ABOUT ME

Hello friends! My name's Mary but most people call me MRO or Dr. MRO. I'm a literary historian who specializes in the Middle Ages. It just so happens that I really love crocheting and knitting too, and I decided to marry two of my passions -- crafting and medieval studies! My journey into indie yarn dyeing started after being overwhelmed by academic life compounded by regular stresses and our world falling apart. I've pivoted out of academia because the stresses were taking their toll on my body and brain. 

My crocheting and knitting journey began as a way to take my mind off of life's pressures. As a kid I liked doing things like needle work and painting but resources weren't always available in my neighborhood to take up things like crocheting and knitting. So, I came to fiber arts a little later than some, but got hooked (pun intended) immediately. The feel of soft yarn in my hands, and being able to create things for others has been therapeutic.

 

For me, I try an take the words of author and activist Audre Lorde seriously when she reminds us that "selfcare is an act of political warfare." We really do need to take care of ourselves if we want to be productive and give of ourselves to others. We can't run on steam for long. Fiber arts (and other types of art) are weapons to take our time back. 

So, I've become an indie yarn dyer and started a little initiative where we carve time and restore ourselves by being creative. Engaging in fiber arts is an invaluable way to look after yourself (even your mental health), and recharge. It's time to just work with your hands, to feel free and create beauty in an often dark and busy world. 

As a woman of color (born on settler land in Canada, my roots are from the Afro/Indo Caribbean diasporas), I've always been intrigued by hidden figures in the period I research. There is so much in history we miss, particularly in the beauty and richness found in the figures and art of the past. Some of the colorways of these figures inspired me to start this journey dyeing yarn based on these beautiful figures who are often overlooked or forgotten in manuscripts and medieval art. This is my way of honoring them and sharing what I know with the wider world. 

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Take care of yourselves and I hope some of my skeins inspire you.

If you are interested in a specific colorway, let me know, I love experimenting!

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With appreciation,

MRO