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Meet the Maker: Adella Colvin

We’re very excited to welcome Adella Colvin, of Grovetown, Georgia and LolaBean Yarn Co., to the blog today - and to the shelves of Fancy Tiger Crafts. We currently stock her Bean Sprout fingering-weight superwash merino in 21 colorways, from Breath of Fresh Air to I’m the Ghost with the Most, Babe.
Adella Corvin in front of a brick wallHow did you get started in the yarn biz?
Sheer happenstance is the best way to describe how I got started in the yarn biz. My husband was sent to teach in Afghanistan shortly after we got married, and I found myself alone, in a strange city. My kind neighbor, an avid knitter, introduced me to the yarn (fiber) world, and the rest is history.

What do you find most fulfilling about the work that you do?
This work enables me to release a creative energy that brings me joy, mostly because of the joy I see it brings to others. It also affords me the flexibility of working from home so that I can spend more time with my family. Being my own boss is merely an extra added perk.
LolaBean Yarn Co yarnsTell us about your amazing colorway names? Knuckle Sandwhich, Barking up the Wrong Tree, Electric Youth. 
My color-ways are often inspired by movies and music. Essentially, the color-way Barking Up The Wrong Tree was inspired by the movie Little Shop of Horrors. I wanted to create a nice semi-solid that would pair up nicely with my highly variegated color-way Audrey II. Other times the colors I create precede the name I give them. In the case of Electric Youth, I picked random colors, dyed my yarn and the end result reminded me of the 80s, with its splashes of neon colors, which then made me think of a song from the 80s, Electric Youth. The hope is that my color-ways provoke a positive and fun creative energy in others that inspires them to expand their imagination and create beautiful works of art.

What does your workspace look like?
My workspace has unquestionably evolved over time. I started out in my kitchen and eventually had to redo my garage to convert it into a more suitable workspace. It’s chaos in there. You’ll find rolling carts and dye pans EVERYWHERE. LOL!!
Lolabean yarn co workspaceDo you listen to music while you work? 
Without a doubt! Music has inspired some of what I believe are my best creations. I grew up listening to all genres of music. Hip-hop, rock, latin jazz, salsa, pop, country, reggae, R&B - and I can honestly say I love them all. My father is African American from the south, and my mother is Puerto Rican from the Bronx, NY. As an Air Force military brat, I lived in places from NYC to Oklahoma. The country singer in Oklahoma and the hip-hop artist in NYC passionately sing about similar emotions. I am blessed to have grown up appreciating them both.

What's next for your brand?
I hope to eventually expand into a retail space, gain more exposure by presenting my work at trunk shows, fiber festivals and other in-person fiber events.
Lolabean Yarn Co logo and Adella's daughterTell us about your adorable logo.
My logo is a cartoon representation of my daughter Lola. I wanted a logo that people would remember. It is also important to me that people of color can identify with the fiber world. The fiber world would have one believe that POC don’t exist. I felt as if there was no space for us. A little black girl on a skein of yarn might seem small and insignificant to some, but you’d be amazed at how big change is often times the result of something that seemed so small.

Anything else?
I am super excited to be participating in my first ever in-person event at, Stitches United 2019 in Atlanta, GA from May 30th - June 2nd. Come and check out booth #623 if you can! 
Adella Colvin yarn dyer in front of a brick wall

 

Comments on this post (1)

  • Oct 23, 2020

    oh boy, I totally love these colors. I have this awesome yarn shop in my town, Eugene, Oregon so I will tell them about this. Gorgeous.

    — Suzy Hager-Powell

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