Hand Dyed Yarn – Care & Information
On this page you will find useful information on how to use your hand dyed yarn, suggestions of what to make with it and how to wash and care for your finished projects.
How to use your skein of yarn
- Carefully snip and remove the strands that hold the hank and ends of yarn together.
- Then carefully place the loosened hank on to a Swift or umbrella winder. The yarn can be wound into a ball by hand or use a ball winder to turn it into a cake.
- If you don’t have an umbrella winder, you can loop the hank around the back of a chair, or asking a friend to hold it for you.
- Please do not use your hand dyed yarn straight from the skein.
- If it is not balled or caked up first, you run the risk of it becoming tangled, knotted and unusable.
- Please be aware I do not offer refunds for skeins that have become tangled or knotted due to improper use.
Things to make with your yarn
Socks: 4 ply superwash yarn is perfect for making socks from simple to more complex designs. They look stunning using single colours or you could try mixing different shades to create some fun stripes or textures.
Scarves & Shawls: Show off the beauty of your hand dyed yarns by creating beautiful scarves, cowls & wraps. They can be knitted using single colours or why not try a fade or multiple colours together?
Yarns with added silk such as my 50/50 silk/merino base create lovely sheen and drape, perfect for shawls or scarves.
Yarns with cashmere or a high merino content such as my MCN or 85/15 merino/nylon base make soft luxurious fabrics that feel great next to your skin. Perfect for a special garment.
Hats and Mitts: Make beautiful hats and knits with 4 Ply, perfect for keeping you warm and snug in winter. Also great for gifting to family or friends. The yarn can be knit up using single strands or held double for a more DK/ worsted weight project.
Jumpers, Sweaters & Cardigans: Why not treat yourself to a lovely hand dyed garment? Solid, or semi solid colours look great knitted as cables, lace patterns or any intricate design.
Blankets and Throws: Snuggle up under a big cosy blanket or make a smaller one for a special baby or child. They look amazing draped over your favourite armchair or bed.
Variegated or speckled colourways look great knitted in stockinette or other simple stitches to showcase the beauty of hand dyed yarn.
Here I held two strands of 4ply yarn together to knit a simple but colourful brioche blanket.
Techniques to try
Alternate skeins- If you are using more than one skein of yarn, I recommend working a round from each ball. The yarn is carried up inside of the work as you knit. You are essentially striping with the two skeins to blend them together and avoid colour pooling.
Helical Knitting-For working in the round, this technique creates smooth, gradual colour shifts without a visible seam or jog.
Embrace Pooling- If you like large spots of colour try variegated multi colour skeins and let the yarn create the magic of unique pools of colour.
Before you start your project
- Check you have enough yarn. There is nothing more frustrating than running out of yarn near the end of your project. Playing ‘yarn chicken’ can be stressful and is not recommend.
- Please buy sufficient quantities of yarn for the whole of your project before you start knitting.
- If you can’t see the skeins you are looking for in our shop, or if you need more than is in stock, please message me and I will do my best to help you get the yarns you need.
- Please wind your skeins into balls or cakes before starting your project.
- Swatch & Wash-Please knit a swatch to see how colours behave ( pooling and striping) and to test for any dye bleeding. Please wash separately.
- Although I use tried and tested techniques to ensure the quality and fastness of the dye in our skeins, hand dyed yarns are delicate and there may be some residual dye bleeding.
- Please rinse your yarn until the water runs clear. Wash separately.
Care of Your Yarn
I recommend hand washing your yarns using a mild gentle detergent such as Woolite, Eucalan or other suitable wool wash product.
Superwash yarns can be washed using a low temperature wool wash programme in your washing machine, but please be aware, even on a gentle cycle, this processing can damage the wool fibres and cause dye bleeding.
How to hand wash your yarn
- Use only cool to warm water. Do not use hot water. Submerge your yarn and let it soak for no longer than 30 minutes.
- Use gentle, minimal agitation to prevent colour bleeding and felting. There may be some colour bleeding for the first wash. This is normal. Please wash each item separately.
- Rinse thoroughly in cool clean water. If there is dye bleeding, drain and refill with water. Repeat until water runs clear.
- Carefully squeeze out the excess water but don’t wring or twist the yarn or it could felt. Rolling your garment in a towel helps to absorb excess moisture.
- Dry flat by laying the piece on a clean dry towel or mat. Block by shaping or pinning into shape. Air dry away from direct heat or sunlight.