It can be awfully hard to articulate why you think you are special. It's very difficult to navigate that social line between communicating value and being a blowhard. That's especially true when you are more concerned about beauty, environment and community than "hitting the big time".
I'll be honest, Yiayia Black Sheep was founded because I live too far away from all the other yarn shops in the area. It was a totally selfish endeavor. However, once you decide that you are going to do a thing, you have to answer some hard questions about the how and the why.
Having spent 12 years as a professional artist, I know intimately the difficulty in getting the word out about what you do, and why the beauty of the thing is more important than the speed and economy with which you create. That gives me a sensitivity to the plight of independent yarn dyers who are focused on creating skeins of incomparable beauty - even if it means they can't always be repeated; even if it means you wait a month or two to receive your order.
This is why I carry so much yarn from Indie dyers - exquisite color combinations on high quality yarn are worth the wait. Seven Sisters Arts produces subtle beauty on soft, smooth and split-free yarn. The Lichen and Lace Yarns I carry are amazing colorways in a high quality base. Leading Men Fiber Arts has wonderful yarns and colorways that are more structured than some of the dreamy artsy-fartsy types (I love them all - don't get me wrong!)
The beauty of the thing is important. As you can see from the photo (taken from our local grocery store parking lot), we live in a truly beautiful area. It's very important that we keep it that way, and keeping an environment beautiful involves attention to stewardship of the place, and not just this place.
Our efforts to be good stewards include using paper shop bags that are made from 100% post-consumer waste. We also don't carry paper patterns or print them (except in our kits) - we use Ravelry to deliver pdf versions to you. We include quality yarns in our inventory that are made from recycled materials and stringently certified organics. We currently have Remix from Berroco that is 100% recycled fiber, and the yarns from BC Garn (a Danish company) are GOTS certified, meaning that every aspect of the production - from humane animal treatment to humane employee treatment - must be up to standard.
Our commitment to community means that we respect and support all individuals, regardless of race, gender, creed or any other label you might come up with. We offer the same level of gracious service to everyone who enters our shop. Within the larger crafting community, we believe that small, thoughtful producers of yarn are at the very heart of the craft industry. Contributing to the livelihood of independent dyers is a good thing that not only helps them out, it makes for a more robust industry.
So yes, we think we are "ewe"nique, and we hope our "ewe"niqueness resonates with you. If you are our kind of "ewe"nique, we hope you will shop with us and share us with your friends.
Cheers,
Yiayia
1 comment
Loved reading all your articles! Being new to knitting, I appreciate your patience during my first class. What a challenge! As a former stained glass artist, I welcome the experience of learning a new art, one where you start with a material, whether it’s glass or yarn and create something of beauty (I hope). See you soon.