Who is That Mysterious Stranger With All the Yarn?

WHO IS SHE?

You see her across a crowded fiber shop. She’s looking at the DK Merino. You wonder what a gal like her would want with a fine wool like that. Maybe she’s the kinda girl who makes hats, or socks. What about colorwork? Of all the fiber shops in all the world, she had to walk into yours. What you are about to learn is that she is going to take you on a fiber journey through color and subcultures like you’ve never experienced before.

Here’s lookin’ at you, kidsilk

            My name is Laura and I am the founder and owner of Inked Empress Fiber Arts. I am a former career chemist turned indie dyer (I was also a professional circus aerialist for a while but that’s a whole different thing). I have been knitting for the better part of 15 years. Like many knitters I was taught by family to pick up the craft.

I was taught crochet first, but my poor little brain can’t wrap around that witchcraft. People who can crochet are wizards and I will not be told otherwise. Looking at you, Mom!

So, I defaulted to knitting and I love it. You know when you get into your work and you just fall down the rabbit hole trying to consume and absorb all knowledge related to that craft? Yeah? Well, I dove down that hole as fast as I could just trying to get through the gold rings of knitting knowledge like sonic the hedgehog.

ON TO A NEW JOURNEY?

So, I knitted my heart out for 10 of those 15 years until I became a chemist. I was in the chemical industry in various roles at various companies for five years. I was starting to get disillusioned with the chemical industry pretty quickly as, in my experience, sexism still lives and thrives in labs.

Instead of banging my head against a patriarchal wall every day, I turned to my passion of knitting. I became enthralled with the chemistry of dyes. That’s when it began to dawn on me: I could take my education in the alchemical arts and apply that to yarn! This is how I started hand dyeing yarn. And that passion for chemistry and fiber arts led me to become an independent dyer.

SUBCULTURES AND INDEPENDENT DYEING

On top of being an indie dyer, I am also a voracious lover of all things subculture. Whether it’s goth and its many varieties, punk and its many varieties, vintage, rockabilly, or cottage core (look it up) I am in love with aesthetics.

Things that have a definite vibe are my jam. I don’t care what aesthetic you’re rockin, I’m in love with it. I have always been someone who says if you’re going to do something that makes your heart sing, go all out.

Rock that cyberpunk look to the supermarket. Pretend to be a steampunk time traveler at the renaissance faire. Pin curl your hair and throw on your Mary Janes to run errands.

WHERE ARE ALL THE PUNK ROCK KNITTERS?

Well, I noticed that I’m not alone in the handmade world. When going to fiber festivals I often see badass punk rock knitters, or goth knitters, or any aesthetic in between.

What I notice is often missing, however, is yarn colorways to match those amazing looks we work so hard on cultivating. So I decided to jump head first into what makes my heart sing. I began using my education as a chemist to dye yarn that paid homage to all the amazing aesthetics that inspire me every day.

TATTOOS AND FIBER ARTS

My mission with Inked Empress is to hand dye luxury yarn for badass knitters the world over. My first yarn release is a three-part collection inspired by traditional tattooing.

I was inspired by the amazing subcultures all represented in tattoos. The art, the colors, the symbolism are all so fascinating. Not to mention tattoos are like yarn (and potato chips), you can’t have just one. I feel like tattoos are such a common interest for most subcultures.

There’s just something about having a beautiful and permanent testament to your passion emblazoned on your body for all to see, or not see, that feels so powerful. If you’re interested in seeing the Traditional Tattooing collection, you can find that at https://www.inkedempress.com/shop

I am so excited to be a part of a community that is so loving and welcoming, and I would love to mirror that same energy in my sphere. Hopefully my work will speak to people in the fiber art community.

The goal is for my work to encourage people to be their most authentic selves and let their hand crafts speak to who they are. I am thrilled and honored to be able to supply individuals with colorways that speak to the uniqueness of who they are.

I am also greatly looking forward to what the future holds for Inked Empress Fiber Arts and the handcrafting world as I take this step into the next chapter of my life.

Thank you so much for reading this far and, as always, your support means the world to me. None of this would be possible without you. Keep being your badass self!

With Love,

Laura