ReCrochetions: Dyers In Their Studios: Wendy of Shaggy Bear Farms

Shaggy Bear Farms Yarns

Profile: Wendy Hanson of Shaggy Bear Farms

Background

· How long have you been dying yarn?

I have been dyeing yarn for about three or four years.

· How did you get started dying?

I got started dyeing after I watched some ladies dyeing roving and it looked like fun. I figured that with a farm with lots of fiber around, I could play around with color and not do too much damage.

· What is your background?

We moved to Oregon about ten years ago and started a “fiber farm.” We stared with a few Pygora goats, and a handful of Jacob sheep. Now our farm is home to more than 25 different breeds of fiber animals.

· Do you have any special experience with art or science that influences your dying?

The color choices used in my dye work come from the things I find on our farm. We have several breeds of rare breed chickens and their feathers contain amazing color combinations. I figure that Mother Nature will never lead you astray with a colorway.

Jacob, Navajo Churro, Icelandic, Romeldale, and Perendale sheep

Your Yarn

· What makes your yarn special or unique?

My yarn is special because it comes from the animals on our farm. Most of the time I can look at the yarn and tell you which sheep, goats, or alpacas provided the fiber for it.

· What is something interesting about your dying process that non-dyers might not know?

Many people have a fear of dyeing because they worry that they might make a mistake. Some of my most beautiful colorways have come from a boo-boo. And if you do make a mistake, usually you can dye it with another color or two and make a mistake into magic.

· How do you choose your colors and name your yarns?

If I had my way, every yarn would be natural colored or blue. It dawned on me one day that since I needed to dye yarn for customers who might like other colors besides blue, I needed to expand my color choice horizons. So now I look outside my window for inspiration in selecting my colors. I give my yarns names based on what the colorway reminds me off. Usually it will be the first descriptor that pops into my head.

· Where do you find inspiration?

Good ol’ Mother Nature.

Jacob Sheep Yarn

Just The Facts
· How many colorways do you have?

Dozens (watch later this week for a whole post of pics of Wendy's colors and yarns)

· Do you create seasonal or special order colors?

I do custom order dyeing frequently.

· How many and what types of bases do you use?

I use yarns from the 25 different breeds we raise on our farm.

· Where do your yarn bases come from?

My yarns come from my own animals.

· Where can we find your yarn? LYSs and online?

I sell at a number of fiber fairs in Oregon, Washington, and California, as well as Northwest Wools in Portland, OR. People also contact me by phone or email (shaggybearfarms@yahoo.com). I ship regularly to customers all over the United States.

Gotland Sheep Yarn

Personal

· What are your favorite colors?

Blue and Gold—can never get enough of these two colors

· Favorite fibers?

That’s like asking a mother which one of her kid’s is her
favorite. I’ll never tell.

· Do you crochet, knit, or spin? What came first?

I can do all three but none of them well. Knitting came first, then crocheting, and then spinning. Now I don’t have the time to do any of the three.

· Anything else you would like to share?

My sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas want to encourage your readers to try a new yarn today. Variety (in yarn and in most everything else) is the spice of life!