July Pop-Up Shop: Qing FIbre!

We are very excited to announce our 2020 Pop-Up Shop series! Each month, we will be featuring an indie yarn dyer or company, showcasing their yarn, and highlighting perfect patterns to go with them! We'll also share an interview with the owners and designers here on the blog. All photos courtesy of Qing Fibre.

For the month of July, our Pop-Up Shop is Qing Fibre! Pronounced "ching", Qing Fibre was founded by Layla Yang in 2016. Their rich and vibrant colorways - especially the bright neons with deep speckles - call to us from the shelves here at Jimmy Beans. "Make something fun," they say when we walk by. "I could be anything in your hands!"

We had a moment to chat with Layla, the creative force behind Qing Fibre, about her inspiration, her yarn, and her zest for life - read all about it below!

Check out Qing Fibres and all our 2020 Pop-Up Shops here!

1.  What inspired you to start Qing Fibre?

I had been knitting with a few hand-dyed skeins and just wanted to expand my palette and create a real kaleidoscope of colour to make my knitwear sing, I really love strange combinations of colour! I started to experiment in my kitchen and loved trying out different speckling techniques, colour mixing and just creating something truly unique.. and it was all I wanted to do!

Qing Fibre Yak Single

2.  What would you say is the best thing about your yarn?
The colour. I still walk through the studio and covert freshly dyed skeins, the team have to tell me to put stuff back! We also make sure to source high quality and different yarn, yarn that really shows off our signature speckles and creates a beautiful, interesting and soft fabric once knitted.

Qing Fibre Melted Baby Suri

3.  How and where do you find inspiration for your colors?
Everything can be a source of inspiration for me, from the neon lights of Shinjuku in Japan to a splash of excess dye on a paper towel! I like to try colours together that others may at first find jarring and then maybe tweak a few speckles or patches until I think the balance is right.

4.  What has been the biggest challenge for you in driving your business?
Starting a business is challenging but keeping a business running is even harder, learning as I go. Having a business that required my full attention while I was pregnant with my daughter was one of the  more challenging times!

 5.  And, just for fun – if you could design a parade float that was fiber themed, what would it look like?
It would involve giant pom-poms, fluffy stuff and pastel colours with neon accents! Probably animal themed... an ostrich? 

Qing Fibre Yak Single