warm fuzzies" (pun intended!). It was so fun to chat with fiber people all day and meet folks from the internet whom I had never, see people laughing and learning at the classes, and just to be around so much creative fiber energy. It is so much more intimate than MD Sheep & Wool and there is a definite spirit of friendly community in the air.

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Spinning is surely a creative meditation practice. If you don't know how to do it, come to the Yarn Party and learn!! If you want to read about my fall into the world of fiber and spinning, here is a link to a Spinterview with Spin In Public. See you on Sunday!

Dragonfly Fibers

1. What is your website?
www.DragonflyFibers.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
dragonflyfibers



3. What do you make?
I make hand dyed yarn and spinning fiber

4. How did you get into making stuff?
Making stuff started with sewing, then quilting for me. I realized i was really in love with the fabric, not the sewing, and started knitting because i liked the idea of making the fabric while making the item. Then, of course, I started spinning because I had to make the yarn. And, because I'm all about color, i had to start dyeing the yarn. At this point, i was making a royal mess. My loving husband suggested i start selling all of these things i was making in an effort to get them out of the house. I thought that was a good idea, so I could make even more stuff, and now we have an even bigger mess. Now, my husband is suggesting that i move the business out of the house.



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
I love to get together with the local fiber community and spin and knit, and of course, talk about spinning and knitting. Our local fiber community is full of really great people who can make really beautiful things (and sometimes organize really fabulous events:) Thanks HYP committee! Ya'll rock all kinds of ways!

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Being able to create things helps me live more fully as myself. I live a very hectic life, as do we all, and dyeing, and knitting, and spinning, and sometimes sewing and beading bring me back to basics. I like modelling this lifestyle for my kids too; whatever i can do to counter the perception that we have to win, win, win and earn, earn, earn is, in my mind, a good thing:)

7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
My funny story is the flip side of the above. My family, particularly my kids, are very aware of how much time i spend working with fibers and closely monitor the amount of space the business takes up in the house. This fall, I purchased a bunch of new equipment to increase my production and, as I dye yarns out on the deck, have begun to "take over" our outdoor living space. In a fit of frustration, my daughter rushed out there after school one day and painted a white line down the middle of the deck, declaring that my business was not to extend past the line. This command was repeated for the basement, as well. I bet you can imagine just how that is going!

Cedar Wool Farm

1. What is your website?
cedarwool.googlepages.com
cedarwool.etsy.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
Willowwinds



3. What do you make?
Handspun yarns, batts, handdyed and blended yarns and fibers, knitted items such as hats, scarves, shawls, bags.

4. How did you get into making stuff?
I couldn't help but catch the bug growing up with sheep, I love it!



5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
The people are just so wonderful and helpful. Met many great new friends through my love of fiber.

6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa? Inspiration comes from all over. I like it keeps me grounded, always learning and growing and I look forward to all paths I come across.

Sponsor - Yarns International

Thanks to Yarns International, a locally based, online yarn shop for their continued support! You can see their yarns in person at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and color cards on their website.



Website: www.yarnsinternational.com

Ravelry group: Yarns International

What kind of things do you carry? Is it all for knitting/crocheting, or do you have spinning/weaving/etc supplies?
We specialize in pure undyed Shetland yarn in two-ply jumper weight, two-ply lace weight, and gossamer lace weight. The jumper weight yarn comes in nine natural colors, the lace weight in five natural colors. We have excellent pattern support for all of these, including designs created exclusively for us. We also carry Koigu merino wool and Shepherd's Wool.

What's your favorite thing about having your own yarn shop?
We no longer have a brick and mortar shop. We did have a shop for 12 years before becoming an internet-only store. We hold "live" sales events during the year where we reconnect with old customers and friends. We also have a booth at both the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May and at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in October.

Do you have any knitting groups meeting at your shop? Any fun classes coming up?
We offer workshops in Fair Isle knitting once a year and occasionally other workshops.

Sponsor - Lovelyarns

Thanks to new sponsor, Lovelyarns in Hampden (that's Baltimore, hon!). Visit them on the Avenue.



Website: www.lovelyarns.com

Ravelry group: lovelyarns knitters,teachers,snb'ers

What kind of things does Lovelyarns carry?
Knitting and crocheting supplies! Gorgeous wool, silk, alpaca, bamboo, soy, cotton, rayon and other yarns. Beautiful hand-paints and self-striping yarns too. Sorry, no spinning/weaving.
What's your favorite thing about having your own yarn shop?



The people! I have the best customers, and when there are classes going on and stitch-n-bitch and customers shopping, it's a fabulous beehive of activity. (I also kinda like picking out all the beautiful yarns.)



Do you have any knitting groups meeting at your shop?
Yep. Every Saturday, all day. Stitch-n-Bitch from 11:00 - 6:00. And a beautiful fenced back porch and front porch to sit outside when it's nice out!



Any fun classes coming up?
Of course. There's a garter-stitch modular shawl with a built-in edging that is so clever!

The Sanguine Gryphon

1. What is your website?
www.sanguinegryphon.com
sanguinegryphon.blogspot.com

2. Your Ravelry username?
Sanguinegryphon and Onmytiptoes



3. What do you make?
We hand-dye spinning fiber and yarn!

4. How did you get into making stuff?
We've always loved making things of all sorts, but The Sanguine Gryphon business has been around for about three years now.

5. What is your favorite thing about the local fiber community?
We love being surrounded by creative people- it's such a supportive place to be, full of interesting people from absolutely every walk of life. People in this community are ready to lend a ear or a hand at any time; I've definitely never seen an industry where "competitors" are so eager to help each other out. They're also full of useful skills that they're more than happy to share: I learned how to make yogurt during a knit night, and I'm slowly being drawn towards quilting, now, too. Perhaps what I mean to say is that the local fiber community is full of excellent enablers... but give us another year or so and we'll be completely ready for the looming and inevitable zombie/ robot apocalypse.



6. How does what you do/make influence the rest of your life, and vice versa?
Doing this gives us the freedom to live the way we'd always wanted to- to spend our time being geeky and making things. We name our yarns after the things that we love- bugs, languages, poets- and we never have to worry about wearing a suit unless it makes us feel good. Neither of us could imagine living any other way.

7. Any funny stories, words of wisdom, something else to share about you or your business?
We are two of the biggest misfits ever; a linguist and a biologist, both completely obsessed with history and color, making yarn.