Interview: Alesha Goble of Hole in the Wool
What inspires your beautiful colorways?
Nature mostly. I absolutely love earth tones and neutrals; those are the colors I’m most naturally drawn to. I also find inspiration in TV shows and movies. I really believe there are beautiful colors everywhere, you just have to keep an eye out. I’m always looking for my next colorway inspiration.
How do you select the names for your colorways?
Back in the Fall of 2016, my family traveled to England for the first time. We completely fell in love with the country - it’s so beautiful! Most of my colorways are named after places in the UK. However, there are times when I dye up a new color and the name instantly comes to me.
How/why did you choose the name "Hole in the Wool"?
My husband gets the credit for this one. I had been stewing over names for weeks, and one day my husband mentioned that if I ever had my own LYS that it should be named “Hole in the Wool” a play on “hole in the wall”, because sometimes yarn shops are like a little hole in the wall place. We were able to come up with a logo idea pretty quickly and went from there.
Could you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to create your own yarn business?
My original plan was to become a knitwear designer. I had been so inspired by so many of the amazing patterns and designs I would see on Instagram, and I started working on a handful of designs to launch with. In the midst of designing and researching all things about how to run a small business, I came across some indie dyers and their amazing colorways. I couldn’t get indie dyed yarn out of my mind, so I decided to try out dyeing and bought some supplies and yarn. I was instantly hooked and knew this is what I needed to do. I have released two of my patterns so far, and plan on releasing more eventually. It’s just a matter of making time for ALL the things.
Who's on the Hole in the Wool Team? What do they do?
I do all the things - dyeing, skeining, labeling, website, photos, bookkeeping, etc. My husband has deemed himself the Voluntary Director of Sales. He travels often for work and will visit LYSs whenever he goes. Fun fact: he has visited more LYSs than I have - a LOT more! He visited Looped Yarnworks in D.C. last year and helped me pick out my first skeins of La Bien Aimee via FaceTime.
Are you a knitter, crocheter, or bistitchual?
Totally bistitchual, but my passion is knitting; if I could knit all day everyday - sigh! I learned to crochet when I was 8 or 9. My fourth grade teacher had an early morning crochet class before school, and my mom said I was going to go and learn to crochet. I’m left-handed and had to sit face-to-face with my teacher and mirror her actions. I taught myself to knit about 20 years ago on a road trip to Oregon.
What do you most enjoy about stitching?
I’m a process knitter/crocheter. I love the process and rhythm of stitching; it is so calming. I love being busy with my hands (and I’m so fidgety!), and knitting is the perfect activity for me.
Do you have a favorite item to stitch on road trips?
Not really. I usually bring whatever project I happen to be working on at the moment. Depending on the length of the trip, I’ll bring two projects for variety.
When you partner with a yarn shop to do a trunk show, what qualities do you look for?
I love a well run yarn shop! I like to know what to expect all around when doing a trunk show, and a well organized shop lets me know it all. Also friendliness. I am quite introverted and shy, and if I’m going to be doing an in-person trunk show, being around more outgoing people, especially awesome yarn shop owners, helps me tremendously!
If you were to suggest a yarn base for a beginning stitcher who has fallen in love with your yarn like we have, which base would you recommend? Why?
I would recommend a thicker base, like a DK or worsted. I learned with the standard “medium” weight yarn from the craft store. I think it’s easier to practice with a thicker yarn until your fingers have learned the muscle memory. Also, these weights work up faster and it’s easier to see your stitches and to track your progress. I think that’s important when you’re just learning.
What advice would you give to others wanting to follow their creative dreams?
I’d say go for it! I’m very good at overthinking EVERYTHING, so I would say to write down specific, short-term, attainable goals and timelines and begin working towards them step by step. Don’t try to go too big too soon. It can be overwhelming looking at the big picture, and I find it is much more workable to work towards smaller realistic goals with shorter timelines.
What is your favorite method or style of dyeing?
I love to layer colors. You start with a base color and add additional layers of color one at a time. I love the depth and nuances that this technique produces.
What does a normal dye week look like for you?
Right now I don’t have a set schedule. With all the mental and emotional upheaval from the pandemic, and general life-juggling, I have been dyeing when the mood strikes. I’m working on setting a more stable schedule to work from. I’m more productive that way and I like that.
In learning how to dye yarn, what did you find the most interesting? Any surprises?
There are so many different ways to dye yarn! I love seeing other dyers’ techniques, and I’m always learning something new that I want to try. I think the most surprising thing is how some of the dyes come together in the dye pots. When I experiment with new colors, sometimes the skeins that look the worst in the dye pots during the dyeing process turn out really beautiful.
Do you ever experience creative blocks? If so, how do you overcome this?
I do. I think that’s to be expected, to cycle through creative periods, and not just with yarn dyeing. I usually just ride it out because I find that forcing it usually doesn’t work. Once in a while, however, something will inspire me unexpectedly and I can break out of the funk.
How do you keep track of your colorways and inspiration?
I have a notebook full of colorway ideas and dye “recipes”. If I have an idea, it goes in the notebook.
How does dyeing add happiness to your daily life?
I love the process of dyeing. I love to work with the yarn, from prepping and soaking, to dyeing, rinsing and drying. My favorite part of the whole process is twisting the yarn back into skeins. That’s when I get to see how the colors in each individual skein came together. It’s like magic with every skein!
There are a lot of changes happening in the fiber arts industry right now; what positive change do you hope to see happen in the fiber community?
I hope we all continue to work on being welcoming, inclusive and kind. Kindness to others speaks volumes.
What events are you looking forward to this year?
I have some big plans for my yarn business. I’m working on executing an idea that came about months ago and things are still in the works (hello life changes and interruptions!) and I can’t give anything away just yet, but I’m excited for the future for my little business!
What positive impact do you hope to have in the world through Hole in the Wool?
I hope to continue to bring beautiful yarn to the fiber community. I truly love what I do, and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey. I love seeing new stitchers find my yarn who are inspired to use it to create new items that they’ll cherish!
Connect with Hole in the Wool
Website: www.holeinthewoolyarns.com
Instagram: @holeinthewool
Facebook: Hole in the Wool