Conversations with Ali Osterholz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Osterholz.

Hi Ali, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Explorer Knits + Fibers was initially started for fun as a stress relief while I was studying ecology, evolution, and conservation biology during graduate school. Then, when my now-husband gave me bare wool, a few jars of dye, and a single pot for Christmas one year, I was totally hooked. I fell in love with the process of dyeing yarn, and it became the perfect creative outlet for me while I was writing my thesis. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my life as a scientist, but bringing colorways inspired by National Parks to life in yarn brought me a joy that life as an academic never did. As I was finishing graduate school and getting ready to move to the mountains from the Midwest, I realized there would be no better time than that moment to try to take the business full-time. I had always run EKF part-time and knew I would never forgive myself if I didn’t attempt to see it’s full potential. Fast forward two years, and Explorer Knits + Fibers is a hand-dyed yarn company inspired by nature and our National Parks, supporting myself and three other amazing women on my team!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As any small business owner would say, the road to success can be a bumpy one in our world. However, I will say that I feel extremely lucky and privileged to have had a lot of success since summer 2019, when I took the business full-time. While I fully recognize this isn’t always it for a lot of small business owners, especially during a pandemic, the hardest part for me has been creating a balance between my work and how I spend my personal time (which is often very limited these days). Learning that running a small business is not a race but a journey has been imperative to my success. The first year I started, I pushed myself so hard to do more, sell more. But, as many would predict, burnout was right around the corner. Figuring out that pacing myself is the only way I’ll continue to enjoy and love the work I do for EKF has been my most valuable lesson.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In short, I sell hand-dyed yarn for a living. Niche, right? But surprisingly, there is an entire community of knitter, crocheters, weavers, etc., all over the world that support myself and hundreds of other indie yarn dyers. My studio (aka unfinished basement) is full of bare, undyed wool that I dye in pots or trays and turn into variegated or solid skeins of yarn ready to be knit with. The absolute greatest part of my job is sending my art out into the world and seeing crafters turn it into something even more beautiful. I truly feel lucky that they would choose to use my yarn for their projects!

If I had to say, most people would associate my brand with National Parks. EKF really blew up when I started to create colorways inspired by something I am so passionate about: our National Parks. Since January 2019, I’ve been releasing colorways inspired by National Parks here in the U.S. and abroad and donate 5% of all of our sales to the National Park Foundation. To me, I never see the sales numbers; I just see the number that we will be able to donate to our parks to help keep them going, and I will always be proud of that. Being able to support three women on my team, donate to our parks, and to causes that need our attention and help, especially racial and LGBTQ+ justice, will always be my “why” and what I am most proud of. Without something to care about and fight for, EKF wouldn’t exist.

Can you talk about how you think about risk?
As a professional worrier, taking any risk was very difficult for me in the beginning, especially when I took the business full-time. Without the support of my husband, family, and friends, I would never have done it because I possess a very real fear of failure, as I’m sure many others do. However, as I started to see more success with EKF, I started to take more risks in my own time. Hiring employees in June of last year – during a pandemic no less – was likely the biggest risk I have ever had to take. Failing on my own felt nowhere near as scary as failing when you have a team of employees to support. However, once I took the leap and put a team together, they gave me the confidence I needed to keep taking risks, little by little, to see where we could take Explorer Knits + Fibers. Many entrepreneurs get bored easily, which is why many of us dabble in many different ventures before settling on something we love. That’s how I feel about EKF; I have to keep moving forward and having fun a little bit of risk while I can and also feel comfortable doing so. What’s life without a little bit of adventure, anyway?

Contact Info:

• Email: explorerknits@gmail.com
• Website: www.explorerknitsandfibers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explorerknits/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorerKnits

Image Credits
Ali Osterholz