The Woman Who Dyed Her Own Path
Share
Some people stumble into their purpose. Others carve their own path when the world refuses to make space for them. Adella Colvin—founder of LolaBean Yarn Co.—is one of those people. She didn’t wait for permission to exist in an industry that wasn’t built for her. She built her own lane.
I’ve had the privilege of watching this woman turn obstacles into stepping stones, dismiss doubt like background noise, and create something extraordinary from what started as just a way to pass time. But if you know Adella, you know that nothing she does is “just a way to pass time”—she pours herself into everything she does, and it shows.
From the Bronx to the Dye Pots
Adella was born in Florida, spent part of her childhood in Oklahoma, and later moved to the Bronx—a journey that shaped her resilience, adaptability, and fire. At the end of 2010, we got engaged, and in 2011, she relocated to Georgia to be with me while I was working as a defense contractor.
Moving from the energy of New York to the relative quiet of Georgia wasn’t easy. But Adella isn’t the type to let discomfort keep her still. She found ways to adapt, to settle in, and in 2012, while I was deployed to Afghanistan, she met Ms. Bonnie, our next-door neighbor.
Ms. Bonnie was the one who introduced her to knitting—something Adella took up to pass the time. A simple gesture. A moment of kindness. And yet, it became the spark that would change everything.
The Moment That Changed Everything
One day, Ms. Bonnie and Adella took a road trip to Michigan. Among the various things they experienced on their adventure, Adella visited her first "local yarn shop". For the first time, Adella saw hand-dyed yarn, different from the acrylic skeins she had been used to seeing in big box stores. It was a whole new world of fiber artistry, one that immediately grabbed her interest.
Excited, she decided to visit one of our local yarn shops when she got back home. But as soon as she walked in, she could feel it.
The coldness. The assumption that she didn’t belong.
Whoever was working that day—possibly the owner—didn’t greet her warmly. Didn’t ask if she needed help. Didn’t acknowledge her as a potential customer. Instead, the first thing out of their mouth was a warning: “The bathroom is for paying customers only.”
No welcome. No offer of assistance. Just an immediate dismissal.
That lit a fire.
That moment—the instant she was made to feel like she didn’t belong—set her on a course that would redefine her life.
From Adella’s Crochet Cottage to LolaBean Yarn Co.
Before she ever started LolaBean Yarn Co., Adella had been running a small business called Adella’s Crochet Cottage, selling handmade crocheted and knitted items. But when our daughter, Lola, was born in 2016, Adella knew it was time for a change—a move that would reflect her growing vision. She wanted to build a legacy that Lola could be proud of and ensure that Black faces had representation across the board in the fiber arts community.
That’s when LolaBean Yarn Co. was born.
The name was inspired by Lola—her daughter, her legacy. The rebrand was a declaration: this would be a brand that didn’t just sell yarn; it would create a space for Black artisans, storytellers, and creators who had been left out for too long.
Beyond Business: Using Her Platform for Change
Adella’s impact goes far beyond dye pots and colorways. She has:
- Raised tens of thousands of dollars for causes others in the industry ignored.
- Amplified voices that weren’t being heard.
- Used her platform to educate, uplift, and challenge the status quo.
She didn’t just build a business. She built a community.
The Backlash: When Representation Comes With a Cost
When you take up space where people aren’t used to seeing you, they make sure you feel it.
As Adella’s success grew, so did the criticism. She wasn’t just a business owner anymore—she became a voice in the industry, speaking out against the double standards, gatekeeping, and exclusion that had long been ignored.
And for that, she was vilified.
A whole publication was created with content centered around critiquing her actions—actions that, at their core, were about calling out the very real disparities in the fiber arts space.
She’s been accused of being racist, divisive, and aggressive simply for pointing out inequities and demanding change.
A social media influencer played a significant role in a public controversy involving Adella. What started as an attempt to hold people accountable for their words and actions turned into a firestorm of misinformation, misrepresentation, and outright attacks.
And in 2023, a major event that LBYC sponsored turned into a nightmare. People assumed her relationship with the event organizers was deeper than it was, and she was dragged into a controversy she had no control over.
Her Resilience: Moving Forward Despite the Pain
In 2018, Adella and I prematurely lost our baby boy on St. Patrick’s Day. The devastation was immeasurable.
And just when we were trying to heal, her mother was diagnosed with cancer—the first of three separate battles she would fight over the years.
Despite everything—despite grief that would have broken most people—Adella kept pushing forward.
And then, in February 2024, her mother passed away.
Her mother was a woman of service, a woman who always put others before herself. Instead of letting grief consume her, Adella chose to honor her.
With the blessing from her Mom and support from the oncology team at the Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital and the Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation, Mission Blue Skies was created. It is a foundation dedicated to continuing her mother’s legacy of service, providing support and resources to those in need. What started as pain became a mission, a way to make sure her mother’s impact would never be forgotten.
Through unimaginable loss, through scrutiny, through the weight of carrying an entire business, a family, and a community on her shoulders—she didn’t crumble. She didn’t stop doing her thing.
She continued to push for inclusion. She continued to dye some of the most sought-after yarn in the industry. She continued to show up, speak out, and carve a path for those coming behind her.
Being Recognized
In spite of the backlash, noise, and grief, she didn’t stop.
And throughout it all, she has been recognized and featured in major publications, including:
She’s been a part of the broader conversation on diversity, equity, and representation in the fiber arts space—not because she set out to be a trailblazer, but because she refused to let barriers stop her. And as much as the world has taken notice, I see the everyday work, the late nights, the dedication, the love she puts into everything she does.
Adella is, without a doubt, the most determined, talented, and fiercely compassionate person I know. I am a better human being thanks to her.
She didn’t just change the game. She dyed it in every color she wanted—
And dared anyone to tell her she couldn’t.