Dyeing for BonBons

Last evening I spent a bit of time making up 'BonBons' the delectable little one-ounce rolls of hand dyed fiber that I sell in the local yarn shops. It's a great way for feltmakers to get a decent amount of hand dyed fiber in several colorways without a huge investment. I noticed that both my accounts were a bit low and my 'candy box' was a bit scanty as well. Taking a visual inventory (which means that I look in the box and say, 'huh, I need greens'), I look at my dyed fiber supply, pull the colors that I need and proceed to weigh, roll, tie and tag the fiber goodies. This usually results in another visual inventory, whereby I say, 'huh, I need greens' and decide what I need to dye next. Last evening - you guessed it - it was shades of green.

When I first started selling dyed fiber in Asheville HomeCrafts in the Grove Arcade, I wasn't sure how to package it. Roving balls were messy and got shopworn and separated from their tags. Also, needle felters didn't want 4 ounces and they far outnumber the spinners. So I hit on the bonbon idea. Take an ounce of fiber, roll it up like a cinnamon roll, tie it with pretty yarn and tag it. The finished product is 'gift wrapped.' I use both commercial and handspun yarns, taking a moment to select a contrasting yarn that looks good on the fiber.

This is a part of my fiber world that I really love. Creating beautiful things that are sold in a local business that then go home with visitors from all over. Some across town; others from across the world!