It has been 10 years since I started working in this industry. To be exact, it has been 12 years since the first issue of amirisu magazine. However, the first two years were while I was working as an employee of another company, so I don't think I could say that I was in the industry at that time.
Over the past 10 years, I have met many people with extensive experience in the knitting industry and learned a lot from them. These include owners of famous yarn stores overseas, famous designers, and other publishers abroad. I feel that we saw their work in different fields and incorporated it into our own work.
One person who has been a huge influence on us is without a doubt Susan, the owner of Loop London. She was the first person to contact us when we decided to publish a print version of amirisu, and, to our surprise, she contacted us immediately. She has supported amirisu over the years by purchasing our books and placing advertisements in them. The most important thing I learned from her was to “move fast” and “don't imitate others.” When amirisu was still in its infancy, she contacted us based on her own sense, not because other stores were selling it. I truly respect her.
Following Susan's example, I contacted two dyers, Viola and La Bien Aimée, who were not so well-known and were not yet wholesaling to anyone. Both replied saying that they didn’t do wholesale yet, but that they would contact us if they decide to start. About a year later, Emily from Viola contacted me and said that they had decided to do wholesale, but only for a few stores. I agreed that she couldn't dye a lot since she dyes all the yarn herself, and that I would leave the colors up to her. I bought her yarn over the next several years. Unfortunately, she decided to stop dyeing yarn made from animal fibers and closed her yarn business, bringing an end to our collaboration.
I was very much fascinated by the delicate world of colors she created, and her work influenced me tremendously. The yarn I now have from her will forever be my treasures. I would like to knit something with the yarn and wear it, instead of keeping them as yarn.