Pitchfork Fiber was created from my love of knitting and the fiber arts!
Hi! My name is Hunter and to talk about the beginning of Pitchfork Fiber we have to go back a ways. Okay, so it's 2016 and I am in college at Arizona State University in a Fine Art of Education program where I began taking tons of fiber arts classes. I have always enjoyed making things with my hands and fiber. It has so many possibilities and it was exactly the thing that captivated my attention. You can spin fibers, dyed it, knit, weave, crochet with them, quilt, needle punch, felt....really the list goes on and on! As I was in classes one warm day, I thought to myself, I might as well start an instagram showcasing all the things I create in class and at home in my free time.
**Side note** Arizona State is the home of the sun devils and their mascot holds a pitchfork.
So when naming my Instagram I thought, pitchfork = the college I go to, and pitchfork = farm things, and wool = farm things..... so PITCHFORK FIBER! And right there @Pitchforkfiber was born!
I got really into the YouTube sphere and began recording knitting podcasts—I fell in love with seeing others talk about their projects, showing off their yarn, and knitting inspo. It was some what addicting.
**Years go by and I am a grad student**
Jump forward to Chicago! It's 2019 and I am getting my master's in Museum and Exhibition Studies and I find the midwestern weather to be much more influential on my knitting—I wanted to knit all the time! I kept dreaming about the beautiful hand dyed yarns I was seeing on Insta but wasn't in the financial place to buy any. So I dyed my own. Having the skills I learned back in undergrad, I was able to dye my own yarns to the exact specifications I wanted for certain projects.
**Fast forward to December 2020 and the pandemic**
I got laid off from my job right before Christmas and was really lost for what to do next. I didn't see it coming and was really distraught not having the stability of having constant work in my life. I thought about what I have always reached for during times of hardship, and for me it is Knitting. Right there I decided that I was going to take my passion and take the skills I had in my tool belt and bring Pitchfork Fiber to the rest of the world. I know that sounds dramatic...but It really was a turning point mentally for me—to think about something I had always loved and realizing that I could make this into a business was super exciting! So now there is this shop, lots of beautiful yarn, myself, and there is you reading this.
I am so excited to bring all of my creations to you yarn lovers out there! I hope that you get lots of happiness and joy from the yarns that I create and you carry that energy and love with you whenever you use or wear them. Happy Making! -Hunter
