Over the last few years, the indie dyeing community has been growing and it makes me so happy to see, both as a yarn dyer and as a knitter. Running my own yarn studio has been such a rewarding experience for me.

Indie dyed yarn is a pleasure to work with. Wondering what really makes it special? Here are some of my favourite things:

Artistry! Each dyer has their own unique way of working with colour, from the way they gather inspiration and dream up their new colourways to the techniques that they use to dye each skein. If you give a group of dyers the same three colours of dye, each will come back with completely different–and stunning–finished skeins of yarn.

Since indie dyers aren’t producing huge batches, each lot is done by hand so the result is unique skeins of yarn and slight variation between batches.

Unlike commercially dyed yarn, which usually achieves consistency through a dying process that includes tumbling the yarn in a drum full of dye, indie dyers use a variety of kettle dyeing and hand-painting methods to create a beautiful array of results. This can include playful or delicate speckles and pops, stripes or surprising sections of colour, and one of the most magical things about indie dyeing: semi-solid colours. Semi-solids embrace slight inconsistencies in dye pick-up, which creates incredible depth and interest thanks to small variations in how light or dark the colour is throughout the dyed yarn.

If you’re looking for a unique or one-of-a-kind colourway, checking out indie dyers is the way to go!

Another advantage is the quality of yarn and materials used to produce each skein. Lots of thought and care goes into the sourcing and selection of the materials each dyer uses, based on what they want to produce and the values they want to emphasize. Looking for locally sourced wool? Ethical production? Natural dyes? There’s definitely a dyer out there producing the type of yarn you’re looking for!

Finally, you’re supporting a handmade business! Just like me, many indie dyers work out of home studios, creating their beautiful yarns either solo or with a small team. A lot of work goes into creating each skein of yarn that you order from our shops or squish while you’re at your local yarn store. A careful eye for detail and a lot of love goes into every single batch of yarn.

What do you love about buying and using indie dyed yarn?