What is "Indie"

When I have time I love to follow the discussion in the Yarnthropology discussion group on Ravelry. Though it is often inspired by current issues (ehem, dramas)in the fiber world, discussions generally succeed at being more intellectual and impartial than simply rubber necking. The discussion at the top of the list right now regards the meaning of the term "Indie" when applied to dyers and designers. Kelly and I identify ourselves as being indie dyers and see ourselves as part of the indie community so this is an idea that has kept rolling around in my mind since I first came across the discussion. So, without further ado, here is what I think about it.

Indie is a term that is used in different markets/communities to mean different things.You can make certain comparisons between, for example, indie musicians and indie yarn dyers but there are also a lot of differences in the way the term is used in the different communities. So for the purposes of today's discussion we are only talking about indies in the fiber arts (indie yarn dyers and pattern designers as well as people who make and sell knitting accessories such as stitch markers or knitting bags).

Within the fiber arts, the term means different things to different people. This makes it hard to define on a broad scale but an attempt can still be made to distill the important attributes that most definitions hold in common. Some of these include:

• business structure - working independently of a major label/brand/corporation. question- what about independent contracting? When a designer has a pattern picked up by Interweave Knits are they no longer indie? What about if a dyer has her yarn used in a Fiber Trends pattern?
• size- indies are generally considered to be small, that's a given. But in our industry even the BIG companies (Cascade, Crystal Palace, etc) are really small compared to most corporations in the non-fiber arts world. So the question is, how small does one have to be to be considered Indie. Is size a reference the the amount of annual sales, the number of hands in the pot (one owner/no employees vs. partner owners vs. owner + employees, etc) or some harder to define idea of the size of the brand in the consumer's eye?
• money- does the financial success of the artist make a difference? is someone more or less indie if their work provides "fun money" to supplement their regular income, pays for their share of a family income or supports an entire family? Similarly, does it matter if the fiber business is a full time job, a part time job supplementing a paid day job or a part time job supplementing a non-paid day job as a parent/spouse.
  
• availability- does something have to be scarce or hard to acquire to be indie? Do indies only sell retail, direct to customer or can they sell wholesale to LYS and online yarn shops as well? Does having an etsy/artfire shop vs. a dedicated website make a difference? For designers, how does selling through Ravelry fit in?
  

Now I have to go write a lawyer-speak letter to a candy brand upset about our use of Chocolate Kiss as a colorway. More about that later. I'll follow up with more thoughts about the indie concept soon!

Laura's Thoughts

Something about this time of year always makes me more thoughtful. Or maybe its because by the end of October we are done with festivals for the year and I can settle back in at home with a cup of coffee and a view out the kitchen window of the chickens scratching through the blanket of colored leaves. Writing about my thoughts helps me organize them, and re-reading what I've written helps me to evaluate these thoughts. So over the next week or so I'm going to try to post some of these mental meanderings to the blog. I'd love to have your input so please leave comments.

Christmas Club

When Kelly and Laura asked me if I would like to design a Christmas themed sock or stocking I was delighted. I immediately had a vision of an old fashioned, Victorian style dressing gown – the sort of thing that scrooge might wear in a heavy brocade fabric with a fur collar.

This is what inspired the design. A heavily textured, brocade like stitch pattern, topped with a fluffy cuff and of course leg shaping adds up to a fun knee sock that you can wear over the holidays. Not into knee socks? Hold the yarn double and make a beautiful Christmas stocking to hang on you mantel on Christmas Eve.

---Janine le Cras

more...

Carolina Tiger Rescue

Carolina Tiger Rescue is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary that rescues wildcats, educates the public and advocates for the preservation of natural habitats for wildcats and the humane care for those held in captivity. The Unique Sheep supports Caroline Tiger Rescue by donating 50% of the sales of the Tiger, Tiger colorway and the patterns Fierce and Reginald.

Computer Problems and Eos Sale

I use a laptop for almost all of the Unique Sheep Business. Having experience the devastation of hard drive crashes and viruses I conscientiously back up to an external hard drive. What I never expected was the have the screen/lid break off from the body/keyboard! But somehow that's exactly what happened and the only way to get it fixed is to send it off to the manufacturer and it could be gone for up to a week! I'll be able to use my husband's laptop for emails and basic things but please forgive me if I'm a bit scattered or delayed in responding to emails. Without my laptop I feel like I'm missing half my brain!

One of the things I won't be able to do until my laptop is returned is to edit the website. Which means that I can't take down the Eos sale which was supposed to end at the end of June. So now instead of taking 10% off Eos until the end of June, you have until I get my laptop (and its website editing software) back!

New Yarns!

We have three brand new yarns to introduce you to! Lace weight yarns are very popular right now- in fact we have a hard time keeping them in stock. So we have added two new lace weight yarns to our collection


Ling is an elegant, cultivated silk/superwash merino blend that soaks up deep, bold and bright colorways. The twist is tight, giving the yarn more the slightest texture that keeps it from slipping from your needles as easily as 100% silk and making it not quite so shiny.

Ostara is a more casual alternative in 100% cotton. Ideal for those sensitive to animal fibers, it is also perfect for lightweight summer wraps. It is also a more economical alternative to some of our more expensive lace weight yarns.


If your taste is for soft and squishy yarns in a slightly thicker fingering weight, you'll be delighted with Pashmi. This Cashmere/SW Merino/Nylon blend makes the most luxurious shawls and scarves and can even be used for extra special socks. Its so soft, I can't stop knitting baby items out of it!

We have all three yarns in stock and they are available on our website now! Or, encourage your favorite Unique Sheep retailer to place a wholesale order for these great new yarns!

New Color for a Cause

The green of new rice seedlings for the children and their innocence
The blue of the clear sky over the coastal ocean for the endless potential in each child
The burnish orange of baked bricks for the foundation upon which each child needs to grow
The red of the watermelon for the sweetness of sharing our lives and bounty

Find out more here!