Howdy! This week’s EYAH teammate feature is a fabulous shop specializing in knitted goods and colorful hand dyed yarns.
Glen Echo Designs is run by Andria of Toldeo, Ohio. I grew up in Ohio, so I really enjoyed chatting with Andria… turns out at one point we lived less than 5 miles from each other! Just goes to show what a small world it is.
Chartreuse, Emerald Green Turquoise Hand Dyed Yarn
1. When did you open you Etsy shop?
Andria: I opened my Etsy shop on New Year’s Day 2011 – a great way to celebrate the ringing in of the new year!
2. Where did the idea for your shop name come from?
Andria: My shop is named after a park near where my husband and I lived after we were first married. Glen Echo is a beautiful little ravine in the middle of Columbus, Ohio. It is quiet and secluded, even in the midst of a city. We have since moved to a different city, but I still miss the sense of calm that walking through Glen Echo Park gave me.
3. Where else on the web can you be found?
Andria: I can be found on Twitter @Glenechodesigns and on Facebook.
4. How did you first become interested in fiber and knitting?
Andria: At 10, my mom made me take a knitting class from one of her friends. I endured it until the class was over and promptly dropped knitting for a few years. In high school, I picked my knitting needles up again and haven’t set them down since!
Saffron Fingerless Gloves
5. Do you come from a crafty family?
Andria: All four of the women in my family are crafty. My mother is a seamstress and taught me how to sew. I don’t enjoy sewing as much as she does, but I can at least hem my own pants now! My younger sister took after my mom and enjoys fashion design; she often designs and sews her own clothes. After seeing her designs, I wish that I could do more than hem pants! I taught my youngest sister how to knit. She knit baby blankets in order to practice her stitches and then gave them to charity. I’m so proud of her for finding a way to learn new things and help others at the same time!
6. Do you ever have a hard time parting with your creations?
Andria: It sometimes is really hard to part with my items – especially my hand dyed yarns! I sometimes am surprised about how a hand-dyed yarn turns out; it can often be much better than I envisioned. These ‘surprises’ are the most difficult to let go. I just hope that I’m giving it to someone else that will love my items even more than I do!
7. What is one of your interests/passions other than yarn?
Andria: Human trafficking is an issue close to my heart. In order to raise awareness of human trafficking and to help the girls involved, 25% of my Etsy sales go to Gracehaven House. This is a shelter for young girls that have been trafficked, a place for them to heal from past trauma and to regain a childhood that was lost to commercial sexual exploitation. You can learn more about trafficking and ways to help combat it at www.gracehavenhouse.org.
* Amazing! As if you didn’t already have a great reason to check out her shop here is just one more.
8. What inspires your awesome color combinations in your hand dyed yarns?
Andria: There is often no specific reason for the color combinations in my hand dyed yarns. I have fun experimenting with the dyes and will manipulate different processes to see the results. I am often amazed at how small changes completely alter the end result!
Caribean Blue Hand Knit Hat
Now is a GREAT time to check out GlenEchoDesigns.Etsy.Com Andria is hosting a sale on many of her hand knit items and also there are a lot of fun, colorful hand dyed yarns for your own projects.
Check back next week to learn more about another one of our fabulous team members.
~Phoebe
Find us on Etsy. Yarn-a-holics Team
CONFESSIONS OF A YARN-A-HOLIC 