one of the questions i asked myself as i started looking into this crazy adventure of making hand dyed yarns is, "why? why even hand dyed?" and the simple answer really was that it was a matter of having the one-of-a-kind nature of something someone created. i was a crocheter ahead of picking up any dye supplies, and the reality is that i wanted to buy up hand dyed yarns myself too. but wool was never friendly on my skin; neither on my hands as i worked it, nor on my body as i'd wear it. while i'm not allergic, i absolutely have an aversion to the way wool feels. so i went on a quest for other fibers. i learned that dyeing acrylic really isn't a thing (acrylic doesn't hold dye well, or predictably on the occasion i could get it to hold, as i learned through a trial and error process that cost me both time and money), so cotton was the way to go. and when i looked for hand dyed cotton to purchase, i learned it is not only more difficult to find, but it also seemed to be more expensive than hand dyed wool as well. most independent cotton dyers also charged extra to have the yarn caked as well. i discovered (again, through trial and error that cost both time and money) the reason for that likely has a lot to do with the additional time and effort required to dye cotton. everything just takes longer, and seems like it's more complicated (that being said, i've never actually dyed wool either, so this is just anecdotal from information i've gathered from folks who have hand dyed wool on a hobby level). also? finding a base in the worsted weight i prefer to work with that is actually soft enough that i'd want to work with it was... more complicated than i expected as well. when i found a worsted cotton base i loved, that i was able to work with affordably, i went to town dyeing all kinds of colorways. i shared them with some friends i made in a social media crochet group i'm in, and they only encouraged me further. they loved the color. they loved the base. it works up well. isn't super splitty. and after washing in the washing machine, because it's cotton that can be washed in the washing machine, the color remains as bold and bright as it was going in. and that was it for me. an easy care fiber i could dye in small batches in the colors i (and lots of other folks, too, i guess) loved. i've also had people tell me they love that i cake for free, but a lot of that is really because i feel like the yarn you buy should be ready to use when you get it. there's something to be said about the immediate gratification of putting hook (or needles) to yarn right out of the package.
if i'm honest, i've considered keeping almost every single batch i've made so far. because collecting yarn is a separate hobby to the one where you make stuff with the yarn you have. but i will say i'm happy to see it all go to the happy, loving homes it go to when it gets shipped off. there's nothing i don't love about doing this. i love the decision making, the dyeing, the washing... even the waiting for dry time. i love working the samples to see what exactly the colorway is going to look like when it's stitched up. and i love working the sample with a crochet hook; because that's something else i've rarely seen: a hand dyed sample done with a hook. since i don't knit, a knitting sample doesn't help me a ton, and i'm glad to provide the sample crocheted, so people like me can better judge what to expect from a colorway. my absolute favorite part though? twisting up the finished hanks for storage. because there is very little in life more beautiful than a gorgeous variegated colorway, twisted and rolled up. most of the yarn i've shipped has been caked ahead of shipping, and while everything i've shipped has been so, so pretty caked up, the twisted hanks bring me joy in ways i didn't expect.
to the people who have purchased yarns from me, i appreciate your support... but more than anything else, i appreciate your trust in my product, and in my vision. i'm so glad to be able to do this: to bring joy to people with the things i find my own joy in making. for those of you who haven't tried your first skein yet, i'd appreciate the opportunity to show you how soft, workable, and drapey worsted weight cotton can be, and how beautiful it can be made with a decent eye for color and a willingness to put in the work to make it affordably.
i appreciate each and every one of you. thank you for stopping through. take a gander at the available yarns before you take off today. i'd love to share the joy with you, too.
aileen.
