Meet The Artist: The Spun Monkey

Shannon Herrick of The Spun Monkey is a felt artist, teacher and fellow spinner! We love her work and her contributions to our studio. We hope you’ll enjoy learning more about one of the studio’s shining stars…

How long have you been running your fiber art business and what inspired you to do this for a living?

The Spun Monkey has been around since late 2006, when some friends convinced me to be a vendor at my local farmer’s market. At that time, I had been spinning about a year and a half, as a hobby…okay, an obsession. It was exciting and fulfilling to share something that gave me such joy to create, to meet and talk with other crafters and let my little yarn babies go to evolve as the creative process continued in someone else’s hands. Craft shows followed and eventually I started paying attention to my Etsy shop and picking up wholesale customers. It’s been a fun (and sometimes frustrating) journey as I work towards turning The Spun Monkey into a viable income while also balancing family and our ongoing search for home…

What part of your work do you enjoy the most?

Deadlines.

What part of your work do you enjoy the least?

Deadlines.

What styles, artists, designers do you find more inspiring and why?

There are so many amazingly talented fiber artists out there, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several of them. I was a sidekick spinner in Jacey Boggs’ Sit and Spin DVD and have taken her workshop as well as Lexi Boeger’s Pluckyfluff spinning camp. Their energy, drive and enthusiasm are contagious and through their projects I’ve met lots of great folks. My very first experience with handspun yarn, though, was knitting with some Misshawklet. Holly is sweet as pie and now donates 50% of her profits to charity. Talk about inspirational.

Being self-employed can be hard to maintain motivation. What do you do to keep the creativity flowing in your everyday work?

Wow, so true. If I feel myself heading into a creative lull, I might do one of several things: 1) Take a class or workshop. Even if it covers techniques I already use, it is always inspiring to be in a room full of creative folks who will take an idea in all manner of new and exciting directions. 2) Buy fiber from another indie artist to play with. I love that no two people work their dyepots the same. I tend to get bored with my usual color palette and so digging into something I might never pull out of my own dyepot is a source for many an inspirational spin. 3) Go to the library. Besides spinning and knitting books, I find science and picture books a treasure trove of ideas for colorplay. I like to work with colors inspired by birds and insects, landscapes microscopic sea creatures.

What blogs/magazines/books do you like to read?

I could spend five years answering this question. I’m a homeschooling mom, so most of my blogroll leans in the direction of other creative mamas like Kathy at Tangerine Dreams, or in the direction of beautiful photography like Abby’s. Too many to mention, and I must admit that blog-reading is eating up most of my reading-for-pleasure time…when I do pick up an actual book made of paper, I enjoy a good deal of japanese fiction and literary magazines like Granta.

Do you have any hobbies other then fiberarts?

What else is there? Okay, I am starting my first quilt, paper-pieced and sewn by hand. The kiddo and I are into cycling and baking and practicing our penmanship. I recently was gifted a stone inkpot and handcarved bamboo pen…I plan to write a lot of sloooooow letters to my easterly friends.

Anything new on the horizon for your business?

The Spun Monkey will be at the Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire in San Mateo, May 22/23, 2010. Keep an eye out for a new line of kettle-dyed handspun organic merino singles and shawl knitting kits with yarn and pattern!

Thank you Shannon! Come by the shop to check out her yarns, kits and nuno felted accessories,