Eleganza Yarns

Patterns and More!

2011-03-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

Here at Eleganza we've got all the patterns to get you through this tricky-weather season!

With lots of shawl and shawlettes by Romi (most of which only call for 1 skein of sock yarn!)

Plus we've got some truly lovely cowl patterns from Never Not Knitting! Our Sunday Sojourn for the next 3 weeks is the Sugar and Cream Cowl. Give us a call at the shop (301-668-7900) to register!

It's Indie Time!

2011-02-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Meet the Vendors!
Keep watching for more Vendor profiles!

Chris Charikofsky

What is your company name?
Alpacas of Windswept Farm

What is your company website/etsy/etc?
www.WindsweptAlpacas.com

Where are you located?
Our farm is located in Middletown, Maryland just west of Frederick.

When did you start your indie business?
We purchased our first alpacas in 2003. As a quilter I enjoyed working with color and the creation of the quilt patterns. It was a natural extension to start hand dying the yarn we created from our alpacas. Once I started I was hooked. I love experimenting with new techniques and color combinations.

What inspires your creativity?
My inspiration can come from almost anywhere but I would have to say that nature itself is my primary inspiration.

Tell us something about you or your products that we all need to know.
I like variety and am constantly changing the yarn we create.

Kim Dolce

What is your company name?
Dolce Handknits

What is your company website/etsy/etc?
www.dolcehandknits.com

Where are you located?
Frederick, MD

When did you start your indie business?
2006

What inspires your creativity?
I love clothes and shopping, especially boutique shopping where you get to see unique things you don't see in mainstream shops. I can be inspired by a silhouette or a tiny detail or just a gap in my own wardrobe I want to fill.

Tell us something about you or your products that we all need to know.
My favorite compliment is when a knitter tells me they found my pattern instructions clear and easy to follow. I used to teach middle school science and I've often thought that writing up laboratory instructions for thirteen year old brains was how I honed my pattern writing skills.

Kelly and Kasey

What is your company name?
Biggs & Featherbelle

What is your company website/etsy/etc?
www.biggsandfeather.com/

Where are you located?
Baltimore, MD

When did you start your indie business?2003

What inspires your creativity?
Natural ingredients from Mother Nature inspire us. There are so many
wonderful ingredients right in front of our nose. We are inspired to
make natural products that are truly clean, beneficial and exciting to
use. Customers inspire us too. We love to make people happy when they
smell our body care goodies! The thought of brightening someone's day
with a good bar of soap in their morning shower keeps us creating.

Tell us something about you or your products that we all need to know.
They really are all natural and good for your skin! We use the highest
quality ingredients we can source and are sticklers for making a clean
product. All of our scents are only essential oils and we never ever
use synthetic fragrances.

Ella Rae Lace Merino

2011-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

We've just gotten in 3 new colors of Ella Rae Lace Merino!

Ella Rae Lace is a really, really nice yarn. It's gorgeous varigations, great yardage, and is machine washable! What could be better!

Stop by and take a look, why don't you?

Annual STEP DOWN SALE!

2010-12-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and an enormous THANK YOU to all our wonderful customer friends!

Christmas is Coming...

2010-12-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

Running out of time? Just realized that a Very Important Person in your life needs a hand-knitted gift? No worries, because we at Eleganza have got your back!

Here are a few thoughts for these last few hours before Christmas:

Montana held doubled would make a lovely and quick one skein seed-stitch cowl.

CO 9sts onto a US# 35 needle, seed stitch for about 30" (or until you run out of yarn!) BO, seam it up, and accessorise with a chunky button.

Sulka held doubled would make a really nice watchcap-styled hat for the guy in your life. We recommend a US# 17 needle for doubled Sulka.

We've got a few skeins of DARE (which there is no need to double!)

Rowan's Cocoon doubled would make a very luxurious hat for a cherished elder.

