Artist Review #4 Terri Carroll - A Fine Fish Yarns

It'll come as no surprise to you that I love yarn.  So when I saw Terri's hand dyed yarns for the first time, I was completely thrilled by the sheer beauty of them and the wonderful new varieties which I had never seen before.  I said to myself, This isn't just a girl dabbling at what she does; she's really going for it!  From zesty lime green with sparkles, to super soft, smouldering pinks right through to one of my favourites called Smoke Screen, there were so many to choose from it made me totally tremble all over with their potential.
And now? She has dyed even more yarns for us to enjoy!  For I know that when you love what you do, you just want to do it all the time.  I was delighted to hear from Terri that she has the full support of her husband.  This is so important if you are to take your passion into the business arena where work can become all-consuming and compulsive.

Tell us a wee bit about yourself in a couple of lines
My full name is Terri Carroll and my business is called 'a fine fish yarns'.  I'll eventually have a website up and running, but until then www.afinefishyarns.co.uk will link you directly to my etsy shop.

Terri Carroll at her craft stall in Belfast

How did you get started?
I'm sure I'm not the only crafter out there who has seen something and thought to themselves, I'm going to give that a bash! I started knitting just under two years ago and fell in love with indie yarns after a few months. Eventually I had a go at dyeing yarn for myself, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My friends and family asked for some, and then my husband greatly encouraged me to try selling what I was dyeing... so I did!

Hallow Weenie hand dyed yarn

How have your life experiences shaped your work?
Hm, difficult! I'd say that my experiences in the past 12 months have taught me to stuff convention and do what makes me happy. I was a lone adventurer before meeting the mister, and I like that that independence and happy solitude crosses over in to my work - I'm happy as Larry left alone and experimenting creating new colour-ways, or trying my hand at pattern designing.

Rau socks

What pieces of your work are you particularly proud of?
D'you know, I'm not 'proud' per se of anything I create or make. I'm genuinely just happy to be doing what I'm doing. I also have a terrible memory these days and can't really think... I'll play the
'pregnancy brain' card for this one!!

Gay Mountain hand dyed sock yarn

How do you handle criticism?
Constructive criticism I take really well. I think you have to when your business is creativity. I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, and willing to try new ways of thinking or approaching a project. Criticism for criticism's sake though, who needs or has time for that!

Teenage Tearaway hand dyed yarn

How do you stay inspired?
A lot of the dyeing that I do is mood based, I'll go with what's calling to me on a particular day - stormy colours, eye searing happy brights, contented neutrals. The great thing about working with colour is that things you see in your day to day can bring inspiration for example the design on a
birthday card, or a weird beetle that's moseying about on your window.

Smoke Screen hand dyed baby alpaca 

Which artists do you look up to?
My favourite artist is Chagall, but generally I look up to those indie artists who have carved out a successful path for themselves and do what they love for a living. I really, really love sketch inc's
Kokeshi Dolls, she does such amazing detailing.

Kokeshi Doll by Sketch Inc

What are your hobbies?
When I'm not knitting (and sometimes when I am!) you'll generally find me with my nose stuck in a book. I also quite enjoy cooking and food in general, and I do love a travel adventure. Does shopping count?

Do you experiment with other art forms?
Every now and then I'll have a go at something different. I had a brief flirtation with painting, and most recently tried my hand at pottery.

In what way do you use the internet for your craft?
Oh goodness, in what ways don't I. From sourcing materials to flogging my wares, the internet really is invaluable. I'm still trying to remind myself to utilize Facebook and other social media more
frequently as they really are crucial to any small business these days.

What advice would you give anyone considering crafting full time?
Research! And be aware that it takes a lot of work and initial outlay. I am very fortunate in that I have an extremely supportive husband, allowing me the freedom - both creatively and financially - to take the step. Do you love doing your craft enough to pour most of your time in to it and not get sick of it?

Grass Stains hand dyed yarn

Where do you see your craft taking you in the future?
World domination? Who knows! I tend not to plan too far ahead, especially recently, and prefer to let things progress naturally. In the more immediate future though, I think a few more sock designs
hopefully.

I have just loved interviewing you, Terri and hearing your thoughts on issues that are also close to my heart.  I think it totally shows in your work that you are doing what you love.  We love it too!
And of course, shopping totally counts we say, as we skip to the wool shop to buy your yarns!!  We wish you all the best of luck in the future with your yarn-dyeing, sock knitting and world domination :)

Terri is hosting a Yarn Dyeing Workshop at Lighthouse Yarns, Whitehead on Saturday 6 Sept 2014.  Contact Lighthouse Yarns for more info.