HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Three fiber art fanatics end up in a quaint AirBNB in Rhinebeck, New York to attend the NEW YORK SHEEP AND WOOL FESTIVAL in October, 2023.
Kat was traveling from a three day punch needle retreat taught by the inventor of the Oxford Punch Needle, Amy Oxford herself. What turned out to be the last workshop Amy taught at the Oxford Rug Hooking School before she sold her business, Kat learned about the Sheep & Wool Festival from Amy as she was heading there after class to speak on her newly released book.
Meanwhile, Jen and Erica were on their annual trek to the festival, where they don matching hand-knit sweaters, enjoy spiced apple donuts & cider and mingle amongst folks who love what they love – knitting, yarn, fiber & community.
Kat decided on a whim to take a pit stop at the festival on her way back towards home in Iowa, messaged Erica and a couch was offered up for the night.
After a day out & about at the festival (and seeing a really adorable sweatshirt with a sheep & a clever saying) the three crafty gal pals got to chatting about the desire for community and the idea for Best Fiber Friends was born.
Not much happened until a year later when Jen & Erica brought back knitXmidwest in November, 2024. The four hour event sold out in one minute and was just what their hearts needed. The fiber community is so many things to so many people and it became apparent that they needed to keep offering opportunities to bring everyone together.
Kat had been working on creating the BFFs platform but was struggling to do it alone … what she needed was there all along, some best (fiber) friends to make it all happen, together!
With a mission of creativity, community & collaboration here we are. Ready to offer up workshops, events and gatherings centered around what we love – fiber arts.
Interested in teaching? Reach out with your idea so we can keep growing this community!
