We sat down with alpaca farmer and fiber artist Denise Yost to learn more about her colorful fashion she creates.
Tell us your “artist’s story.” How did you come to make art and what does your process look like?
I became an alpaca farmer seven years ago. As an alpaca farmer, I spend an entire year ensuring herd health, perfecting nutritional programs and breeding for excellent genetics before I’m able to reap the rewards for my efforts. It is usually during shearing day as I watch this amazing fiber roll off that I am inspired and decide how it will be used. Once skirted, tumbled, picked and washed, the fiber is carded and sometimes dyed. Fibers are then matched to silks, vintage lace, and a multitude of other fibers and embellishments. Once laid out, the first process is always wet felting. Sometimes, the process continues on to include needle felting through our fiber loom.
What is your favorite part of Whimsical Women?
My favorite part of the Whimsical Women Art Festival is having the opportunity to find that special person who wants that special piece of wearable art and loves it as much as I do.
Where can folks find your amazing alpaca fashion?
My pieces are often available at our farm store, at Design Archives Emporium in downtown Winston-Salem or by watching the calendar on our website for other shows we plan to attend. You can also watch what’s cooking in the fiber studio by following us on FaceBook at Rita Dee Farms or on Instagram.
Denise is just one of of many amazing women that make up the Whimsical Women family.