I know that it has been awhile since I have made a blog post on my website. I have been making several post via Instagram. I wanted to share with you some things that I have been thinking about since early April.

As most of you know, the crafting industry has been reckoning with the issue of racism and discrimination in the industry since January.  This isn’t the first time I have had this discussion with everyone about the lack of diversity in the crafting community but in early January there was an incident  (and Click Here for a summary) in our online community that went viral making it’s way to some major publications including Vox and The New Yorker as examples.

Since then, many people have shared via Instagram personal experiences dealing with racism, providing resources for people to learn about their own biases, and more. For me personally, I have seen Lady Dye Yarns grow extraordinarily in the last several months. I believe this is due to the discussion we have been having in the community. We are grateful for that but we also know it is important to have great customer service. We had over 800+ orders since January and we have been engaging in conversations via Instagram on racism and diversity. I also had many other requests for collaborations, etc. We really needed to slow it down.  We had orders that got mixed up and that did not sit well with me as I want people to be satisfied.

So, we closed our online shop for yarn, t-shirt, and buttons orders early this month. More info about our next shop update coming next week. The reason why we closed the shop for a little bit, is 1) to catch up on orders but 2) we need to slow it down and get a little more perspective on how I want this company to run since we have had this discussion.

I have found myself in the last several months spending more time educating people on the inequalities in this industry and what ACTIONS we should take to improve it. In return, I have been shown gratitude from online orders and support. But there’s something that I realized that is equally important. Although many of use are having this conversation via Instagram, there are many people who are not on Instagram who do not know what’s going on or heard a little bit about it but do not know the work that people have been doing since then.

Therefore, I want people to understand this:“It is much easier to have a conversation with someone on Instagram whether it is nice, constructive, or just outright bullying. It’s much harder to actually have a conversation face-to-face with people and to talk about the issues. It feels like the same people are talking to each other online and we need to take this message beyond Instagram.”

If you go into Instagram and look at how much time you spend on it, you will find you spend quite a bit of time. How do we take this conversation on racism and diversity from Instagram and into our communities? Some people will say that people should get on Instagram but many people do not want to be attached to Instagram the way some of us are now. Furthermore, Instagram connects us with other crafters around the world which is a stepping stone to the larger conversation of where change should  happen not only on the industry leadership level but locally within the communities.

Two weeks ago, I was very fortunate to hear Tim Wise speak. Tim Wise is an anti-racist speaker. He is acclaimed and supported in the black community for the work he has done around anti-racism for the past 25 years. It was a conference I attended at Harvard on Diversity. I have added the youtube video of the conference below. Time Wise speaks around 2:00.16 in the video. I highly recommend listening to what he has to say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy3FbmSj88Q

I just want people to stop and listen to what’s going on in their community. If you are part of knitting and crochet group, ask people if they know what’s going on around our discussion on racism and inclusion. If they are not, engage in conversation. For many of us on Instagram, we are aware of what’s going on. Now it seems like we are talking to ourselves and not the larger community as a whole. As much as we think there are tons of crafters on Instagram, I promise your for every 1 person on Instagram, there are 5 that are not. I think it’s important to spread the message to a broader audience. I believe one way is to talk with your local knitting group if you do not have a local knitting group, consider hosting a forum at your local library opening it up to anyone to come who wants to engage in this conversation. Or ask a yarn store to host a talk about it.

In addition, make sure you pace yourself and take time for yourself. There’s still a lot more work to do and it’s okay to step away from social media a little bit for self-care.

ALSO! Sign up for the FUNKADELIC 10! We have 33 slots left!

We are excited to share the list of classes I will be teaching this fall and winter. I will be teaching locally as well as in Plymouth, MA this December and in Rhode Island in January. I hope to see you there. Please see below with more information.

We are still raising funds for our Vogue Knitting Live show. We are so close to meeting our goal. We are about $1,200 away from that. We are doing a self-crowdfunding campaign to help with the cost of the show as well as funds to grow the business. We want to thank all of you for your support and we are thrilled to go!

