Yarn with Attitude: How FinchMod Blends Bold Color and Community

Jamie Lane, known online as “scout,” is the creative force behind FinchMod, a hand-dyed yarn brand with a rebellious streak. With roots in Vermont’s crafting scene and a spirit shaped by resilience, Jamie infuses every skein with personality, purpose and a touch of punk. From bold colorways to curated project bags, FinchMod is about building connections, giving back and finding joy in the unexpected.

Discover more about Jamie’s work in this interview with Artisan Joy.

How did you get started creating?

I grew up knitting in Vermont in the 70s, so I’ve always been a crafter. In 2005, I decided to give dyeing a try, and scout’s swag was born. I ran an online shop selling my hand-dyed yarn, project bags, and notions until 2011. It was very successful, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to close my shop. After two major organ transplants in 2023 and 2024, I realized I missed doing this so much that I opened up FinchMod (Finch Modern Craft Collective). Now I’m back to doing what I love as a side hustle, building back up my craft community.

At what point did you realize that you could turn your creativity into a business?

As a professional photographer and super involved in Flickr back in 2006, I had people immediately wanting my yarn. So I opened up a shop and the rest was history. I landed a book deal and was even on an episode of Knitty Gritty with Vickie Howell, showing how to dye yarn!

How do you define success for your creative business?

To be honest? Nothing makes me happier than to see people receive their swag from FinchMod and post about it. Then seeing what they make with my yarn is the best. I love social media for that purpose alone. I also just like to engage with my community. I am not just out here posting about what I am doing and not interested in the people that follow me. I like genuine connections with other crafters!

Where do you find inspiration?

Having the photography eye has me see things differently than a lot of people. I just "see" colors. I was known back in the OG days for doing lots of custom orders. People would send me pictures of places, their animals, etc., and I would dye yarn to match it. My first new line last year was totally inspired by the Texas wildflowers I see on my walks. I dyed a whole collection of them! I can’t wait to share them again this year!

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you first started your business?

Start small with what you buy. Things change, and it takes a while to see what people are wanting to buy. Do your work and REALLY find out what people will spend their money on, and figure out why they would buy it from you and not a big box store.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start selling their art or creative product?

Do your research and really know what makes you different. The market is so saturated with small businesses-you need to know what would make someone buy from you. Everyone needs to figure out their niche and what they will be known for.

What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

There are some colors I absolutely hate. Hahaa! I have to force myself to dye them and buy products in those colors because I would never do it for myself. Most of my people know I like BLACK and pinks and purples. That’s what I make for myself.

How do you handle perfectionism?

Oh, I am absolutely a perfectionist. But what has been fun for me is learning some new dye techniques that streamline my work, and they are LESS perfect in terms of color placement, which I would not have been able to handle before. I used to literally hand-dye every skein of yarn, placing the dye exactly where I wanted it to go. Now I like the chaos of the colors mixing and moving and landing where they so choose. I needed to find ways to make the process faster. I think it’s an age thing. You can learn to be less controlling. Maybe? lol

What’s something that surprised you about running a creative business?

You can really think you know what your customers like and be TOTALLY off. I have come up with a few ideas and am shocked that they aren’t received as well as I thought. When I was one of the few with a shop like mine before Amazon was a thing, it was a lot easier. Now you have to really work hard to find your niche and what cool new things are out there that people don’t know about.

What advice would you give to someone about handling the highs and lows of running a business?

Don’t quit your day job!! Like seriously. It sounds a little negative, but I am grateful I have my full-time job right now because my little shop would not support me. I think in these uncertain times, it’s hard to live off of a business like this. I would recommend starting small and see how it goes. Unless you can really find something that no one else does out there? It may just need to be your side job. Sorry! I am nothing but honest.

Has someone ever criticized your work? How did you handle it?

Oh, I am sure there are many people out there who have. Recently, I had someone criticize a product of mine (a wholesale product) and wrote an honest review about it. And to be fair, she was right! I don’t like the product as much as another one I have, so I wrote her an email and sent her the other product. I want my customers to always be happy.

What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?

My daughter saved my life in 2023 by donating her liver to me (it regenerates), and she ran the Boston Marathon for the American Liver Foundation.

Can you share the name of a supplier or vendor that you use for your business that makes running your business a bit easier?

I would say Klaviyo and Xero run my business! Klaviyo for my newsletters and Xero for my accounting. I also run my shop on the Shopify platform and love it.

What brings you joy?

Nothing makes me happier than when one of my customers does an unboxing of their FinchMod purchase and squeals with delight over the goodies and the extra swag I like to send.

Thanks, Jamie! You can learn more about her work at finchmod.com.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.