Incredible India! India Part 1

I made it back from India last Friday and have been itching to write this blog post ever since I touched down. Before I dive in, a quick plug for my podcast that I'll be launching in a few weeks time. I hope to touch on India and the spinners throughout, so please stay tuned!

For those not super familiar with our yarns, India is where all the magic happens. About 7 years ago, I started this business and taught a small group of women there to spin my yarn designs. It was really hard but it’s funny how I forget all of that now. 7 years later, 12 out of the 13 ladies we work with are still there. That one lady joined later, 5 years ago, so she could work along side her mother and grandmother. The thing that astonishes me the most is that we invented and created our own cottage industry from thin air. Spinning yarn, in this way, did not exist there before. It feels amazing to think about that and fills me with a huge sense of accomplishment. It's wonderful but also scary because I feel an intense pressure to keep the orders coming so that these women have work.

I’d love to take this time to dive into my trip and give you a little behind the scenes info into how our yarns are made. I'm going to do this blog post in 2 parts- this week, I'll share photos of some of the markets I source trims and inspiration from as well as some pics of the what I saw there that just amazed me. Next week I'll introduce you to the women who spin for us and take you on a tour of the mill where we buy our fiber. There are a lot of photos and I don't want to overwhelm you with them all of them at once :) Comments, likes, shares etc all welcome. If you have travel spots in India I need to see - let me know!

My trip started off in Delhi where I like to go first to be inspired and source new materials. When you get off the plane in India, it’s almost like the hot, thick, smelly air hits you in the face. Since it had been so long since my last trip, I felt a little more culture shock than I have in previous visits. It’s incredibly different than the states. There is a persistent sound of honking horns everywhere, there are crumbling buildings next to 5 star hotels, babies on the back of motorcycles, slum villages for miles, so much color, stray dogs everywhere, monkeys...the list goes on. Everything struck me as beautiful or horrific and I couldn’t stop snapping photos.

More than anything, this trip reminded me how important travel is to me. Since having my boys I’ve barely gone anywhere. It’s so easy to get into a routine and then suddenly your world is so small. This trip which I put together so last minute, jolted me out of that and renewed my love of travel, of getting out of all my habits if only for a week at a time, to reflect back, try new things and see differently…not to mention how fun it is. Every day felt like an adventure! Plus, it's really not that hard to pull it together and do it cheaply. I resolved to travel with the boys and my husband as much as we are able, especially as they get older and can remember more. I hope this might inspire you to do the same, even if it's just trekking somewhere new in the place you live. I noticed a big shift in how I think about people who are different than me (especially given the current political state in the US), towards more understanding and love because there are so many things we share as universal commonalities between us.

In Delhi, I met up with some old friends from back when I used to work at Free People. My old boss Merrie lives there part time and designs the label FP One as well as all the interiors and display for the Free People stores. Their Delhi workshop is truly amazing and I wanted everything. My first day, I went to Kinari Bazar to source trims and anything at all that might inspire a new yarn. It’s tricky to get to – you have to take a rickshaw because the roads are so darn narrow. A few pics below of this magical place. There is so much to see, I wish I could've gone a second time. I'm sure I would've found all new things! I scooped up a bunch of ribbons with pretty flower shapes that I'll use for inspiration in a new yarn.

Street madness... :)

The next day I shopped around Delhi, mainly looking for fabric, color and embellishment inspiration. There was lots of that! I love Hauz Khas market especially for the tiny picturesque streets and amazing shops. Here are a few snaps from that day. I came a way with a bunch of pretty fabrics and embroidered items.

I DIE!

Too expensive for me to take home but I did snag a pretty pair.

Later that night I caught up with my Delhi friends for a visit to their workshop - I was ready to move in - and dinner at a stop called Olive that I'd never been to. It was stunning!

I owe these 2 so much. Kundan helped me get started and helps me navigate doing business in India. Merrie FOR REAL taught me everything I know. She is a creative genius that I am so honored to know. I can't imagine my life if she hadn't been in it....wondering if I can get her on the podcast I'm working on :)