Meet Katherine Malinoski | Owner and Artist of Serenity Acres of Kiowa, Ltd.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katherine Malinoski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katherine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always wanted to operate my own small business, I can’t remember a time when I lost that burning desire, it has always been a part of me.

My grandparents were from Hungary and lived through the Great Depression in New York City. Grandma kept everything she ever bought, she saved her treasure in quirky boxes of every size with slender handwritten labels sporting her cursive in red ballpoint pen. Staring at the wall of boxes as a kid filled my mind with mystery and delight. I guess it’s like being an adult and walking into a thrift shop. To this day I get that feeling of excitement pawing through old baskets of worn jewelry and shelves filled with loved books at Goodwill.

Once a month my folks would deliver me to my grandparent’s doorstep while they went off and did things parents with young children never get to do. Between baking cookies and reading fairy tales, I spent hours foraging through Grandma’s stash of craft supplies, yarn, and costume jewelry. Sometimes she would allow me to take home a few select goodies as a memento of my visit. I would undoubtably return home Sunday evening, grocery bag in hand filled to the handles with plastic flowers, chunky bejeweled necklaces, and big bangle bracelets.

I was around six years old when I started selling my grandmothers plastic flowers to the neighborhood kids for a quarter while sitting on my parent’s front steps. That was when the entrepreneurial bug bit me. Earning extra money aside from my allowance which I could then take to the mall, that was the greatest feeling in the whole world for me. I vividly remember buying a ‘Saved by the Bell’ poster at the music shop, running down the hall to my room, and hurriedly taping it to the wall; that day was a great day!

My father loved my burning interest in becoming my own boss and he nurtured that small business dream as much as possible. When I was about ten years old he went to a Things Remembered kiosk in the mall and made me my own rubber stamp that read, “Katie’s Cat Shop and Collectibles”. I wore the heck out of that stamp. Little by little, year after year, I grew up to love and whole heartedly appreciate all things handmade, small business, family owned, or fueled by heart and passion. Through every passing year I held my own dream in my mind and never let it fade. I have wanted my own small business since I was six years old, it has truly been my life-long pursuit.

Throughout 2020 I began noticing how many small businesses were speaking up about the lack of events, cancelled craft shows, and postponed festivals. Artists and local makers in Elbert County who I followed on social media were posting dismal commentary about how the lack of exposure and sales would negatively affect them and their family. I had a brainstorm; what if I created an online marketplace which boasted their handmade goods to a larger virtual community. I sought out makers of candles, local honey, small batch body care products, and added a fiber arts theme which I could slowly evolve to support our own fiber producing livestock. Last year I dragged my patient and wonderful husband into participating as vendors at local community events, and Elbert County rodeos. We were a hit!

Thankfully all of the county events, craft shows, and festivals resumed operation this year and our fellow makers are back in the swing of their own successes. We are now shifting our focus back to my own handwoven goods, offering a service to process raw wool and fleece into handspun yarn from local fiber ranchers, and selling handspun yarn to crafters, along with vintage goodies and art, all from our little ranch in Kiowa.

We are only getting started and yet it feels like a dream-come-true!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Please tell us more about your art.

Weaving and spinning yarn from raw wool is my favorite job in the world. I fell in love with fiber pretty hard as a teenager and dabbled mostly through my 20’s into my 30’s with knitting between full time work and seeking solace from the hustle bustle of paying bills; at best it was a passive hobby for me.

After we relocated to our little rural town we adopted alpaca and sheep. I fell deeply and madly in love with fiber art as did my husband. Knitting somehow exploded into an entire lifestyle I was previously unaware of, filled with amazing people creating jaw-dropping art from fiber that they grew with the help of their livestock companions. Caring for the very animals our fiber comes from taught us the importance of the fiber industry and the value of raw fleece; how precious it is in this ever-plastic world. There is nothing so soft and exciting to the senses as running my hand over freshly clipped fleece from an alpaca!

What was once my trip to a big box craft store for a $5.00 skein of yarn had shifted into an ancient way of producing handspun yarn straight from the animals we love and care for daily. Then I learned how to weave!
I now enjoy both spinning my own yarn and weaving with my yarn to create colorful garments for sewing and fashion. Color is my inspiration, I love to compliment the natural shades from our animals with bold pops of purple and pink, sparkles, and texture. The creativity is limitless!