We've also got many stocking stuffers for the knitters you love! Eucalan Wool Wash, beaded stitch markers, highlighter tape, beaded ornament kits, novelty tape measures, and, if all else fails, there's always gift certificates!

Happy Holidays from all!

Viking Invasion

2010-11-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

Eleganza Yarns is carrying two different Viking Yarns!

We have Naturgarn, a bulky, single-ply 100% wool yarn:

We've also got Balder, which is a lovely bulky superwash wool:

We also have 6 different books of patterns!

This is just a brief shot of one pattern:

This particular wrap is knit with Naturgarn.

Stop by and take a peek! You won't regret it!

First Annual Cookie & Recipe Exchange

2010-11-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

Join us for an afternoon of sharing, knitting and snacking! What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Even if you don't bake, come on by and get your last minute holiday gifts finished.

Date: Sunday, December 11th
Time: 2-5pm
Location: Eleganza Yarns
RSVP appreciated by Sat. Dec. 10th
301-668-7900
Kristi@eleganzayarns.com

What You Bring: Less than 2 dz of your favorite holiday cookies. Put 2 cookies in 10 plastic sandwich bags, along with a copy of the recipe in each bag.

What You Leave With: 10 different holiday cookie bags, along with 10 different recipes!

Please bring in some extra cookies for our big cookie platter (snack time)! We'll provide the hot, mulled cider!

Indie Artist Celebration 2011

2010-11-14T05:28:00.000-08:00

SAVE the DATE!
It's official! We have a date for the Indie Artist Celebration!

Date: Sat, February 26th
Time: 12-5pm
Where: The Loft at Antique Imports
125 E. Street, Frederick, MD
(right across the street from Eleganza)

Watch for our announcement and signup for our Featured Designers Workshops and awesome Vendors!

Join our Ravelry Group to keep abreast of news and info there, also!

See you there!

Universal Yarns Trunk Show!

2010-11-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

We've got a new display coming!

A box has arrived from Universal Yarns, containing 8 demos of their yarn!

There's 4 dolls knit from Cotton Supreme

Also, a pair of fingerless gloves knit from Poems Sock, as well as a lovely scarf, which is also from Poems.

Plus, my favorite, Gatsby Gal Set, knit in Classic Shades!

Going Away Party

2010-11-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came by to bid Claudia a fond farewell as she sets off on lifes new adventure. We wish her the best in her new Acupuncture business and know she will be a great success!

And of course we hope to see her around teaching a few classes here and there...hint, hint.

On to the new chapter!

A Match Made in Heaven

2010-10-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

We are back in stock with this popular Jenny Watson Queensland book:

And just got in another Jenny Watson Queensland book, Pretty as a Picture:

Incrediby lovely designs for a variety of different weights. Come in and check them out!

Get the October YOM Discount Fast!

2010-10-21T04:28:00.000-07:00

Our October YOM, Azapa, a Merino/Alpaca/Silk/Acrylic blend by Araucania, is a luxurious chunky weight yarn that works up at 3.5 sts/in. on a US #10. Azapa comes in lovely semi solids with a touch of tweed fleck.

Azapa is perfect for accessories such as scarves, hats and cowls with it's hefy 147 yards. But we love Azapa for cozy sweaters and wraps. Yum...pure heaven to knit with and to wear!

And we have great pattern support for you as well!

Eight awesome colors to choose from!

Still Magnolia

2010-10-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

We've just gotten in "Magnolia" from CEY. How lovely! 6 colors, all of them gently shiny.

We've also got a book of patterns, including one gorgeous ruffly scarf/shawlette.

All Universal

2010-10-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

We've got three new brands from Universal Yarns, not to mention all our standard Universal stock (Classic Chunky, Classic Worsted, and Deluxe Worsted.)

Classic Shades is a lovely machine washable wool-acrylic blend. Now, I'm not usually an advocate of acrylic blends, but this is simply to die for. Stunning colors, shimmery in a silk-like way, and soft as can be. What's not to love?

