About

Hello! I’m Brooke from The Painted Tiger.

My business sort of evolved….my name came in 2002. I was planning to E-bay some items as a side business while I was a SAHM to our little daughter. I wanted ‘The Picket Fence’ as a handle (to sound nice and eclectic) but it wasn’t available. A few morphs later, I threw in tiger to honor our cat that had just walked by. Ta da! In 2003, I found a knitting machine at a garage sale and started making custom striped scarves….well, at least I had the tiger part!

In 2004, a new community choir started, and I soon found myself in charge of wardrobe. We wanted scarves and ties that looked a bit like the rolling water of the nearby Mississippi, and I couldn’t find any that were satisfactory. In my searching, I learned about dyeing, and ended up dyeing the ties and scarves myself. Also in my research, I discovered there was a market for hand dyed yarn. Hey…Painted Tiger!!

So in 2004, I started what is now my business: hand dyed yarn and fiber.  I am best known for my rainbow colorways, gradients, and self striping sock yarn, but I make a great variety of variegated and semi-solid colors also. As much as possible, I source my yarn and fiber from the USA. I also run a Yarn/Fiber of the Month Club that is thriving and a lot of fun.

Personally, I no longer fit any acronyms…. I’m a full time mom of two great kids, act as their home school teacher, plus am head dyer, photographer, accountant, and shipping fulfillment department for the business. I love to spin and weave, still make things on my knitting machine (wool socks are the best!), and am often exploring something new in the fiber arts. It is never boring at our house!

Thanks for learning a little bit about me, and I hope you’ll stop by the shop!

-Brooke
Fine Hand Dyed Yarn and Fiber
http://ThePaintedTiger.com