Yarn Hero Fiber Arts is run by Lynnell Koser out of her home studio in Frederick, Maryland. Lynnell has been crafting her entire life, learning to knit at age 8 (because she was jealous of the perfect swatch a friend showed her who had just learned to knit), which was soon followed by crochet, cross stitch, cloth doll making, friendship bracelets (remember those?!), sewing, and eventually drawing, painting, and printmaking. Lynnell received her BFA from The Atlanta College of Art and Design, and soon settled into a career as a graphic designer for the next 12 years.

Lynnell’s journey back into fiber arts began in college, where she knit some, but mostly crocheted afghans to help with the stresses of life and school. Once Lynnell discovered spinning a few years after graduation, she took off in a completely different direction, feverishly learning and experimenting with every fiber, dye, fleece, spinning wheel, and loom she could find (and afford). Soon Lynnell began selling her HUGE collection of handspun yarn on Etsy, realizing it wasn’t the finished project that she was excited about, but simply getting to see what a fiber would look like once it was spun into yarn. Now, she gets to do this all day long, every day!

The ColorMix collection from Yarn Hero Fiber Arts is dyed utilizing a different process than most other hand dyed yarn. By partnering with a local spinning mill, Lynnell’s approach mimics the perspective of a spinner: dye the fibers first, and then spin it into yarn. When dyeing, Lynnell is always thinking about how colors will lay next to one another, or how the colors will look when plied, or what kind of optical blending might be created with several colors. If you were to hang out in her home studio, you might hear a lot of “oh that’s pretty” or “wow, I like that” and maybe even an occasional “that’s not what I expected.” The thrill never goes away, and Lynnell hopes to continue adding new and exciting processes and bases to her yarn lineup. You can see more of Yarn Hero Fibers Art’s yarns at yarn/fiber festivals throughout the Northeastern US. Come say hello anytime!