Classic Tweed (in both Chunky and Worsted) is equally beautiful, equally washable, but with flecks of tweed rather than a variegated.

Plus, we've got a boatload of new colors in Classic Worsted LP.

A Plethora Of New Yarns!

2010-09-30T09:04:00.001-07:00

We have so many beautiful yarns, I hardly know where to begin!

After our Trunk Show with Angel's Kiss Alpaca, we've started to carry that, so we've got 8 different lucious colors in worsted weight.

We've also got a deliously big box containg our Rowan order - Colourscape Chunky,

Rowan Coccon,

Rowan Kidsilk Haze,

And the NEW Rowan Magazine, Book 48!

Montana, Montana, Knock Knock!

2010-09-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Montana has come to Eleganza, and how lovely it is, too! We have 4 natural colors:

There are many free patterns for this yarn on Ravelry, including "Super Fast Ultra Cosy Scarf" -

Don't Resist Temptation!

2010-09-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Kristi is evil! Just when I was feeling some restraint from buying more yarn, because I thought I had too much in my stash (is that even possible?)....she goes and brings in all this absolutely beautiful yarn! So delicious, with great colors that were just made for me, and textures to die for!! Wherever I turn I see something I love even more. Oooohhh, THAT would feel so good against my skin!
Photos would not do justice to these great yarns. You must come in and feel/see for yourself how truly yummy they all are. And the Fall Yarn Review is just around the corner on September 26. But come in before everyone else and you'll see what I mean!!

Bad bad evil Kristi!! You are seducing us ALL into buying more yarn!

Loving Tara Tweed

2010-09-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh...Tara Tweed is incredibly soft and tweedy. From Tahki, Tara Tweed fills the bill for sweaters, hats, wraps and shawls this fall.

With 80% Wool and 20% Acrylic, this machine washable wonder will also serve well in kids wear and blankets. Check out the pattern support at the shop.

Best of all, Tara Tweed is priced at just $7.49 for 122 yards. It's a great value!
We have 11 colors available!

Magical Mirasol!

2010-08-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

We now have four gorgeous new Mirasol yarns! Such luscious colors - handles wonderfully - soft - everything nice I can think of!

This one is "Maylla," which comes in 82 yard skeins, with a gauge of 4st = 1" on a #8needle, in 5 different colors.

"Sulka" (55 yards, 4sts = 1" on #10) comes in 11 colors, so there's lots to choose from. Sulka would be a perfect softly ribbed winter scarf, maybe for a guy. There are good, guy-friendly colors.

Also, "Miski" (82 yards, 4.5sts = 1" on a #8.) Miski is 100% Baby Llama, and knits up just like a dream. Comes in 8 colors, all of which I'm wishing I had to knit myself. It would be perfect for a wintery-weather beret or cap.

"Akapana" (95 yards, 5sts = 1" on a #7.) This is a lovely tweedy baby llama and wool blend, also in 8 colors.

As an added bonus, Mirasol does great things for the Peruvian shepherds, and for their local area.

Stop by, and look, and feel, and chat!

Color

2010-08-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

While I didn't go on the Fiber Tour to the Eastern Shore, I am already seeing the results!
We got in a couple yarns from Blue Heron (Rayon Metallic and Sock Plus) and now I see in which direction the shop is going! We are all about COLOR this fall! There are 6 big, I mean BIG boxes of yarn in the shop waiting to be opened and inventoried. I couldn't resist taking a peek! And what glorious colors I found!!

Just a teaser: Araucania's Coliumo, Aysen, Panguipulli, and Azapa. Then there is every color imaginable in Noro Silk Garden and Kureyon (these two are already out on the shelves).

So easy to be inspired by so much delicious color!

Pick of the Month

2010-08-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, we were talking here about how much we love certain yarns and that we would like to tell people about why we like them so much. So this is the beginning of our Pick of the Month blog posts.

OK, I'll start.

