Behind the scenes of launching a new yarn Do you wonder what goes into launching a new yarn? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at some of the steps. Shepherd family riding a Bactrian camel, Southern Kyrgyzstan Fiber In this case, it's a 100% camel fiber, an offering that originated from the de-hairing facility in Kyrgyzstan. With the mill's ability to work with additional fibers, our founder Sy Belohlavek sourced Bactrian camel fiber from Central Asia. Few camels are in Kyrgyzstan today even though the camel is necessary for nomadic life as a means of travel, carrying goods, and providing meat and dairy, as well as fiber for shelter and cloth. Bactrian camels are found in desert regions in the Far East (Mongolia/China)...
Looking for ways to relieve your stress these days? I have some suggestions - and they absolutely include knitting. There's a lot going on in the world, isn't there? On top of life's normal April stresses (tax time, anyone?), the reality of the increased costs of everything in addition to new tariffs are nothing short of a nightmare for a small business. In response to the stress, I can feel myself drawn to a variety of activities - and I realize it's not a coincidence. It's my body guiding me - if I will listen. Soil, anyone? When it's not raining in Columbus, Ohio, I feel the soil calling me to prep the vegetable garden for spring crops. I'm ready...
This blog post introduces four areas where you can change a pattern to meet your needs: Fabric density/gauge, stitch pattern or color, fit, swapping elements. While each of these areas warrants entire lessons, the purpose of this post is to introduce you to the notion that you have the freedom to make any pattern your own.
A couple of weeks ago, I brought together the founders of three small textile companies for an online panel discussion at the Textile Society of America’s 2024 Symposium. The theme of the symposium encouraged participants to reflect on textile histories and “envision and create collective, equitable, sustainable, and emancipatory futures.” The symposium is one that appeals to academics, museum curators, artists, or anyone working in textiles. When I read the symposium’s call for proposals, I felt strongly the importance of hearing from the founders of small textile companies who established their businesses with the symposium’s theme as their foundation. I was thrilled when the organization accepted my proposal. On the panel were company founders Sy Belohlavek of June Cashmere; Preston...
