Featured Crafter: Rachel from The Yellow Hobbit

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Rachel from The Yellow Hobbit. Read on to hear Rachel’s story about how watching others knit opened her up to the fiber world.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a fiber artist who knits and spins, and I also dye my own yarn and wool roving.

The name The Yellow Hobbit comes from the fact that I’m a Tolkien fan, and I consider myself to be a hobbit because I’m really short (I’m 4′11″). Being a hobbit is much more fun than just being short. I started going by this nickname my freshman year of college, and it stuck. So I figured that it would be a good name for my store as well.

Where can we find you?
I mainly sell on Etsy. My store is here: http://theyellowhobbit.etsy.com. I have a blog where I’ll often post pictures of things I’ve created: http://knitterofshinythingsknits.blogspot.com/

What first got you interested in your craft?
I’ve always been rather crafty. I used to do a lot of beading, but when I got to college, I made friends with people who knitted in class. Wanting a portable craft that I could also do in class, I asked my mother to teach me how to knit when I went home for winter break. I picked it up quickly, and by the time I got back to school, I was an avid knitter.

The spinning came along my senior year of college. A friend and I had been going to a weekly knitting circle which was held at a local yarn store, and one night a woman was spinning. I asked her if I could try it, and she said sure and handed me the spindle and gave me brief instructions as to what to do. I started spinning with the spindle, and it worked! It also happened to be the week of my birthday, and the friend who was with me at the knitting circle then gave me a drop spindle and roving as a birthday present. I was quickly addicted, and I got a wheel as a graduation present from my parents.

The dyeing came about a few years later. I had a friend who had an alpaca farm, which wasn’t doing too well and she wanted to go out of the business after her husband died. She had previously sent her fleeces to a fiber mill to be processed, but that was really expensive, so she asked if I would be interested in spinning up her fleeces for her. I said yes and set up my Etsy shop for the purpose of selling the yarn that I made. I decided that I should also get into dyeing, so that I could make prettier yarn. And while I was dyeing the yarn I decided to get into dyeing roving as well.

It turns out that dyeing yarn and roving is actually a lot of fun, and I really enjoy doing it.

Please describe your creative process.
I usually dye roving in big batches. Since I’m also a full-time student, I usually only dye things every couple of weeks. I don’t usually plan out in advance what colors I’m going to dye with; lately, the process has been to look at my big desk full of roving, and ask myself “what colors are missing?” I like having a complete rainbow, so I’ll fill it in. Sometimes I get ideas of color combinations that I think are really pretty, and I’ll do those. And every so often I’ll think of a witty name for a roving, and then dye something to match the name. But usually the naming comes after the dyeing.

I spin much more often than I dye. If I’m at home I’ll use my wheel. Conveniently, there is a television in the same room as the wheel, so often I’ll watch something while spinning. When I’m out of the house, I’ll either spin on my drop spindle or knit, depending on what I feel like doing.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I’m a master’s student at the Simmons Graduate School for Library and Information Science, so that takes up a lot of my time. (I’m concentrating in archival management, and am hoping to work in a museum once I graduate.) In terms of fun things, I’m really into gaming (role playing games, strategy games, etc.). I’m a huge nerd, and am into Science Fiction and Fantasy. I’m also in an a cappella group at MIT. I live in a hippie commune with 5 other 20-somethings. Most of us are crafty, and one of my housemates actually has her own jewelry studio in the basement. It’s a fun life.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Spinning is fun and addictive. You get to work with really soft fiber, and create really beautiful yarn. I would highly encourage anyone who is interested to try it.

Featured Crafter: Jeri from Jeridiehard

In this Featured Crafter, we hear about Jeri from Jeridiehard. Read on to learn how Jeri became a beadaholic.