Touch is very important to me. If the yarn is delicious to touch, I'm all about using it. Lately I've been finding that merino wool, while nice and soft, tends to pill more than I'd like. Now we have in the wonderfully soft SERENA by Manos. It's Baby Alpaca and Pima Cotton. And I mean SOFT!! Even the colors are rich yet gentle. I recently purchased a couple skeins in the colorway, Wildflowers, and can't wait to make a nice lacy bandana/shawl from it. I can only imagine how good this will feel on my neck this winter.

My Pick of the Month: Serena by Manos

Eastern Shore Fiber Tour

2010-07-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Join us for a day of fun, friends and shopping!

Sign Up Here!

Travel in style on an air conditioned bus to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Eastern Shore Fiber Tour includes all transportation costs, a gourmet box lunch, drinks, snacks and a mini class taught by one of our talented instructors.
Start the day by visiting the dye studio of Sanguine Gryphon, whose delicious and incredibly popular yarns are available for our shoppers!

Then we will be hosted by Blue Heron Yarns. Their upscale and elegant yarn selection is the non-pareill of hand dyers, and you will able to shop their entire inventory!

We will eat our delicious gourmet lunch, catered by the wonderful, Frederick based caterer: Veggie Annie.

After which we will have the grand tour of SB Bison Farms, where we will take a wagon ride out to view the Bison, along with learning tons about the history and production of the American Bison. You will be able to purchase not only luxurious Bison yarn, but also Bison meat, which SB specializes in also. (We'll have room in the bus for coolers folks!) Price list available prior.

8am--Leave Eleganza Yarns, Frederick, MD
7-8pm--Return to Eleganza Yarns, Frederick, MD

Can't wait to have you join us!

Sign up NOW!

All New Sunday Sojourns!

2010-06-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

Check out our new website for more information on some of the great FREE Sunday Sojourns we will be holding at the shop throughout the summer!

And new classes have been listed also, including a Beginning Spinning Workshop Sign up now. They fill up fast.

And check out this adorable summery top in Katydid by Classic Elite. The Tuck Stitch Tank by Pam Allen uses only 5 balls of Katydid, a 100% Organic Cotton Ribbon. Thanks to RoseAnn for whipping this up and letting us hang it in the shop! It looks stunning on both RoseAnn and Maive!

See you at the shop soon!

The Indie Artist Celebration was Amazing!

2010-02-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone for making our Indie Artist Celebration a huge success! We were so busy we fell down on the picture taking, but Anne Hanson of Knitspot took some good ones also. Check those out at her blog.

So much hard work, time and love go into making something like the Indie Artist Celebration happen. Special thanks go to:

Sandy and JD at The Loft at Antique Imports
RoseAnn Abdu for her unwavering support
RoseAnn's hubby Dan for his cheerful face at checkin!
Veggie Annie for her wonderful catering
Sandy Gold, Hannah Six, and Barbara Runkle for their demos
Julianna Lufkin and Claudia Olson for their help
Edie Riggs for giving up an afternoon to mom
Anne Hanson and David Whitfield for sharing a wonderful weekend with us!

Our winning RAFFLE ticket is 461654. You've won 15% OFF your regularly priced yarn for ONE YEAR!

Shoppers in a queued up all afternoon to purchase their goodies. Paul never came out from behind the register till almost closing.

We were all swaying and enjoying the awesome music from local music talent 'One Foot Down'

Linda Minnick of Mid Valley Fibers put up a lovely display of her hand dyes, handspun and other yarns.

Danielle from Garnet Girl Stringing brought her beautiful handmade jewelry, all of semi prescious and prescious gemstones.

