By Sadie Shields

  Vibrant colors, natural fibers and the chatter of people catching up like old friends brought the Arcata Community Center to life at the 36th Natural Fiber Fair from Sept. 12-13.

After walking through the packed parking lot toward the venue, visitors were greeted at the door by three of Blackberry Fields Alpaca Farms alpacas. The space was filled with booths featuring crafts of all kinds and fiber artists putting their hands to the spindle. If you choose to venture close enough to watch the process, you can smell lavender from custom pouches and alpaca wool.

For some of the crafty crafters, beginning a new fiber art piece comes with mixed emotions of excitement and frustration, ending in sweet satisfaction of seeing their finished project come together. 

“Starting a project is usually equal parts exciting and intimidating,” Clair Voigtlander, the Redwood Empire Quilters Guild Opportunity Quilt Chairperson said. “Then towards the end I’m like, well , that did not turn out the way I wanted, but next time it will be better and I learned a lot along the way.” 

Walking through the corridors to such a creative space, learning about new crafts and speaking to vendors and artists gives a sense of creativity and yearn to learn yourself.While fiber arts does take some time to master, the basics can be learned quickly. Knitting and crocheting were recommended by Voigtlander as beginner friendly options, especially for college students who may have limited space or equipment. 

Jo Kuzelka ran the used equipment booth during the fair and does fiber art herself in her free time.  According to Kuzelka, repetitive movements can help some people with focus, like a sort of fidget, while also fabricating a handmade project they can wear with pride. The biggest challenge for beginners is often time and coordination. 

“Knitting or crocheting [is] kind of your starter … it’s a gateway craft, ” Kuzelka said.

Sustainability is one of the main reasons why attendees and artists choose natural fibers. Cotton, hemp, linen and wool were among some of the materials that people used for their spinning, felting, needling and knitting crafts at the fair. With so much natural fiber that can be found around you, crafting with natural fibers allows you to avoid some of the environmental concerns associated with synthetic fibers. 

“If I can do it myself, I would like to do it myself,” Voigtlander said. 

Molly Quinones, one of the owners of the Blackberry Fields Alpaca Farm based in Eureka said natural materials are part of the artistic experience. Aside from that, Quinones said that using natural fibers is beneficial in other ways. 

“With the alpacas we have no carbon footprint. It’s all usable,” Quinones said. “All of the fiber is for something. It’s better for the earth, it’s better for the skin and the animals get a good life.”

Also present at the fair was the Humboldt Handweavers and Spinners Guild, the main sponsor of the fair. The guild provides prospective fiber artists a space to begin their spooling journey into the craft. Beginners can attend meetings, learn from experienced artists and borrow equipment before purchasing their own.

The fair presented fiber arts as accessible to anyone willing to try something new, and fostered an environment for experienced fiber artists to connect with each other through a shared love for handmade fibers. Quinones believes creativity doesn’t have to come naturally for someone to become involved in crafting.

“Everybody’s crafty,” Quinones said. “All you have to do is like something that you see, and you can do it.”

Sadie is a reporter with an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. Reach her at sls331@humboldt.edu.