The Shinybees Knitting And Yarn Podcast

Daria Rakowski is our guest today to discuss widely varying subjects from eyelash yarn merkins(!) to an overview of the Canadian yarn industry. Daria is the creative genius behind Cloud 9 Fiberworks, and is based in Winnipeg in Canada. Originally indulging in her love of yarn as a child, she would often be found under the table in her Aunt's yarn shop in Winnipeg, untangling balls of yarn. Still an aficionado of vintage yarns from the period, she also produces hand dyed yarns, both on custom blended yarns just for her as well as on more commercially available yarns for hand dyeing. Daria takes her inspiration from many places. A lot of her yarns have a nod to fantasy and sci fi (with Star Trek and Harry Potter being two of the bigger influences) and she also draws on random ideas, such as suggestions from customers or other inspiration. In this episode we also discussed the Canadian market at depth, with regard to what is available to dye onto both commercially and as custom spins. The mills in Canada are few