More of Mid Valley Fibers wares

We were delighted to introduce Dye Dreams lovely sock yarns to our customers

Shoppers peruse the lovely yarns, fibers and accessories from Luna Aura Fiberworks and enjoy some knitting time on the comfy sofas

Some Shalimar Yarns brightened up the Grand Piano

Just a smidge of the large display of gorgeous yarns from Shelby B

Jo Padgett of A Paca Fun Fiberworks brought a ton of her wonderful yarns and fibers

Ellie Putz from Crazy 4 Dyeing restocking her lovely yarns. BTW...a big congratulations to Ellie for her pattern in Charlene Schurch's new book: Sock Club

More bright and beautiful yarns from Shelby B

Awesome music from 'One Foot Down'.

Thank you from all of us at Eleganza Yarns!

Indie Artist Celebration

2010-01-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's the CURE FOR CABIN FEVER!

Join us for this unique and exciting retail event! Here are the specifics:

Date: Saturday, February 20
Time: 12 - 5pm
Location: The Loft at Antique Imports, 125 N. East Street, Frederick, MD (directly across the street from Eleganza).

FREE Admission and FREE Parking!

There will over a dozen talented indie fiber artists, offering a diverse range of products. Along with our awesome vendors, we have fiber demos, including Hairpin Lace, Broomstick Lace, Rigid Heddle Weaving and Drop Spindle spinning, door prizes, a Biggy Raffle, live music and a free 'Meet & Greet' with Anne Hanson of Knitspot from 4-6pm. Have a little wine and cheese and see the Knitspot trunk show.

There is plenty of free parking for this event, but make sure to sign up early for the Knitspot workshops, as they will fill up quickly!

Check out our Sidebar on the right hand side of the page for detailed information on discounted hotel blocks, local resource guide and more.

Meet the Vendors!

Patti Bobonich from Sweet Grass Wool & Wolf Creek Wools

What is your company website?
sweetgrasswool.com and wolfcreekwools.com

Tell us where do you hail from Patti?
I think it is a polar iceberg, Helena, Montana

Patti, when did you first get into the business you are in now (and when did you first begin dying)?
I have been selling hand knit and hand woven items since the late 80's. I have been knitting and crocheting since I was a kid. I started dyeing around 1982, not long after I learned how to spin. Weaving came shortly after that. I opened my first retail yarn shop in 2004, which had a great dye kitchen. The store always smelled like wet wool and vinegar, and I offered dyed to order yarn and spinning fibers. It was a very interactive shop and lots of fun.

Your hand dyes are so beautiful. Where do you find your inspiration?
Nature, pictures, just about anything I see that wakes my color cells up. It could be a woven garment in a shop with good colors, a bird or animal I get lucky enough to see up close, sunsets, sunrises, the light hitting the trees while hiking. If it catches my eye, I write the colors down and where I saw them so that I can do a mental recall to dye them up.

Tell us something about you that we all need to know.
I have no clue how to use a color wheel. Every time I try to learn how to use one, I get mentally bogged down because I just don't get it. But I do use the color wheel to blend colors together to make new colors, I just don't get the complimentary thing.

Thanks Patti. We can't wait to see your beautiful yarns again!

Meet the Vendors

Welcome Lara Smoot from WoolChef

What is your company name and website?
The WoolChef

Where are you located Lara?
Lynchburg, VA

Tell us about what got you into the spinning and dyeing business and when it happened.
I opened my online shop in December of 2009. I began spinning after attending the Montpeilier Fall Fiber Festival four years ago. Seeing all the wonderful yarns that can only be created by hand spinning, I knew this was something I had to do. Shortly after I began spinning I started experimenting with natural dyes created from plants in our garden. In 2001, I started hand spinnin for a llama farm here in Virginia. I hand spin between 15 and 25 pounds of yarn for them each year.

Lara, where does your inspiration come from?
A lot of the colors I choose are ones that I see in nature. Our garden is a great source of inspriation, the colors are constantly changing with the seasons. We live at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During the fall the foliage is an amazing array of colors. I am constantly taking pictures to keep for dying ideas.

