2025 Recap

Hi fiber friends,

We're already 20 days into January. Here's my recap of 2025. It couldn't have been possible without your support and pushing me to produce inventory!

-I established a YouTube channel, bought a Cannon camera, and filmed my first long, 4k-quality video (rather than using my cell phone). I also learned basic editing on Davinci Resolve! 

-My trademark was approved (third attempt was the win!)

-I purchased over 30 sheep fleeces from local homesteaders and shepherds throughout the Appalachian region, collected lots of Angora rabbit fibers from my rabbits, and bought several llama and alpaca fleeces. I loved continuing to tour farmers' land, see their animals, natural resources, and the land, and witness the care they put into their homesteads. 

-I painfully lost one of my bunny loves who I adopted from a shelter, Posh. She was sick with Pasteurella when I adopted her. Even with vet care and top-shelf nutrition, I wasn't able to save her. Losing her was painful, painful, painful. Fortunately, I was shown lots of love and comfort from my former boss, Michael. He helped me bury her in a beautiful location of other lost pets under an oak tree. I was able to knit a square from Posh's fibers to remember her by. Also, my coworker, Sonya, gifted me with a bunny baby her family had: Ginger, who is a sweetheart and loves running around the house. She is still working on the hierarchy with Monty. They are working on socializing (bonding is going very slow-paced to be done stress-free). Posh, RIP girlie! Your memory lives on.

-My rabbit colony went from two to five to get ready for 2026 inventory. My bedroom was converted into the rabbit room. I sleep in the living room nowadays so everybun can enjoy their room... the things we do for our pets. 

-I participated as a vendor in three shows: Mountain Readiness (in May and October), and Georgia Bushcraft (in November) where I got to demo fiber prep, yarn making, and supply folks with yarn and knitted goods. My favorite parts of those shows was seeing kids play with their friends in the great outdoors (no / low tech, whittle wood with pocket knives, start fires by hand), networking with survivalists/preppers/homesteaders, and enjoying time with friends and family. I successfully taught around 40 - 50 people about fiber prep, yarn spinning, terminology, and wool characteristics. 

-I grew my fiber processing equipment a little more (all hand-processing equipment still as my passion is to prevent the art and skill from becoming lost). I am impressed by the amounts of people who have been interested in learning from my demo's and classes to keep the fiber arts alive. 

-I become FTC compliant by registering and ordering lots of labels for my knitted products. 

-My graphic-designer friend made me super cute labels for my yarn skeins. I can't wait to get them professionally printed for hand-spun skeins in 2026. My plan is to sell to local yarn stores (God-willing they are a hit). Be on the lookout for them!

My 2026 aims are to be a vendor in at least one really big fiber festival (since my events in 2025 were focused towards off-grid living), formalize my inventory with nice labels, and pump out products to make a profit (even though this work is a labor of love with the countless hours spent in the trade).

Eventually, after I make a good savings, pay myself, and get more established, I plan on donating a show's profits to support the local community. Also, I am posturing up to buy land soon so that the fiber farm can expand to sheep, goats, and more rabbits.

Also, I'll be teaching and demonstrating fiber prep and yarn spinning from April 11th - 12th, 2026 at Fluent Frontier in Ayden, NC. Please swing by if you'd like to catch up or learn how to spin yarn.

I wish you all a continued happy new year! May you bring forth plentifully! God bless you.