We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about.

I am very proud of the hard work and dedication my husband and I have poured into our small business. We dedicate nearly every spare minute and spare cent to the wellbeing of our animals and improvement of our offerings. We strive to offer luxurious products made with heart and intention with minimal processing. Our little business is very much a closed circuit operation with a unique sense of nature and pure authenticity. You can’t find my work in a department store, each woven wrap takes close to 20 hours for me to create by hand. The imperfections of my handwoven wraps are what make my work beautiful.

There are nights when my eyes are so tired they are closing on me as I hemstitch a wrap for a client because I don’t want to stop until my work is whole and complete. I pour my heart into my creativity because I know where my materials came from, I want to honor our animals, and show our clients the incredible beauty of homegrown fiber. By supporting artists like me you are supporting rural life and helping to sustain communities that represent the foundation of our nation. Small town America is incredible!

How did you get to where you are today professionally.

Determination and faith.

Was it easy?

Not at any point, but there was always natural compulsion to keep going. Every single day requires my full dedication and commitment.

If not, how did you overcome the challenges?

My husband is my rock. He keeps me focused and honest. My faith guides me through the unknown and keeps me grounded.

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way.

Lessons that could fill a book!

Failure is the essential key to success, and success is a relative term.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone
Have a support system even if it’s one other person and God
Learn and practice, then practice some more
Talk to other artists and ranchers, listen to their wisdom
I am never done with anything even when I think I am
Keep your dreams alive daily in small ways if you can’t fully focus on them, the long hike always delivers the best view!

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

We are a small husband and wife operation. I am the artist who spends day and night tirelessly working my hands to dream up the pieces you see on our website. My husband is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. We are hard-working and passionate people who hope to make a difference in the way you think about agricultural commerce.

We love animals, and we love supporting the rural way of life. We spend a great deal of time with our livestock nurturing their wellbeing and doting on them with affection. Each animal is an individual and cherished.

Our handmade art is created with intention, we sincerely hope to bridge the gap of appreciation and understanding to shift awareness toward the support of local and national fiber artists, ranchers, and farmers.

Lastly, we are a constant work in progress, growing and adding new handmade goods daily. Please join our journey through social media and help us grow in all ways. Every dollar spent with us goes back to us, our small business is our livelihood and how we support our animals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Downtown Elizabeth is AMAZING! Start your day with Small Town Mini Donuts, shop the boutiques along Main Street, hunt for antiques at Randy’s Antiques and Art, have a custom cowboy hat made at Powder River Hat Co., and end the day at Elizabeth Brewing Company with pizza from Buzzard’s Pizza! Keep an eye out for Rose’s Creamy food truck for that perfect scoop of rocky road.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We are a product of the people who raise us, my father was my consummate source of encouragement and support. He spurred my entrepreneurial ideas and shaped my mind to think of a life beyond the standard nine to five job. He wanted me to be happy in my life and to be unique in my life’s story. I owe all of my inspiration to him.

My incredible husband who supports my artistic vision and grounds me through every bump and turn. He is my world.

I want to send a big vote of thanks to the many lovely people in Elbert County that I have met while enjoying a funnel cake at the Elizabeth Farmer’s Market, or standing in line at the grocery, who echo my father’s sentiments and remind me of where my passions truly thrive. Elbert County has so much to offer, it is a hidden gem polished with countless small businesses and multi-generation ranchers who need your support for their continued prosperity. Rural America is alive and well out here, please help us keep the positive momentum in motion.

Not sure where to start? Some of our favorite places to support in and around the county are The Elizabeth Brewing Company, The Carriage Shoppes, The Nest at the 1897 House, Randy’s Antiques and Art, Cloverleaf Farms West, The Olde Willow Herbal Mercantile, The Naked Goat Cafe, 2BeeKPers, LLC., Patriot Ranch, and Small Town Mini Donuts.

Website: www.Serenityacresofkiowa.com

Instagram: @Serenityacresofkiowa

Twitter: @serenityofkiowa

Facebook: Serenity Acres of Kiowa