Check Out Sarah Wharton’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Wharton.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up in Arizona, it never occurred to me that I lived in a fiber desert…

In 2017, I was working a corporate job, which entailed a lot of travel. Soon, my time in airports and hotels was filled with knitting! As I got deeper and deeper into the craft, my desire for new colors and fibers surpassed what I could find locally. Inspired by my surroundings and looking for a bit of a challenge, I decided to embark on my own fiber journey!

We believe strongly in the slow fashion movement, and providing the highest quality yarns to support your hand-made wardrobe. Offering a variety of bases, ranging from everyday sock yarns to exclusive luxury bases, it is truly a pleasure to be a part of the garments that we know you will love for years to come!

Our flagship line, Less Traveled Yarn has really enabled our small family business (myself and my husband Matt) to take the “Road Less Traveled!” Because of your continued encouragement and support, we are lucky enough to get to do what we love every day, together!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a new company is never easy.

We have experienced all of the traditional challenges of growing and promoting a new brand as well as some not-so-traditional challenges like COVID and supply chain issues.

2020 was a challenging year and we struggled to keep the yarn on the shelves, as there was a global yarn shortage, but we got creative and found new ways to grow our business by developing custom bases (specific to Traveling Yarn) as well as creating a book of knitting and crochet patterns that feature our yarn, called Handmade: Slow Fashion inspired by Arizona’s 5 Cs.

Through each of these challenges, we have found creative solutions that made us stronger.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My professional background is very different from what I do now. I worked in government and politics for about a decade before I started my own business, and Traveling Yarn has been a great creative outlet for me. I also really enjoy running a business.

My yarn dyeing style is geared towards wearability. While we have some outstanding variegated and wildly colorful yarns, our sweet spot is in dyeing colorways that are classically wearable and will knit or crochet beautifully into garments and accessories that you will enjoy wearing and incorporating into your wardrobe. We have 4 different collections which are categorized based on personal style, so we have something for everyone.

We focus a lot on promoting and supporting the slow fashion movement and designers within this space. We encourage makers to dive deeply into the craft and build their skills to a level that makes them feel comfortable wearing the items they create. It’s incredibly rewarding to see our customers finish objects using our yarns!

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I still can’t believe this one… I had never really used hand-dyed yarn before I started this business. I just woke up one day and decided that this is what I wanted to do and I have never looked back!

Contact Info:

• Email: Sarah@travelingyarn.com
• Website: Travelingyarn.com
• Instagram: @travelingyarn
• Facebook: Traveling Yarn

Image Credits
Matt Wharton