an ecological point of view, and also
because I simply don’t like knitting with
or wearing them. The only synthetic I
allow in my stock is the small amount of
silver Stellina thread which you’ll find in
our two Sparkle Lace yarns. I don’t use
superwash wool either, as I don’t like the
processes used to produce it, or the way
it reacts with the dye.
“Wool is my favourite fibre to dye and
knit with, along with alpaca, and we also
stock camelhair, cashmere, mohair, silks
and yak, plus lots of blends. Our niche is
the luxury end of the market, but because
many of our designs can be made with
just 100g of yarn, you can have a luxury
garment or accessory that doesn’t cost a
fortune. We stock yarns from 4ply down to
1ply cobweb weights, and have more than
50 yarn types and weights.
“British wools are always preferable -
we do sell a large amount of merino, but
most of it comes from the Falklands, so it is
classed as British although it does of course
have a long way to travel. Personally, I
prefer Bluefaced Leicester or Wensleydale,
and we also stock some Corriedale and
Masham, along with Shetland 4ply and 1ply
which comes direct from the Shetland Isles.
“One of the things I’m probably known
for is dyeing on non-white bases, such as
the camelhair and some of the alpaca and
yak, but also some coloured wools,
including our Shetland Cobweb. These
bases can give some truly stunning colours
once dyed, which you can’t easily get from
a paler yarn.
“Quite often I’ll obtain a few kilos of a
yarn that’s not generally available and
which isn’t repeatable, such as our
Lambswool Silk Tweed and Merino Mohair
Cobweb. A couple of times this has been
something that has been spun specifically
for me. These become my limited editions
and have proved very popular, particularly
with weavers and other fibre artists who
don’t worry about not being able to get
more of the same yarn for a project.”What dyeing processes do you use?
“I use professional acid dyes for the
majority of my colourways. I do
occasionally use natural botanical dyes,
but find that most people are drawn more
to the brighter, stronger colours you get
from acid dyes. Also, as I work from my
utility room at home, I won’t use metals
like iron or copper which you really need
to give a wider range of colours with
botanical dyes. If I can’t tip my waste water
down the drain or pour it on the garden,
I won’t use it. I always ensure the dye is
exhausted when the yarn is steamed,
so what is thrown away is non-toxic.
“My technique owes much to my
watercolour painting background. In the
same way that an artist mixes some colours
on the palette, and then allows other
colours to merge wet-into-wet on the
paper, I do the same when I hand-paint
yarn. It does mean I can only produce one
or two skeins in each batch, and it is very
time-consuming, but it results in every
skein being slightly different, and
customers really seem to enjoy creating a
project that will be totally unique to them.”What’s your favourite colourway from
your current range?
“I love blue, purple and magenta, as anyone
seeing our exhibition stand will quickly
see! My current favourite is a fairly new
addition which was created for our
Mediterranean Flowers Yarn Club, called
Beautiful Bougainvillea. I’ve just tried it
on a new Wensleydale wool 4ply base
which we’ve recently added to the range,
and it’s really stunning.
“I don’t tend to have specific colourways
for each yarn base, but mix and match
across the range, and colours are never
‘retired’ at the end of the season. If it sells
well, I’ll keep dyeing that colourway,
especially when I get a new yarn base to
try. Our two most popular colourways of
all time are Summer Garden and Bitter
Chocolate Truffle - and they’ve both been
customer favourites for several years.
“One thing I love about the dyeing
process is how different the results from
a single recipe can be when it’s applied
to different fibre bases, or even different
weights. A laceweight can look quitedifferent from a 4ply in the same fibre or
blend, even when the recipe is the same.
Alpaca in particular can give completely
different colours to wool - but it’s all part
of the fun of dyeing.
“We did a check late last year and found
we had 638 different colours in stock! We
usually travel to yarn shows with 700-800
skeins, and the most common ‘complaint’
I get is that there is too much choice!”What would you say are the particular
highlights and challenges involved in
running an indie dyeing business?
“The main highlight is undoubtedly the
lovely people we meet, both at yarn shows
and through our online business. Alan and
I both enjoy chatting to people at events,
giving advice and helping them choose the
right yarn and pattern for their project.
Some of our customers have become really
good friends - a couple of them even invite
us to stay with them when we’re doing
yarn shows in their area!
“We have a particular geographical
challenge because of where we live, in a
tiny village in a very rural part of South
Norfolk. We have very little mobile phone
coverage, and the nearest shop and post
office is five miles away. There are five
roads into the village, all of which are only
one vehicle wide, and we’re five miles from
the nearest ‘A’ road, so travelling for shows
can be a little challenging! During the bad
winter two years ago, we couldn’t get out
of the village for a week.
“One thing I find challenging is
persuading people to try wool yarns.
So many people believe wool is too itchy,
or if they do use wool it can only be merino.
Wool yarns are generally cheaper than the
more luxurious fibres we dye, so price isn’t
the issue. It’s sad when we have so many
wonderful sheep breeds in the UK, yet few
people will even consider using the yarn.
I love to support British sheep farmers and
buy direct when I can, and will keep on
plugging away about wool. I’m aiming to
design more garments using wool in the
future, in the hope of getting more people
on board.”Do you have a favourite artist or writer
who inspires you? Or are there particular
landscapes that inspire your work?
“Monet and Turner are my favourite master
artists for their use of colour. I also adore
the work of the Welsh artist David Bellamy,
who is known for his love of painting in
the wilderness. I went on several painting
holidays with David in Wales and the Lake
District when I was more interested in
landscapes, and love his use of colour and
atmosphere in watercolour. He inspired me
to create my Mountains and Moorlands
Yarn Club a few years ago.MY TECHNIQUE
OWES MUCH TO
MY BACKGROUND
IN WATERCOLOUR
PA I N T I NG
Sparkle Lace blends
alpaca, cashmere
and silk with StellinaArtisan dyers
The Knitter 42 Issue 150 Subscribe now at http://www.gathered.how/theknitter