How did you get into your craft?

My Aunt Charlotte introduced me to crochet and finger knitting in my preteen years. I started to take it seriously in my 30s when I began to pursue hobbies and interests that were just my own. I took up knitting via YouTube to learn this craft.

I got rabbits around 2013, and I began to learn how to spin on a drop spindle to use the fiber I got from them. A few years later, we got sheep in our fold on the farm. Then, my passion took off from there. I had to learn how to care for the sheep, which were of a mixed heritage breed. I discovered how to scour the fleeces, clean them, skirt them from the desired/less desired pieces of wool, and process and shear them.  

I learned from a shepherdess in Georgia who owned a mill. She taught me more about shearing than I have ever learned. I began to teach hand spinning, and when the farm expanded, it also expanded to fiber and natural dyes. 

How does your work connect to the food as resistance movement?

Fiber and textiles have a rich history as tools of resistance. Our material culture throughout the diaspora has always signified status by access to rich resources. 

Humans have used materials around us for food, clothing, shelter, meaning, subsistence, protection, and safety, as well as to celebrate special occasions through robes, garments, costumes, and headdresses.

When I engage in this work, I continue the legacy of the many hands that have liberated our land. Our immediate needs are food, water, clothing, and shelter. We create canvases, engage in barter and trade, and prepare and mend to uphold our layered and rich history, which defines our way of life.

Just like some grow seeds, we do the same with textiles. It allows us to be independent without outside forces dictating who we are. We drive this work through constant preparation with what I have on the land to meet my needs. I am not beholden to anyone and can use it as an economic tool. Mending, sewing, spinning, and weaving are advantages of what you have the potential to barter or offer.  

How can folks get started in fiber work?

Investigate what excites you about materials. Ask yourself questions. What excites you? What do you find beautiful? What do you want to make? Then, look at various ways that you can create with those materials. Fulfilling a craft requires a connection with your mind, body, and spirit. Think about which materials or mediums draw you in. You can also visit a craft studio or yarn shop and walk around to figure out what you gravitate towards. Perhaps it is yarn, sewing materials, or embroidery. Find what resonates with you the most. 

Find spaces where you can build your craft. Try to find local guilds or fiber or knitting circles. There is also a bunch of information on YouTube and TikTok, where you can follow artists and learn from them. Hang out in the comment section for a while to see what others are doing. Then, follow your inspiration.

‍Don’t be afraid to jump in. When my group, the Black Sheep Fiber Circle, first started, we were all inexperienced weavers. We were given a loom during the pandemic. I raised the sheep, and everyone in the collective had a hand to shear [cut the wool off] them, learning how to select the best portions of the wool with the different fleeces we got. It was frustrating learning because it takes time to use your hands and figure out the calculation. Now, we have our own patchwork of different designs and concepts on a tapestry.