Yikes, you sound busy. Give us a few tidbits about yourself that we should all know.
I knit, spin, weave, dye and pretty much always have either yarn or fiber in my hands. I even have some emergency yarn and needles stashed in my car in case I get delayed somewhere! And my yarns have won first place at the Virginia Classic Alpaca & Llama Show, The Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival, and at the Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival.

Thanks Lara! We're looking forward to vising with you and your glorious yarns!

Meet the Vendors

Welcome Steph and Mona from Dye Dreams

What is your company name?
Dye Dreams

What is your company website?
www.dyedreams.com

Where are you located?
Arlington, MA

When did you first get into the dying business?
Stephanie and Mona make up the Dye Dreams team. We met through a local knitting group. One thing led to another, and Dye Dreams was born. Just two years ago we were vendors at our first event, the New England Textile Arts SPA weekend held in Freeport, ME. Since then we have been vendors at various sheep and wool festivals throughout New England, Stitches East and Sock Summit. We are preparing for our first appearance at Stitches West in February.
Stephanie: I've been knitting and spinning for many, many years. Somewhere along the way I began dyeing fabric and clothing. The transition to dyeing yarn and fiber was a natural progression.

Mona: I, too, have been knitting and spinning for a long time. I began dyeing with my spinning group several years ago. I was bitten by the bug and began dyeing at every opportunity.

Where do you both find what inspires your dyeing?
We are always looking for new color ideas and inspiration. Living in New England we experience dramatic color changes from season to season - always a source of inspiration. Some of our colorways happen by accident and others are the result of careful planning and trial and error testing.

Tell us something about you that we all need to know.
Dye Dreams has been an adventure, everything from exhausting to exhilarating. Originally we planned to do this on a much smaller scale. Often we look at each other and say, "Who would have thought . . . ".

Meet the Vendors

Welcome Shebly Bidwell of ShelbyB Designs

What is your company name?
Shelby B's Designs

What is your company website?
http://shelbysyarns.com

Where are you located?
Germantown, MD

When did you first start dyeing, and when did you start ShelbyB?
I first started my business to sell stitch markers that I like to make. I had way too many, and kept making more...so I figured why not! I started dyeing about 3 years ago with Kool Aid and then tried Wiltons dyes. I really got into it after I took a class with MamaE 2 years ago. I just loved the intensity that I could get with acid dyes, and I was completely hooked. My dyeing business has just grown from there! I have expanded to have yarn in a few LYS's, both in the area and out. I have a lot of fun coming up with fun, vibrant, different colorways.

What are your inspirations for your colors and the combinations you come up with?
A lot of my inspiration comes from the peoples, places, and things found in the magical world in the Harry Potter novels.

Tell us something about you that we all need to know.
I am a scientist, and used to work in the lab. Dyeing gets me back there, with the flexibility of doing it whenever I have time. I also am a mother of 2 and work full time studying genome sequences. I love being able to leave the computer and analytical parts of my day job and just have fun with color. My 6 year old daughter even helps me sometimes. If you see any pink in a skein, it is highly likely that she helped me put it there.

We're so excited to see your yarns Shelby!

Meet the Vendors

Welcome Ellie Putz of Crazy4Dyeing

What is your company name?
Crazy4Dyeing

What is your company website?
crazy4dyeing

Where are you located?
Jefferson, MD

When did you first get into the business you are in now (and when did you first begin dying)?
It’s been about three years now. And I only started knitting a few years before that, but I have been a quilter for a long, long time.

One of the compliments I always got about my quilts was my good color sense, so after buying a few hand painted yarns from Etsy, and being particularly unsatisfied with one skein that I bought that did not have even color through the skein, I thought I could do better, so I gave it a try! My grandmother taught me to sew on her old foot treadle sewing machine (which I still have). The first thing I made were some horrible looking pot holders. My grandmother was so proud of me, she made me take the pot holders to our family reunion and I sold them all for $5 a piece to various aunts and cousins (big Italian family). I couldn’t believe someone would actually pay me for something I made, especially when I thought they were less than perfect. Sometimes I still can’t believe it!

