Profiles in Fiber Arts: The 100th Sheep

My good friends Jeff and Peggy Doney have graciously answered Decembers interview for me. They are base out of Colorado. Their web site and social media, please give them a look!! Peggy will also be involved with a Distaff Day event in January. You can contact her for more information on that event

Please enjoy their insight into the world of independent dying!!

Please give us a description of your business

The 100th Sheep is the business team of Jeff and Peggy  Doney centered around fiber and color.  Handspun Art Yarns, Gradient Yarn Kits, Skein of Skeins (yarn cakes),  Braids of Gradients, fluffy hand-dyed braids, and dyed small farm luxury fibers, and teaching dyeing.

How long have you been dying fibers and what got you started?

I’ve probably been dyeing fiber for over 20 years.  The long story short is that I asked a neighbor if she could show me how the spinning wheel in her home worked and she told me no.  I was surprised until she told me that she had forgotten how to do it!  I asked her if she would like to take some lessons together with me to just get to know her and the rest is history! 

Do you feel this is your passion? 

I used to tell people that I was a spinner that dyed.  Now I tell them I’m a dyer that spins!  My passion is COLOR.

Where do you get your inspiration for your colorways?  Is there one colorway that speaks to you on a personal level? 

My inspiration comes from many sources: Nature, customer’s clothing (would you mind if I take a picture of your shirt?), catalogues, and newspaper and online pictures.

Do you use only acid dyes?  

I use Acid Dyes 99.9% of the time and most of them come from the Standard Colors Company in North Carolina  I tend to go through them quickly and buy pounds of dyes at a time.  Sadly, I’ve not had time to get back to using MX Dyes or natural dyes. 

Would you consider this to be a very technical process?  Have you ever had a happy accident?:  

I’m a first born which means I like getting a certain result which is up my alley for being a precision dyer.  Dyeing can be very technical or it can be as simple as squirting dye on prepped fiber and heating it. A new colorway came into being because I worked with small amounts of leftover dyes that in combination turn into an unexpected beautiful new colorway that I ended up using for a Schacht commission.

Do you have a favorite fiber or blend that you use? 

BFL and Silk!  I love the shine of Blue-faced Leicester and when it’s paired with silk?  Oooo la lah!!!

How do the different fibers change your dying process?  Do some fibers work better than others?: 

Different fibers take the dye in many ways.  Some take the colors brilliantly, others pale.  Fibers that can felt easily need to be handled differently than others in the dyeing process.

Is there a fiber you would tell a beginner dyer to stay away from until they become more competent in the process?: 

I would stay away from fibers that felt if you look at them!  Fibers that have a fine micron count should wait.  Learn the basics of dyeing first on fiber that isn’t expensive.  One of the things I’ve figured out is don’t get junk to work with when you’re new.  You could be fighting on more than one front if you have super short fiber filled with second cuts, burrs, etc.

Where do you source your fibers from?: 

I’ve ordered from Ashland Bay for a number of years and have branched out to Filature Lemieux for bulk yarns for dyeing my samples.  I also have bought fleeces from shepherds and ranchers and washed them myself before sending them to mills for processing.  The past few years I’ve bought the finished product from small producers so that customers could be introduced to quality fiber from those who raise the animals!

How many shows do you attend in a year?  And what shows will you be at next year?

Jeff and I do 6 shows a year, varying from local to national.  We’ve been accepted into PLYAway and will apply to the Estes Park Wool Market, Copper K Fiber Fest, the Salida Fiber Festival, DFW Fiber Fest, and the Mountain and Valley Wool Festival (MAVWA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico

As you are also a teacher, what classes do you give, and what shows will you be teaching at? 

I LOVE TO INFECT OTHERS WITH MY PASSION FOR COLORS!!  I haven’t applied to any shows yet for teaching.  In the past, I’ve taught at PLYAway, Estes Park, Copper K, DFW, and the Taos Wool Festival which is now MAVWA.  I’ve also taught spinning and dyeing for guilds in a number of states.  I LOVE teaching dyeing, everything from beginning up to gradients and triads.

What advice would you give an aspiring dyer wanting to learn?

Don’t necessarily trust everything you see on social media.  I’m frustrated when someone says their color keeps bleeding and people tell them to soak it in salt water which doesn’t stop bleeding!  Salt helps you get a more level (not blotchy) dye job.  I’ve also seen teachers tell students they don’t need to wear a mask or gloves but safety is important!  Learn from reputable teachers, read books, watch videos, join groups to learn together.  Take notes, LOTS OF NOTES.  You’ll think you will remember how much of these 3 colors you used for that beautiful result that you cannot reproduce!

Do you have a website or social media site that people can order from or follow you? Do you do online sales?

Our website is The 100th Sheep and there is a shop!  Confession time:  Upon finishing our final show this fall, I’ve been very tired and drained so I’m trying to get back in the groove and my stock is very low.  We’ve experienced unexpected health diagnoses and treatment and recovery will take time.  You can follow me on Instagram and The 100th Sheep Facebook page

Thank you Jeff and Peggy for your beautiful colors and fibers! I adore your colors and spinning up all that goodness on my wheel!!! I have some of your fibers being spun right now. Although it has not told me what it wants to be when I’m done!!

Blessed Be!