I am an x-ray tech, cast tech that works for 10 orthopedic doctors. I became interested in jewelry when my neighbor made jewelry and became my jeweler. She decided to leave to further her education and I had her teach me how to make jewelry. That was 4 years ago and now I am a beadaholic!!
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Featured Crafter: Nikki from NikkiInStitches

In this Featured Crafter, we hear about Nikki from NikkiInStitches. Read on to learn how Nikki joined forces with her mother-in-law to build NikkiInStitches into a wonderful shop for baby items.

Where can we find you? (website, craft shows, etc.)

Most of our products are available on our website, www.NikkiInStitches.com. Custom requests are the most fun for me to work on. I feel like I get to be even more creative with them. Those are available at any time, just contact us through our website for details. We can do custom apparel similar to what you see on the website, but also blankets and quilts to match any nursery decor or theme, as well as cards, invitations, and birth announcements. Nikki, In Stitches products can also be found at craft shows in Pennsylvania and Connecticut this upcoming fall.
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Featured Crafter: Amy from ThePinkCamellia

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Amy from ThePinkCamellia. Read on to hear how Amy’s Mother’s creations opened her eyes to the wonderful creative world. Amy is also offering a discount to all FreeCraftFair readers so be sure to check out her shop!

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am a thirty-something career girl, born and raised here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though I have a full time, very fulfilling job, I often have the need to create something. I think all of us need to find hobbies and interests outside of work, and The Pink Camellia has quickly become mine! My brother and I were raised by our Mom, a hardworking (and very talented) single Mom that always encouraged our creative pursuits. As a little girl I used to watch her sew. She was a very talented seamstress, and used to make us things to wear that would bring such lovely comments. I think that is where all of my creative juices really started flowing, sorting through my Moms “button tin”, helping cut patterns and ironing fabrics. I can remember getting sent home from school with notes from my teachers, thinking I was somehow in trouble, and wondering what I had done. When my Mom would open the letter however, it would be a compliment on a cute outfit she had made for me, my teacher wondering where she could get something similar for her own daughter! I still remember being so proud of that. My inspirations for items really all stem from things I have made for friends and family in the past. Or I might just see something sparkly one day and decide I HAVE to make something from it!
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Featured Crafter: Tara from Elanvitalanthology

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Tara from Elanvitalanthology. Read on to hear how Tara’s bedrest allowed her creative juices to start flowing and she was able to start creating items for her daughter.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I turned thirty this year, and was overjoyed to find life didn’t end! I live in Bend, OR with my partner, Jeff and our beautiful daughter, Marley Skye.

Where can we find you?
You can find me on Etsy at elanvitalanthology.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elanvitalantho
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bend-OR/Elan-Vital-Anthology/112002598669?ref=sgm
AND find other featured Etsyians as well as cool finds from the Web at my blog: http://elanvitalanthology.blogspot.com
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Featured Crafter: Mia from PiccolinaDesigns

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Mia from PiccolinaDesigns. Read on to hear the unique place where Mia finds her inspiration for her gorgeous children’s clothing designs.
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Featured Crafter: Birute from Amber Studios

In this Featured Crafter, we hear from Birute from Amber Studios. Birute grew up in Lithuania and has since moved to New Jersey. She derives inspiration for her pieces from nature, world travel, ancient ethnic styling and European couture.
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Featured Crafter: Judy from jmkraige

In this Featured Crafter, we learn about Judy. Judy sells accessories and gifts for little girls. Read on to hear how Judy’s hair bow business began and has expanded into much more!
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Featured Crafter: Heather from AuntFlosPads

My name is Heather and I started my Etsy shop about 2 years ago with my main focus on my reusable menstrual pads. I started making various other eco friendly items and about decided that my pads and accessories needed a new home! That’s when Aunt Flos Pads were born!
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Featured Crafter: Tina from KittyKatKards

In this Featured Crafter, we talk to Tina from KittyKatKards. Tina is 26 years old, lives in Maryland, and loves paper. Be sure to checkout KittyKatKards to see all of her wonderful origami cards. The breakup cards are hilarious!
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