We had the good fortune of connecting with Annie Cadden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Nature has always inspired me. It is at the core of my business. As a natural dyer, my focus is on regional plants, mushrooms, and lichen that provide pigments to dye with. When working with a customer, I encourage them to focus on a color palette sourced from flowers and plants that grow in their yard, local fields and roadsides, always harvesting sustainably. Taking a daily walk outside can be all the inspiration I need. One doesn’t have to travel far to benefit from the gifts of nature.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Fisher Cat Fiber Co is a combination of a desire to create and to be resourceful at the same time. We use salvaged and natural materials to create unique functional items. Starting as more of an adventure than a business, my initial goal was to no longer purchase commercial yarns and fabrics and to source from local or discarded pieces. It’s been over 15 years and I have remained true to that aspiration. Our yarns are sourced from two local farms, which are naturally dyed and incorporated into weavings. Weaving is one of the best resources for up-cycling. I have woven plastic bags, discarded clothing, designer’s selvedge, along with scraps from my own projects into rugs, bags or other functional pieces. Each product has its own story.

When using materials for dyeing, local flowers and plants, seasonal mushrooms and wind-blown lichens are added to our dye pots. Each result is unique depending on the time of year materials are collected. Everything is created in small batches. In addition to our line of naturally dyed yarns and up-cycled pieces, this summer we will be adding a line of rust-dyed tops to our product line.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When friends visit, we always take them for a drive along Route 97, especially along the Hawk’s Nest. We spend our days hiking local trails, swimming, or kayaking the Upper Delaware River. A favorite hiking area is Ten Mile River. We also enjoy spending time in Narrowsburg or Callicoon, both river towns have great restaurants as well as unique boutique and vintage shops. We would end our day by listening to live music at the Cochecton Pump House. There’s not a bad spot to visit in the Western Catskills.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Local guild, the Woodlawn Weaving & Spinning Guild, which meets in Damascus, Pennsylvania, has been a steady source of education and inspiration. Especially Nellie Burnham, one of the founding members, Nellie introduced me to natural dyeing over twenty years ago. I was hooked from our first workshop together.

Website: https://www.fishercatfiberco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishercatfiberco

Image Credits
All images by: Steven Randazzo and Bette Blau of Randazzo Blau Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.