SPENCER LEPLER and
Reginald Waters are the
men behind The Fiberists,
the hand-dyeing business
which is making waves
across the knitting world
thanks to its vivid
colourways and beautiful yarn bases.
The Fiberists are based in Herndon in the
US state of Virginia, and they operate out of
their 1,000-square-foot basement studio.
The pair, who have been married for four
years, have a passion for colour, and their
online shop stocks their dyed yarns and
fibre, and branded products such as pins,
T-shirts and mugs.
They met through mutual friends while
Spencer was studying architecture at
Tulane University in New Orleans, and
Reggie was on holiday in the city. “We
kept in touch after Reggie went home,
and romance blossomed,” explains
Spencer. “Reggie moved to New Orleans
a few months later, and we’ve now been
together for more than 15 years.”
After experimenting with dyeing yarn
for themselves, Spencer and Reginald
found that they really enjoyed the creative
outlet that dyeing provided. “We had been
going to the DC Men’s Knit meet-up group
for a while at the Fibre Space yarn store
in Alexandria, Virginia, and had become
friendly with Danielle [the owner of Fibre
Space]. She helped introduce us to Karida
Collins from Neighborhood Fiber Co, who
became a mentor to us,” says Spencer.
They began dyeing yarn in the kitchen
of their one-bedroom loft, but as the brand
grew they graduated to larger studio
spaces. Spencer and Reginald have been
running The Fiberists for almost nine
years, alongside their full-time day jobs.
“In the evening and on weekends, we
spend time in our studio dyeing yarn and
fibre, and managing our book-keeping and
social media, planning events, answering
customer emails, and packing orders,”
they tell us. “We still dye some hand
paints, but have shifted focus to primarily
semi-solids and have greatly expanded our
yarn and fibre collections as well as now
carrying other accessories,” says Reginald.
So what made them want to open a
dyeing business? “I am an architect and
my work never seems to satisfy my creative
passion,” says Spencer. “My parents owned
and operated an educational supply store
for years – which my father’s parents
founded – and my mother is a clothing
designer by education and comes from a
long line of fibre- and fabric-related folks.
So, this felt like the perfect marriage of
my family history and my creativity.”
“I do whatever my husband tells me –
just kidding!” laughs Reginald. “I enjoy
doing all sorts of crafts and hobbies, so this
seemed like a way for me to be creative,
and for us to work together.”Celebrating science
The Fiberists focus on bright and bold
semi-solid colours, with themes of science
and learning running through their
ranges. “All of our repeatable colourways
take inspiration from the natural - and not
so natural - world, and we name them with
the corresponding scientific and common
names,” says Spencer. “Our collections are
named after important people in the fields
of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics – many of whom do not have
the recognition they deserve. We also have
a penchant for the softer side of the fibre
spectrum, and like to explore luxury and
less commonly used fibres.”
Today, The Fiberists carries a number of
yarn lines, including Hopper Fingering -
a blend of merino, yak and silk - and the
merino-silk Hudson Worsted. “We also
have a variety of spinning fibre collections,
custom enamel pins that feature us as well
as our fibre animal friends, and we are
stockists for Ashford products, Kookaburra
products, ChiaoGoo products, IndianCharkha spinning wheels, and other
brands that we fall in love with,” says
Reginald. “Our website features many of
our products, although some may only be
available to buy at shows and fibre festivals.
We are working on getting more of our
products online.”
The Fiberists focus on producing a
collection of standard colourways
composed of a spectrum of semi-solids.
“We feel that this helps us stand out, as our
yarns are able to complement yarn dyed
by many other indie dyers,” they explain.
“We aim to be the proverbial ‘little black
dress’ that can be the utility player in your
yarn collection.” Additionally, both
Reginald and Spencer each have a different
range of colours that they gravitate
towards. This has naturally made their
colour palette more diverse than if either
of them were working solo.
As for the future, the duo is working
towards developing exciting new offerings
for its customers. “We are always exploring
new lines and products, so keep an eye out
for yarn or fibre labelled as an ‘Experiment’
with a number, as they are products in
development.” We can’t wait!http://www.thefiberists.comHand-dyeing duo The Fiberists combine their love
of colour with their appreciation for science to develop
breathtaking colourways, as Colette Earley discovers
THE FIBERISTS
The Knitter 45 Issue 149