August marks 10 months of Stitch Station, and also 10 months of stocking hand-dyed, Yarn Unique yarns upstairs in our yarn shop. So we thought it would be a great time to introduce you properly to Caroline from Yarn Unique.
Hi, I’m Caroline, the lead dyer (and mess maker) of Yarn Unique and I love nothing better than an afternoon in my studio playing with colour and dyeing up new skeins of luxury yarns! With it being 10 months of supplying Stitch Station I thought I’d share 10 facts about yarn dyeing and Yarn Unique.
- I discovered the joy of hand dyed yarns on a fateful trip to Yarndale (A yarn festival in Skipton), where I saw that simply loving yarn and beautiful colours was a real thing and that, despite not being the fastest or most accomplished knitter/crocheter, curating a wonderful collection of yarns were absolutely my thing!
- I began small, dyeing as a hobby in my kitchen. A few skeins here and there turned into a few kilograms here and there and soon Yarn Unique was born! Today I have a purpose built studio in my garden, in Penketh just a stone’s throw from Stitch Station, where I continue to create small-batch colourways and dye to my heart’s content.
- The yarn bases I dye primarily come from a local supplier who works with suppliers in Peru to source wonderful fibres ethically and responsibly. These are spun into a variety of yarn bases which are all deliciously soft.
- My favourite fibre is Yak, and I have selected three beautiful Yak bases to feature in the Yarn Unique shop; Silky Yak has silk and Yak blended into a merino base; Yak Sock is a soft sock yarn with 10% nylon blended in for hard wearing strength; Luxe Yak is a beautiful and luxurious yarn with 50% silk and 50% yak!
- Hand dyed yarn offers some wonderful colour options, from richly blended jewelled rainbow tones to striking striping patterns, and Yarn Unique specialises in saturated colours which create lovely unique fabrics when knit, crocheted or woven.
- One range of colourways which are especially popular are the neon shades. These are bright colours which just happen to also fluoresce under U.V. lights – They are really fun to work with and remain a favourite to dye up on cloudy days in the garden studio!
- Whilst I am a self-confessed boring dresser (often seen in black or grey) I live by the saying that life is too short for boring socks – which is why you’ll see many vivid colours in the sock yarn range!
- Special collections are frequently created, inspired by a wide range of things! This month in Stitch Station you can find the ‘Blossoms’ collection and the official ‘Platinum Jubilee’ collection. Both collections offer a fade set in three distinct colours and are perfect to use on their own or together to create a larger fade project such as Stephen Wests ‘Garter Abyss’ shawl!
- Another new base you’ll find in Stitch Station this month is the Starry Sock base – this is a silky soft sock base (4Ply) which has a ply of lurex running through it which gives a great sparkle without adding any of the scratchiness you can find with other sparkle yarns.
- Custom orders are welcome! Speak to Stitch Station directly with your ideas and I’m certain we can create, together, the perfect yarn for your special project!
I hope that gives a little insight into Yarn Unique, and some of the things which inspire the yarns you see at Stitch Station! I’m regularly popping in and out to refresh some of the colourways on offer so keep checking back to see what’s new!
Caroline – Yarn Unique
Some vivid colours in the photos, i like the 3 skene fade idea.
Great way to introduce and tell us about Yarn Unique.