Discover knitwear designer Alicia Plummer in this Maker Spotlight Q&A -- where she shares her design philosophy, favorite patterns, and the heartfelt stories behind her timeless, wearable knits.

In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to do something extra special -- so we turned our Thread & Maple Maker Spotlight on a few amazing women in the fiber arts community who are not only talented indie dyers and makers, but also share their creative journey with their children by their side. Talk about a dream team! Throughout May, we’ve been sharing the stories of four inspiring mother-child duos who are blending business, bonding, and a whole lot of color. From dyeing skeins with tiny hands helping mix the pots, to packing orders together and dreaming big as a family, these makers remind us that creativity and connection go hand in hand. In this post, we’ve gathered all four spotlights in one cozy place, so you can get to know these incredible moms and their co-creators. Prepare to be inspired (and maybe a little misty-eyed)! Let’s dive in and meet the teams behind the magic! 💕 First up in the spotlight is Judy of @7thFloorYarn: ❓️ Please introduce yourselves! Who is on the 7th Floor Yarn team? How long have you been "officially" working together? "7th Floor Yarn kicked off in 2017 as a mom-and-daughter team, Judy and Amanda. We ran the show together until January 2025, when it segued to a mom-and-son duo. Even though Amanda isn't hitting the festival scene anymore, she’s still around for brainstorming and whipping up color recipes. Currently Steven has taken over as my right-hand man. All our dyeing happens on a four-burner stove in our cozy 7th-floor apartment in Westchester County, NY. We’ve got a knack for tonal colors and offer several different fibers and bases, from lace to chunky, both non-superwash & superwash. You’ll find yak, silk, merino, alpaca, and nylon in our lineup. Plus, our cool laser-cut and UV printed wood products come from Laser Life Design, which is a small business owned by my husband. Check out our unique yarn boxes, gauge squares, and knit/crochet signs." ❓️ What does a typical workday look like for you as a team? "A typical day at 7th Floor Yarn, Inc. goes something like this: We prepare yarn for dying, mix the colors we are making that day. Presoak skeins, then dye them. Rinse, dry, wind and label. And just like that, they're ready to find a new home." ❓️ What advice would you give to other family members thinking about starting a business together? "One essential piece of advice we can offer families considering starting a business together is to have a business plan. Also, it makes sense to have a general idea of each person’s responsibilities and how much time they are able to commit to the business." Meet @AppleBlossomYarn! 🍎🌸 🧶 ❓️ Please introduce yourselves! Who is on the Apple Blossom Yarn team? "Our names are Kristen and Sari, and we are the co-owners/dyers of Apple Blossom Yarn! We both work full-time jobs as well as running this business together, not to mention both being busy moms. Speaking of which, Kristen is Sari's mom! We have a large blended family, so Kristen has six adult children and one teenager still at home, as well as seven delightful grandchildren. One of those grandchildren is Sari's daughter, Zoe! Our team also consists of one minion - Kristen's youngest, Skye! Skye is a delightfully quirky unicycling teenager, who helps us out quite a lot when their busy schedule allows - especially when they are trying to save money for a new unicycle!" ❓️ How did you first decide to start dyeing yarn together? "We both had independent fantasies about having some kind of creative business, especially related to yarn. We've both been knitting and/or crocheting for at least 10 years, and longer for Kristen especially. Ever since we were introduced to the hand-dyed yarn world, we have been fascinated by the process and day-dreaming about colorways we would try to create if we could. However, it always felt like such a hurdle to get started, especially with the equipment needed and some fear of putting ourselves out there, too! Then, about 8 or 9 months ago (we don't actually know the official date), Sari started tallying up a list of what it would cost to get some bare minimum equipment, and Kristen impulsively went out and bought some bare yarn and dye! From there we ended up just diving in! So to be honest, it was a long-time dream that was impulsively acted upon. We both work in burn-out heavy fields in our day jobs (nursing for Kristen, and education for Sari), so our impulsivity was definitely spurred on by a desire to do something more creatively fulfilling. " ❓️ Do you have a favorite memory from a fiber festival that you’ve attended together? "Oh gosh, neither of us like picking favorites! However, attending Flock Fiber Festival together for both years, and feeling that magical Disneyland-esque euphoria when you're surrounded by people who all love the same thing is definitely high on the list! Kristen especially enjoyed seeing Sari have a nervous breakdown and be moved to tears when meeting Toni Lipsey last year at Flock." ❓️ Please introduce yourselves! Who is on the @ScrumptiousPurl team? "Scrumptiouspurl began about eight years ago, sparked by Samantha’s desire to dye her own yarn. Her curiosity quickly led to learning how to create self-striping yarn—and once our  knitting friends saw the socks we were making, they immediately wanted some too! That initial interest caught the attention of the yarn shop, which saw the potential for a unique new yarn line and placed an order. At that point, Samantha realized she could use some help—and I was more than happy to say yes. Everything came together naturally. We have  always been very close, so working together felt like a seamless decision. The only adjustment we had to make was setting boundaries to separate work from personal time, since we found ourselves talking about yarn even outside of work! Eventually, Samantha took the exciting next step of starting a family and embracing that role fully, while I took over day-to-day operations and dyeing. Samantha still plays an important part behind the scenes, always offering her insight and input into the business." ❓️ If you could dye yarn inspired by any vacation or place you’ve been together, what would it be? "For a while now, we’ve wanted to create a Disney-themed Colour Club. Disney holds so many magical memories for us -- from childhood visits with my parents, to taking my own kids, and now watching Samantha’s little ones experience the magic. The inspiration is endless, and we’re excited to bring that joy into our yarn. Maybe it’s time for another trip -- for research purposes, of course!" ❓️ Please introduce yourselves! Who is on the @FrankieGreyFibers team? How long have you been "officially" working together?⁠⁠"Hi! We’re Jodi [@jodibrowndesigns] and Jordyn [@jordyndanyluk], the mother-daughter duo behind Frankie Grey Fibres. We’ve been creating together for over five years, and every day is a joy. We’re a small business dyeing all our yarn out of our kitchen—for now!—and we pour our hearts into every skein."⁠⁠❓️ Do you have specific day-to-day duties, or do you each do a little bit of everything? ⁠⁠"While we both know the ins and outs of the entire dyeing process, we each have our specialties: Jodi brings the magic to our solid colorways, and Jordyn is the mastermind behind most of our speckled yarns. Everything else—well, that’s a true team effort." ⁠⁠❓️ Where do you find inspiration for your colorways? Do you each have a different creative process?⁠⁠"Our color inspiration comes from the little moments in everyday life. It might be a vibrant sign on a city street or a beautiful image we stumble upon while scrolling Pinterest. Jodi gravitates toward bold neons, deep tones, and heavy speckles, while Jordyn is drawn to soft pastels and dreamy palettes. Together, we strike the perfect balance—blending our unique styles to create yarns that are as varied and creative as the makers who use them."⁠ Whether it’s dyeing yarn, packing orders, or dreaming up the next big idea together, these moms show us that running a handmade business doesn’t have to mean doing it alone. Sometimes, your greatest collaborator might just be your kiddo with dye-stained fingers and big ideas of their own. To all the amazing maker moms out there: thank you for inspiring us with your artistry, your heart, and your hustle. And to the next generation of fiber artists growing up in dye studios and craft rooms: you’re already making the world a more colorful place.  

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