Name: Kenneth Moore
Business name:

Website(s):
thehomesteadhobbyist.etsy.com

What kind of items do you make?
I hand-dye fiber for spinning. Sometimes, I can’t help myself–I have to spin some of those braids myself, so I make some handspun skeins of yarn for sale as well. Occasionally, I also make dryer balls.

How long have you been in indie artist?
Only half a year! I opened shop in March 2014. I’ve been a crafter all my life, but I’ve only recently entered the “indie artist” category.

What got you interested in your art of choice?
I have an insatiable appetite for learning how to make and do everything. Years ago, I started gardening to grow my own vegetables; then I started canning jam, salsa, pickles, and more. A few years ago, I decided to grow cotton–a friend asked me why I was growing it, and I said “I dunno, maybe I’ll make yarn from it?” A few questions later, she realized I had no idea what I was going to do with it and she “came out” to me as an avid spinner. She showed me how to spin the cotton I grew, and I fell down the fiber rabbit hole with incredible speed: I bought a raw fleece before I bought my first wheel, and I started dyeing shortly after.

What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I most enjoy seeing what spinners turn my hand-dyed braids into! I really enjoy the dyeing process as well–but seeing my braids “grow up” is extremely rewarding.

Do you have a favorite item or colorway?
I don’t have a favourite colourway–there is just too much lovely to pick only one! I do have a favourite fiber–yak! I love yak so hard that I had a custom blended top created for me: Polwarth/Yak/Mulberry Silk 50/25/25. It is a decadent blend beyond description, it takes dye gorgeously, and it spins like a dream.

What is something you strive to offer the fiber arts community?
With my hand-dyed fiber, I strive to offer unique, saturated colourways dyed on quality fiber for any purpose. I have several main bases I offer: Falkland, Rambouillet, Bluefaced Leicester, Yak/Silk, and my new custom blend, Polwarth/Yak/Mulberry Silk. I also offer quality roving from fleece hand-selected by me at local farms and fiber events.

Does being an indie fiber artist affect other aspects of your life?
Does it ever! Storage space? Filled with fiber. Social life? Scheduled around dye nights. Coworkers at the regular job? Think I’m a little off-centre. But I love dyeing and spinning and wouldn’t have it any other way!