News / learning to spin

Diversity in Fiber

You may have noticed that it's been quiet around here. We've spent the last few weeks following what's happening on the public stage, listening and learning about the experiences of the Black community. Created by Elsie B strives to be an inclusive company, and that has always been a part of our values. However, we haven't always been involved and aware of the issue of diversity in fiber. In fact, it really only came on to our radar within the last year. But, we want our customers and readers to know that we're focusing our energy in this area and are sorry that we haven't been more involved. The issue of the lack of diversity in our space has hit us hard, and our eyes are open. We have committed to doing better and being part of the solution. We will miss the mark. We will make mistakes. And, we will listen and learn and take accountability when that happens. If you follow Created by Elsie B on Instagram, that has been our main platform over the last few weeks to highlight the various resources that we have found invaluable to our education. If you are struggling with where to start, we have book lists, educational resources and blog posts there that we have found helpful. In addition, today's blog highlights a very personal and actionable step that any fiber artist can take to encourage, support and promote Black voices in fiber.
Created by Elsie B
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Crafting to Combat the Chaos

Wow, what an absolutely change-filled week this has been! Just seven days ago, we were gearing up for the March Year of Fiber orders (they're coming and are SO good!) and reminiscing about how awesome Alt. Summit was. Today, we're all fully versed in quarantine, virtual schooling, social distancing and how to navigate toilet paper shortages. (I'm looking at you, Costco shoppers!) On top of all that, northern Utah experienced an earthquake. (Wait. Are we supposed to shelter in place or run outside? Sheesh!) Still, we're holding it together here at Created by Elsie B and practicing self care, largely due to the perks of being creative people. While the cliche about idle hands is distinctly old fashioned, it comes from a place of truth - keeping yourself busy, occupied and productive is good for you. If you find yourself peeking out from between your blinds and seeing a whole lot of loopy out there, take a deep breath and grab your knitting needles; creative people have measurable advantages - we've got this!
Rosa Zerkle
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Going Around in Circles

While Created by Elsie B has been involved in the fiber world for quite some time, we still remember how exciting it is to pick up a new craft and immerse ourselves in learning. One of the most fun parts of diving into spinning is gathering quality supplies to make the process quicker, more efficient and more consistent. It is true that you don't have to have a significant budget to spin, and we highly recommend our drop spindle kit for beginners who are just getting into the craft. Still, you will probably outgrow it at some point and desire to upgrade to something that is a bit more practical. Elsie B has you covered with our full assortment of Spinolution products. We love and use these wheels ourselves and are proud to offer them to our customers as well. With a wide variety of price points, Spinolution has something for every spinner to love.
Rosa Zerkle
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Give It a Strong Finish!

Welcome to a new year of fiber, spinning and fun! We've always envisioned our blog being not only a place to let you know what is currently going on here at Created by Elsie B, but an educational platform as well, giving our readers tips, tricks and techniques to get the most out of your fiber. We periodically get technical questions, either on our Facebook page, in a blog comment, on Instagram or even via private message. While we are happy to send over whatever resources we have at hand, we want to have that information more readily available. Today we're going to dive into finishing, so you can create stable and stunning yarns from your spins that both wear well and give you the wow factor! Finishing isn't a particularly difficult process, but it is a quite important one.
Rosa Zerkle
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It's a Fiber Lover's Fa La La!

No matter who's on your list this holiday season, it can be challenging to shop for family and friends. Maybe they have everything or you're just plain bad at anticipating what the best gift might be. (I can't be the only one!) Either way, if you have fiber lovers on your gift list this year or just those who admire the craft for afar, Created by Elsie B has you covered! We have a wide variety of products in a broad range of prices so you can find just the right thing for the special someone in your life - even if that special fiber lover is yourself! Settle in with a nice hot cup of holiday cheer while we unwrap our very favorite items to put under your tree this year.
Rosa Zerkle
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Taking It Out For a Spin - Combo Spin Pt. Two

As promised, we're back this week for part two of our combo spin tutorial. If you remember, we ended the first post with our five braids separated and remixed into spinning bundles of about one ounce each. We've had so much great feedback on this series, and we're excited to walk you through the process to complete this yarn. As we prepared for what we expected to be the rest of the story, however, it became clear that there was just too much to fit in one post. (Really, there's around three dozen photos!) So, this blog will cover the spin, and we'll come back and do a third and final installment where we show you the process that LeAndra went through to knit the finished project. So, get comfy, and let's get down to spinning, plying and twisting!
Rosa Zerkle
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The Community Roots of Fiber Crafts

While it's hard to say when and how spinning, knitting and their associated fiber arts originated, history does reflect that people have been playing with wool, silk and yarn for a very long time, with physical evidence of knitted products that go back as far as the 11th century. There are even pieces of art such as Bertram's Knitting Madonna that depict the Virgin Mary clicking away with creativity. Traditionally, the fiber arts have been a very social craft as projects were both a labor of love and a necessity of life, meaning yarn and needles were carried everywhere so that artisans could sneak in a stitch whenever they found opportunity. Though modern manufacturing has changed the way we live significantly, the social life of the fiber arts is still an important and fulfilling part of the craft.
Rosa Zerkle
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Jumping Down the Rabbit Hole - a Beginner's FAQ

Welcome to the Created by Elsie B blog! We're so excited to add this feature to our community, giving us the opportunity to connect with our customers in a more personal way. You are the heart of this business, and we wouldn't be where we are today without the ongoing support of each of the fiber lovers that we get to rub virtual shoulders with every day. We have several things in the works that will allow you to showcase your work and allow us to individually feature the many members that love Elsie B fibers, so stay tuned!

As many of you may have guessed from our social media posts over the years, there are many pieces moving behind the scenes to make your fiber experience the very best possible when you visit us at Created by Elsie B. What might surprise you is that not everyone on our team is a fiber artist. (I know, right?!) For that reason and because we want this blog to be a comprehensive resource for both beginning and experienced fiber artists, we figured that starting with a beginner FAQ would be a fitting ribbon cutting for the Create by Elsie B blog.

Rosa Zerkle
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