We just recently expanded our Farmer's Daughter Fibers offerings to include their new base- Recollect. We couldn't love this base more! It is a springy sport weight, non-superwash wool made from 75% white + 25% black Montana and Wyoming raised Rambouillet. The base of the yarn is a steel grey. By dyeing on a grey base the colors come out rich, rustic and thick with saturation. We already carried their Oh Dang! , a suri alpaca fluffy fiber that is a great alternative to those sensitive to mohair. It is incredibly soft with a beautiful halo.
I had a change to talk to Candice English, owner of the Farmer's Daughter Fibers. Candice and her team operate out of Great Falls, Montana. Hand-dyeing yarn and creating a welcoming fiber community.
RD: I think your colorways strike that perfect blend of wearability and intrigue. What inspires your colorways and what keeps you inspired?
FDF:Wow thanks! I am mostly inspired by the natural environment, almost all of our colors have an edge of dirt and grit about them. As time has gone on and we have created a large collection of colors, it can be hard to find inspiration that is new. Traveling helps but really once I am in the dye studio alone and it's quiet, all the colors end up coming to me. I cross my fingers they look good on the skein!
RD:Would you rather... Knit with one base for the rest of your life? OR Knit with the same color forever?
FDF: I would probably knit with Soka'pii until my dying day.
RD: If you weren't knitting, what would you be doing- what are your other hobbies?
FDF: I have been doing a lot of weaving recently, totally obsessed in fact. I read quite a bit too, my favorite thing to do is lay in bed all day and read. It only gets to happen about once or twice a year but I cherish those days!
RD: Salty or Sweet ?
FDF: Salty dipped in sweet? Chocolate covered potato chips are a gift from god!!
RD: You recently opened up a yarn shop in Great Falls! Tell us about what led to that and how it's going.
FDF: I had been thinking about finding a retail space for a while but it was a few years down the road. When my friend Denise decided to retire early and come help us part-time I really started dreaming of a community space. Then another friend of mine told me about this amazing space downtown, which I promptly rolled my eyes at. But we ran into each other and she found the landlord and made me look at it. I knew immediately it was perfect and the spirits wouldn't stop telling me this is what I needed to do. So here we are! It has been super fun so far and Denise starts this week so I am VERY excited to settle into a routine and take FDF to a new level!
In 2019, Candice and her team started a non-profit called Sisters United. The organization was initiated as a response to the effects of historical trauma on the Blackfeet community of which Candice is part of.
What started out as a monthly initiative to raise funds for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) has since turned into a life form of its own. Sisters United empowers Indigenous women, children and communities through their work. You can learn more about them and how you can be of support here.
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