The lessons I learned from my grandmother so many years ago about trying new things and that I could do whatever I set my mind to; these are the things that motivate me today, and I think of her every time I pull a new skein from the dyepot. She would be so proud!

The sad truth is I love all the things I make, from each skein of yarn to each sock, and quilt that I make. I don’t want to part with any of them. And, if I find that one skein that I am not enamored of, it usually goes back to the dyepot to become something else!

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I take a lot of my inspiration from music and name my colorways accordingly - if you were to look through my catalog of colorways you would see songs from the Beatles, Buble and Buffett, as well as many others, so you see my tastes are eclectic. I always have music playing while I am dyeing!

Tell us something about you that we all need to know.
My dyeing process is a bit chaotic. I assemble all the tools, pots, and other accoutrements, including whatever dye is left from the last session. I use those as my starting point and go from there. I seldom repeat colorways because of how I combine the left over dyes, but lately, I’ve been dyeing at least two skeins at a time because I’ve gotten so many duplication requests.

Thanks Ellie! I hope you're bringing your bathtub with you for a few glamour shots!

Meet the Vendors!

Joe Antal of Oasis Hand Dyes

What is your company name?
DJ International Inc. (Oasis Yarn Company since 2005)

What is your company website?
oasisyarn.com

Where are you located?
Berea, OH

There aren't many men in hand dyeing Joe. When did you first start the hand dyed portion of your business?
March of 2005 was when we opened Oasis. I started to hand dye in 2009.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I do a lot of trade shows and visit yarn shops too keep current on what the colors are for the seasons and what is selling. Most importantly, I get inspirations from natural, woods, fall, summer, sky, ocean, lake, hunting, fishing....:)

Tell us in a nutshell some things about Joe...remotely believeable please :)
A great guy, an excellent mechanic, diligent, kind, who likes people. Especially enjoy working in the yarn industry with a lot of creative and attractive women! :)

Thanks Joe. Now that is something I can believe!

Meet the Vendors!

Welcome to Jo Padgett of Apacafunfiberworks

What is your company name?
Apacafunfiberworks

What is your company website?
apacafunfarm.com and apacafunfiberworks.com

Where are you located?

Our farm is located in Dickerson, Maryland at base of Sugar Loaf Mountain.

When did you first get into your alpacass and the spinning and dyeing business?
We purchased our first alpacas (5 of them) in Feb, 1999 and then I learned how to spin that year. As our herd grew, I learned how to knit, weave and dye their fiber. Now 11 years later, and 150+ alpacas, I process over 400 pounds of wonderful alpaca fiber each year, handpainting and kettle dying many of our yarns and rovings.

You are so diverse Jo. Where do you get all of your inspiration from?

I love nature's colorways, art by Picasso and Monet and of course the Coldwater Creek catalogue!

(I'm with you on the latter sister!)

Give us a little tidbit about yourself Jo...

I just got certified in Zumba and am teaching Aqua Zumba in Mt Airy. What a blast!

Thanks Jo! We'll be eagerly waiting for the Zumba demo!

Meet the Vendors!

Barbara Runkle of Runkles Acres Handwovens

Hi Barbara, tell us the name of your company.
Runkles Acres Handwovens

Where are you located?
We include members who live in Virginia and Maryland

When did you first get into the business you are in now (and when did you first begin weaving?
Our group includes members who have been involved in some type of fiber arts such as knitting, dying, spinning and weaving for 35 years.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Group members find inspiration in their surroundings, books, teachers and friends. There is a love of natural colors that can be coaxed out of plants, as well as the hues found in the natural environment.

Tell us something about you that we all need to know.
Our members share a love of fiber and developing the diverse color interactions and patterns associated with handwoven goods that spring to life when weaving on a loom.

Thanks Barbara! We can't wait to see the beautiful handwovens from your members!