Artist: Maggie Broderick

What kind of items do you make?
Hand-painted and hand-dyed yarns, hand-knitted wool diaper covers, my book “Knitting Wool Diaper Covers from Start to Finish,” and kits for learning to knit and dye.

How long have you been in indie artist? Since 2006

What got you interested in your art of choice?
I’ve been crafting all of my life, mostly with yarn and fabric. My grandmother and aunt taught me to knit and crochet when I was a young child, but I became completely obsessed with knitting around the time I became pregnant with my first child. Now that I’m a mother to three daughters, I’ve combined my love of fiber arts with my love of my family and the environment by starting my own business related to wool diaper covers and yarn dyeing.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I love combining color, texture, and style into something that I’ve created completely by hand.

What most inspires you? My children :)

Does being an indie fiber artist affect other aspects of your life?
I consider myself foremost as a teacher in all aspects of my life. I have a Ph.D. in Education, and have loved teaching others for as long as I can remember. Teaching is a part of my parenting, my career (outside of being a fiber artist), and my work as a fiber artist. It gives me great joy showing others how to do the things that I enjoy doing and seeing the looks of pride on their faces when they learn something new.

What is your fiber arts superpower?
Teaching others to knit and dye

How is the fiber arts world different for you today than it was five years ago?
I’m so excited to see the Indie fiber arts scene opening up so beautifully in Pittsburgh. Five years ago all of my sales were online, but now I get to meet many more of my customers in person.