When Dorothy Gallagher was a teacher in Poland, she took up knitting as a side hustle.
“Making one sweater bought me a kilo of sausage,” she said.
“Now I hand spin silk, cat fur, alpaca — all for the mental clarity and dexterity benefits.”
Gallagher was among 20 or so vendors Saturday at the Raggz Fiber Affair in Delmont, where artists sold hand-dyed yarn, shawls, hats and more.
She demonstrated how to spin goat fur on Kravelli wooden spindles made in Europe.
“I do this not to become famous, but to give people an alternative to $6 Walmart socks. I have a scarf that’s almost 100 years old.
“If taken care of, these things last forever.”
The Fiber Affair drew about 200 people to Faith Global Methodist Church to browse the eclectic goods and learn more about the skill.
The pastime/profession is experiencing a major resurgence in the U.S., with a 150% increase in young crafters, according to online platform Medium.com.
Fiber arts have been embraced by people under 35 who look to the hobby for sustainability and stress relief. The surge includes all spans of the art, including knitting, crocheting, embroidery and dyeing yarn.
“I love that it’s such a fun, creative outlet,” said Kalli Necheff, 34, of Delmont.
She returned to her childhood knack for knitting after losing her job in 2023 and never looked back. It’s her full-time job now.
“I spend a lot of time in my kitchen looking at color charts,” she said. “The entire creative process is yours.”
Necheff participates in up to 15 vendor shows a year, selling hand-knitted cardigans, reversible shawls and upcycled stitch markers. She said the local fiber arts community supports each other, buying yarn and promoting others’ work.
“It all comes down to where you want to spend your money,” she said. “I like making sure my money stays local instead of sending it to Amazon.”
Not everyone at the fair was a fiber expert.
Addison Dick, 7, of Vandergrift came for the stickers. Her mom, Sierra Bigley, has made the event an annual girl’s day out, with the pair listening to live music and enjoying lunch.
Event organizer Toni Ritchey-Ridella said the craft show has grown since it started 10 years ago because of its wide appeal.
She said people are often surprised by how much time is involved with the art.
“We have people who grow hay and raise their own animals and make their own soap or honey,” she said. “Everybody here has made everything. You can buy yarn online, but this is to support the people that put in the time.”
Cheryl Rondeau of Monroeville said she enjoys the mental process of preparing her yarn. She takes the color palettes to another level by theming them.
“The title this year is ‘Millennial Nostalgia,” she said. “I made colors based on “Little Women” and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” that remind me of childhood.”
Rondeau began knitting in middle school and put it off while she earned her master’s degree.
“I picked it back up in 2019, which turned out to be perfect timing,” she said.” “I’m particular about what I like to work with – my friends call me ‘bougie’ – so I make very soft fibers like yak and silk and alpaca.”
Philip Galing of Waynesburg said nothing beats alpaca for weight and feel.
“It’s softer than wool and about six times warmer,” he said.
Galing and his wife, Lena, took over her family’s fourth-generation farm nestled in the hills near Lippencott, Pa., about 20 years ago. They currently have 19 alpacas on site that they sell as starter herds to help other farmers raise quality animals, he said.
“I didn’t know anything about it when we took over,” Galing said. “It’s our passion now, and it keeps growing.”
