Virtual Reality: Woolgatherings
SLIDESHOW: Kate Sitzman of the Etsy shop Woolgatherings has a passion for technicolor.
Sitzman dyes her own yarn because she has a deep appreciation "for the uniqueness and beauty of hand-spun and hand-painted yarn," and early on she grew restless with the choices typically available. "I found that I always wanted more and more colors and textures to choose from." This zeal for color spread to other aspects of her life—she says, "I’m constantly painting and repainting every room of my house."
The primary focus of her work is dyed fibers (yarn, wool, and silk), which she sells in a constantly evolving set of colors. "I’m more of an artistic dyer than a scientific one," she says. "I don’t use recipes or formulas. I just mix and paint whatever comes into my head on any given day. That’s what keeps it interesting for me—getting to start fresh with a blank slate every time."
She sells mostly mill-spun yarn that she’s dyed, but "occasionally I do sell some of my own hand-spun as well."
She is a big advocate for quality material. "I love the fact that even the simplest pattern can look like a work of art if you made it with fabulous yarn."
Her Duvall home has a separate apartment on the first level, which Sitzman describes as the ideal at-home studio. "The kitchen is a dedicated dye studio, the bedroom an office, and so on. It’s really a perfect set-up for this type of work, and it also allows me to be home with my kids." It’s also close to nature, which she considers one of her greatest inspirations.
In addition to her Etsy shop, you can find Sitzman’s work at Kirkland’s Serial Knitters.
