#Shoplocal and Save the date!
If you’re like me you love to support local small business owners. A few years ago I stopped in for a coffee here in Fairbanks at a local coffee house on College Road for a quick recharge and noticed a refurbished school bus parked in the outer parking lot. There was a sign next to to the front door of the bus “Roaming Root Cellar”. I thought ooh how cool is this, and I took a look inside, bought some of the hottest chili sauce I’d ever tasted, met the owner of this little bus business - Erica Moeller - and went on my way. Fast forward a few years - I pulled into Old Chena Pump Plaza here in Fairbanks, home of the famous Lulu’s Bread and Bagels to get my usual strong coffee, and noticed a new business a few doors down. Keep in mind this shopping plaza has seen a lot of small businesses come and go over 30 plus years but I was very excited to see the bus business lady Erica, busily stocking shelves and organizing product in her brick and mortar version of The Roaming Root Cellar.
I’d say within a year her selection of locally and AK made food products was exploding off the shelves. I honestly had no idea the local foods market was so huge in this state. It makes sense though; Alaskan’s entrepreneurial spirit is strong and I am continually amazed at the types of products I see on her shelves. Fortunately for me, she branched out to include the local craft/artisan market and I inquired if she’d be interested in carrying locally hand dyed yarn. After a little thought and some back and forth on how this could work she said yes! I was excited to make my first yarn drop there almost two years ago and continue with periodic yarn drops .
You all know by now that 64 North Fibers AK is my side hustle and one of my goals is to continue to grow and develop it into a full time going concern. My ability to produce hand dyed yarn is based on available time and motivation. Some colorway ideas brew in the back of my mind for many months, others come to me seemingly out of nowhere. Some colorways are inspired by my local surroundings. I have been fortunate the last few years to travel abroad, make new friends, and have some awesome experiences. These experiences have shaped my creativity in ways I never expected.
My recent trip abroad inspired yet another fun new gradient colorway - Ceilidh (pron. kay - lee).
All of this being said, I love the cooperative spirit of our local businesses and I am happy to announce I will be doing a POP UP sales event at The Roaming Root Cellar. Stop in on November 18 from 10 am - 2 pm to chat and fill your stash.
Hope to see you there!
Ceilidh - hand dyed in 2 ply aran weight, merino/alpaca yarn.
