My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was 8 years old. The first thing I made was a lopsided afghan for my mother -- one that she still has! Even as I made my way through life and found myself living in a fast-paced, high pressure, career-driven world in a metropolitan area, I could always grab that basket of yarn by the couch and somehow find serenity in creating something with hook and string. My love for crochet led me to other hobbies as well: sewing, knitting, spinning yarn. All of these passions, as well as a need to find a more fulfilling and self-sufficient lifestyle, led me to leave the hustle and bustle.

One day my husband and I had had enough, so we packed up a moving truck and headed south! Fondly remembering summers and weekends spent on the farms of friends and family, we found our piece of heaven on a dusty, broken down old horse farm in western South Carolina, far from the commuter traffic of Washington DC. For the next 9 years, we painstakingly and lovingly transformed that rough patch of land into a beautiful and serene holistic farm where we raise our goats and sheep; and we've never looked back. Everyone thought we were crazy, but now they, too, have seen our vision come to life.

In this new life, not only do we enjoy our self-sufficiency and caring for our animals, gardens, and orchard, we are also amazed at how every single skein of yarn and handmade market tote has a story to tell. We can look at a pile of mohair locks and laugh at the stories behind the animal who created that luxurious fiber. We refer to fleeces and roving by the name of the animal we sheared them from; it's not "that Romeldale fiber," it's "Betty White's fleeces."

We are very thankful for this life that we have and we are glad to be able to share some of it with you! So connect with us on Facebook (@StringtownFiber) and Instagram (@StringtownFiber) to follow along in our endeavors.