02.25.08
My Interview with Zona, Owner of Twirl Girl Fibers
Meet Zona Sherman, Owner of www.twirlgirlfibers.etsy.com.
Where are you located? Santa Ana, CA (Orange County)
What do you design? Hand dyed and handspun yarn and knit wearables.
Where/How did you learn this? I jumped on the knitting trend 4 years ago and have had wool in my hands ever since. After learning the basics I wasn’t satisfied with knitting 50 scarves before learning something new so my first project was a sweater that still hangs in my closet to this day (inside out arm sewn on and all!). I learned to knit from books and help from others in a knitting group I had found online. I still meet with the same knitting group and now I help others - quite the full circle, huh!
I learned how to dye fiber in a class I took with some fellow knitter friends at a local yarn shop. Shortly there after I bought my first drop spindle, dyed up a little fiber and began spinning according to the directions that came with the spindle. I was instantly hooked on spinning and a few months later, bought my spinning wheel. Now I spin or dye fiber almost every day and I still knit every day.
Favorite Artist who inspires you? When I first started knitting I would search the internet daily to see what others were knitting via blogs. This kept me motivated and inspired. When I dye fiber, I find inspiration for colors in strange things like driving down the freeway on a rainy day and noticing the colors of grey pavement, blue skies and green shrubs along the side of the road. Strangely enough after the fiber is dyed and the yarn is spun, everything is named after songs. I’ll look at the days spinning and some skein of yarn will pop out at me and remind me of a song. As far as being inspired by other spinners, I am! Spinning is like any other art form where everybody has their own style. I am inspired by big chunky and funky yarns that I would never spin myself, but appreciate the artful thought that went into them and try to think about each yarn I make as an individual piece.
Where does your inspiration come from? Music, nature, other artists, experiences, mood.
What do you do to combat creative block? I grab blindly at bottles of color and pour them onto the wool in the dye pot. Sometimes this turns out surprisingly nice when spun later and sometimes it’s a disaster! As far as knitting-I do get knitters block now and then. When that happens, it’s back to the blogs to see what others are working on and I usually get an idea. Sometimes I’m blocked by my own stash. I want to knit something from the yarn in my stash but nothing speaks to me. Next step if that happens: head to the yarn shop! Even if I don’t buy anything, I see yarns that are similar to what I have at home and get the ideas swirling in my head.
Where do you design your creations? I knit EVERYWHERE! I knit in public, on the couch, in bed, in the car (only when parked or I’m not driving of course), in the Drs office, at family functions-everywhere! I spin in my living room while sitting on the couch. I have my wheel on a little rug that slides accross the wood floor easily so I can watch TV and spin. From time to time I take my wheel to events my knitting group hosts like the beach or spinning nights, either at somebodys home or the coffee shop. My wheel isn’t huge so it’s relatively portable.
What does your work space look like right now? Since it’s my living room and I have a 4 year old, there is fiber and toys everywhere! It looks “lived in”.
How does your family feel about what you do? My inability to sit still comes from my mom who is not only constantly on the move but also very creative herself so she supports me whole heartedly. My husband has come around and is very supportive of me making a living at something I love to do. He knows it makes me happy so he puts up with the mess. He’s the best! My four year old daughter thinks I can knit anything! I get asked things like, “Mommy, will you knit me a new ballet dress today?”. I can’t wait until she is old enough for me to teach her.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own creations using this method? Experimentation will help you find your own style.
Best advice you received when starting your business venture? Don’t expect instant success and don’t get in over your head.
Favorite part of owning your own business? I like the fact that everything that has Twirl Girl Fibers on the lable comes from my own 2 hands. My favorite thing is when I see what somebody has made from my yarns. It’s like I get to see the next step in the life of the yarn I created from fluff.
Least favorite? Selling online doesn’t let me personally know my customers.
How do you relax? I knit.
Favorite color? Anything Earthy.
Does this color show up in a lot of your work? Yes. Earthtones show up a lot in what I knit, dye and spin. You kinda can’t go wrong when you combine colors that mother nature has already put together before.
If there were more hours in the day, what would you be doing? I know you’re probably expecting me to say something like knitting or spinning, but honestly - sleeping.
A sample of Twirl Girl Fibers products. For all products, please visit Zona’s website.
