Meet Shannon Player-Timmons | Fiber Artist, Yarn Dyer at Yarn Baby

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shannon Player-Timmons and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shannon, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I spent the majority of my childhood in rural Utah. I mean…RURAL Utah. My town had about 550-600 people in it at the time. Now it has even less. If I took a walk around the block, it was 1.5 miles around. There were areas of my backyard where you couldn’t see another house or any manmade structure for as far as your eyes could see. There wasn’t a single stoplight in the entire county – and the county, geographically, was pretty large. I grew up in the sticks.

I loved growing up there. The Utah desert is beautiful. I had lots of friends. I had a lot of hobbies. I enjoyed my childhood. However, there wasn’t very much diversity. The population was mostly white, and very conservative.

I went to a local junior college, then I went to one of the major universities in Utah and when I reached graduation I was ready to leave Utah ASAP. I craved something entirely different. I got my first job, as an elementary music teacher (a position not even available in Utah at the time) in Aurora Colorado. Aurora could not be more different from where I grew up and I LOVED that. Nothing was the same as where I grew up — exactly what I wanted.

As much as my upbringing shaped who I am, so did living and teaching in Aurora. I fell in love with my students. I learned a lot about poverty and privilege. My eyes were opened to new people, places, cultures, religions, experiences, etc. that I had never known before.

The contrast of those two places have shaped who I am. I believe I can more easily see the point of view from many different perspectives. I have a huge appreciation for diversity and how different opinions can shape a more accurate interpretation of our surroundings. I can see the value of living in the country and living in the city. I can appreciate and enjoy the laid back country living as well as the hustle and bustle of city life.

I love visiting home – but I don’t want to live there anymore. Colorado is my home.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am, what we call in the fiber arts world, an Indie Dyer. I am an independent dyer of yarn. I have a dye studio in my basement where I dye yarn, usually around 30-50 skeins a week (although sometimes I have dyed 150 skeins a week depending on the order). Then I photograph the yarn, list it in my online shop, advertise it wherever I can, and ship the yarn once it’s sold.

It’s been a slow moving train. I’ve been doing this for a decade now and just recently am making about what I made as a teacher. It’s been a challenge and it probably always will have its challenges. However, it is an amazing creative outlet for me. I love what I do, and I get to set my own hours and make my own schedule so I can be available to my kids whenever I am needed. I am grateful to be where I am right now.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have visitors coming from out of town, and they want to see this place, Rocky Mountain National Park is a must see. We can drive through the park in a day.

Downtown Denver is also a must. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is one of my favorite places in this state. I LOVE musical theater. I love to take visitors to see a broadway show, or the symphony.

There are so many local brewers, so that’s also a fun place to visit when I have visitors who like beer. (Remember, I’m from rural Utah = many of my visitors don’t drink beer).

Although this state is very beautiful, I also just loving hanging out around a fire pit outside and catching up. A slower lifestyle is what I crave.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom taught me how to crochet when I was in my late twenties. She was just trying to get me to learn a new hobby that would help me relax…she had no idea how far I’d take this new “hobby.” She taught me the basics, and I ran with it. She deserve the credit for the start of Yarn Baby.

Gail Sundberg-Douse has been a huge support in business and in life. She owns Longmont Yarn Shoppe and I am so grateful our paths have crossed.

ersonalShannonPlayerTimmons

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