Here is the amazing deal we are offering: whatever amount you contribute we will match it as a gift certificate to shop online at Lady Dye Yarns.  Our campaign ends Nov. 30^th. Every penny counts and we would appreciate all contributions.

 

I’m offering two amazing incentives to keep it simple compared to other crowdfunding incentives.

1. Whatever amount you donate. I’ll match that in a form of a gift certificate to shop online at Lady Dye Yarns to shop starting December 5th when all new colorways will be released. As well as a Lady Dye Yarns drawstring project bag. (My new colorways are amazing! Check out my Instagram feed. There’s something for everyone). In addition, I would do a spotlight on you for our online magazine.

OR

2. If you do not knit but have an organization/business, I will give your company 2 months of free advertising on my website as well as a Lady Dye Yarns drawstring project bag. In addition, I would do a spotlight on your organization of business for our online magazine.

Easiest way to support me is by clicking this link which will take you to my PayPal.me account and make a donation. Once I receive notice, I will send you your gift certificate link.

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN NOTES SECTION IN PAYPAL SO I CAN SEND GIFT CERTIFICATES

 http://paypal.me/ladydyeyarns

Plymouth Harbor Yarn Store, Plymouth, MA

170 Water Street, Suite 10, Plymouth, MA 02360

774-283-4704

Date: December 2, 2017

 

Mini Skein Yarn Dyeing Workshop (10:00 AM-12:00 PM):-Students can learn the techniques of gradient, variegated, speckled, and more as they dye their own yarn. $75.00 plus material fee $10

Mosaic knitting Workshop (1:00 PM -3:00 PM) : Students will learn the techniques of mosaic knitting.  You will need 5 skeins of worsted weight yarn with each skein ranging between 75-100 yards each. It’s recommended to bring leftover yarn from other projects. $60.00

How to Work with Colors (3:30 PM-5:30 PM): This is a class on how to work with colors especially with bright and vibrant colors.  You will need your choices of yarn in various colors to create a tubular cowl. $60.00

 

10^th Annual Slater Mill Knitting Weekend

67 Roosevelt Ave., Pawtucket RI 02860

401.725.8638 | info(at)slatermill.org

Date: Saturday, January 20^th

Time: 8:30-11:50 AM

 

Mosaic Knitting: Coined by Barbara G. Walker in the late 1960’s, “Mosaic knitting” may be the least known form of colorwork, yet it is a wonderful and easy way of knitting with two colors. In this class, Diane will demystify the technique, and show students how easy and satisfying it can be. It is great for beginners who haven’t yet worked in multiple colors, or for intermediates who want to add the technique to their skillset. In addition to the technique, we’ll discuss how to create Mosaic patterns, and put your own imagination for design to work.

 

Cambridge Center for Adult Education

Harvard Square, 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge MA 02138

617.547.6789

 

Hand Dye Yarn Workshop (LAST ONE EVER) – February 3^rd 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

THIS WILL BE MY LAST YARN DYEING WORKSHOP CLASS. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE THIS CLASS! This hands-on course is an introduction to the ancient art of natural dyeing. Over one class meeting, you will learn the basic principles of fabric dyeing with natural materials like madder root, turmeric, beets, coffee, food coloring, Kool-Aid and other dyes. This class will include presentations about some of the varied approaches to natural dyeing worldwide, from the Andes to West Africa. A materials fee of $40 is payable to the instructor at the first class.

 

JP Knit & Stitch

461 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

617-942-2118

 

Open Workshop Drop-in Knitting (Every Thursday from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM): Our Thursday night Drop-In Knitting with Diane is for knitters with in need of some guidance and provides the emotional and technical support it can take to tackle a particularly tricky bit or pattern errata that’s holding you up. Drop in for an evening of instruction, whether you’re learning a new skill, starting a project, or just need some help getting to the finish line. You can also choose to sign up for multiple sessions to conquer a challenging pattern with our expert to guide you along the way. Diane of Lady Dye Yarns knows all the answers you need to finish your project!