Have you ever wanted a place that you could call your yarn home where you could be yourself and find amazing natural-colored yarns?
Then you have found Home Row Fiber Co. and Rochelle, the yarn dyer and owner.
Rochelle’s charming smile is often in my IG feed and I was eager to learn more about her work also because I always love the beautiful colors in Home Row Fiber Co. yarns.
I had the chance to do an exclusive interview with Rochelle. Yarn dyer, owner of Home Row Fiber Co. where I asked her questions about her business and so much more!
I think youโll all enjoy learning more about Rochelle, she is a true master of color.
1. Tell a little about yourself.
Hi there! First off, huge thanks to Arianna for inviting me to her space today. I’m so excited to share a bit about myself and my work! My name is Rochelle and I live in a tiny town in western New York with my lifemate, James, and our furkids Lucille (my sweet old lady dog) and Nancy (our chatty crazy cat). I love nature, trees, birdwatching, epic fantasy novels, and playing Dungeons & Dragons. I was born with a rare skin disorder called Lamellar Ichythyosis and I have an endocrine disorder known as PMDD — disabled Makers represent! ๐
2. What inspired you to start your business as a dyer?
Alchemy! The intersection of art and science is my favorite form of magic, and yarn dyeing had been calling to me since before I even learned how to knit. Back in 2012, I was working at a fabric/yarn boutique in Vermont, surrounded by the prettiest fibers. I already had many years of sewing under my belt at that point, but I learned to knit the same year I took that job because I couldn’t keep my hands off the yarn! After a few years of knitting and working with hand-dyed yarn, I finally gave in to the enchantment and learned how to hand-dye yarn of my own.
3. What is your favorite part about being a dyer?
I have an art background and have always found creating art to be wholly therapeutic, not to mention the act of mixing dyes and adding color to bare yarn feels legitimately magical. When I say “craft real magic” this is exactly what I mean! I want to share my magic with others and encourage them to craft their own magic in turn. Every time someone shares a project with me that they’ve made using my yarn it completely makes my day!
4. What’s your source of inspiration?
โฆcan I say Lord of The Rings? Haha! I’m kind of obsessed! Basically anything and everything in nature. I want to challenge what people think of as an “earth tone” when they see my color palette. If it’s a color that exists in a veggie garden, or a flower bed, or on a bird’s wing, it’s an earth tone to me. I hate when organic and earth-friendly is synonymous with drab colors!
5. What makes your work special?
Earlier this year I switched to low-impact, metal-free dyes that meet organic standards. My house utilizes a well/septic system so anything I pour down the drain could potentially return to my yard, my garden, my water, etc. Even though wool dyes are generally safe when handled correctly, it’s important to me that I dye as responsibly as possible in order to protect the woods and the woodland critters that I care so much about. Trace amounts of dye might not be harmful to humans, but that doesn’t mean frogs and fish are immune! I try to be mindful of that.
The challenging thing about working with these particular dyes is they’re only available in the basic primary and secondary colors. I mix all of my dye solutions from just eight stock pigments using a gram scale and percent calculations. It makes me feel like Bob Ross if he was also a mathematician and a great wizard. Art/Science Magic for the win!
6. How often do you restock?
I try to keep a little something in my shop at all times to avoid stressful shop updates. When I do have larger restocks or brand new things available, I always tell my newsletter subscribers a few days before anyone else ๐
7. You have a lot of beautiful skeins available, do you have a favorite shade?
Well, green is my favorite color โฆbut also any color that comes out of the dye pots I tend to say is “my new favorite color” haha! I can’t help it.
8. How do you like to spend your time outside of your dyeing work?
Oh, you know, doing nerdy nature-y things I suppose. I’m an avid backyard birdwatcher. I have a garden. I like archery a lot. I have a recurve bow I like to shoot and pretend I’m Legolas, no big deal. I also love expanding my knowledge and practice of Druidry and Celtic spirituality. I’m also a huge fan of lounging on the couch with a knitting project and a snuggly 4-legged friend. Oh, and when it’s safe to gather in public again I can’t wait to get back to the Renaissance Festival!
9. What’s in store for the next season?
As 2020 wraps up I’m finding myself oddly thankful for some of the business challenges I’ve faced because of COVID. I’ve become more resourceful and less wasteful than ever before. I bought less in bulk and narrowed down my product offerings to better channel my focus and my energy. I want to continue doing that. With that said though I do have some fun yarn/project bag bundle combos in the works!
10. Where can we find you?
Let’s be friends on Instagram and Pinterest! You can find my online shop at https://homerowfiber.co and sign-up for my newsletter, here.
Thanks so much for letting me ramble on! It’s been fun! ๐