INDIANAPOLIS — Each Saturday morning on Daybreak, we highlight a local company with our partner, Indiana Grown.
This week, Cat and Rabbit Fiber owner Levi Nopen joined us to talk about their business, locally sourced wool and beginner-friendly fiber arts classes.
Nopen says their business name reflects their individual interests. Cat does much of the needle felting, while Rabbit spins yarn on a single-treadle wheel. Rabbit said the wheel’s motion brings to mind Thumper from “Bambi,” with one foot constantly moving.
The business offers several types of yarn and fiber arts kits. The owners said most of their yarn is Jacob wool, a breed listed on the Livestock Conservancy’s “Shave ’Em to Save ’Em” list. Because the breed is still establishing itself in the United States, they source that yarn through the United Kingdom. They offer it in DK and fingering weights, along with Corriedale wool. Some kits use Shetland and Jacob-cross wool from a farm in Zionsville.
Cat and Rabbit Fiber also offers classes for beginners. The owners said upcoming classes are scheduled for the 28th and 30th. The transcript describes the first class as “painting,” which the speaker compared with flat felting, and the second as a class for making dryer balls or ornaments.
The fiber arts have helped them build community and meet people. Rabbit said taking part in fiber arts helped them feel comfortable after moving to the state, and that the business enjoys seeing what people make in its classes.
Cat and Rabbit Fiber products are available through the business’s website and at local yarn shops. Information about classes and trunk shows is available on social media, and they will be at Knitting Otter in Franklin next week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find more information at /https://catandrabbitfiberarts.com/.
