Process
How a batch of yarn is dyed
Six steps, one batch at a time, and never more than forty skeins in a single vat. The same batch can be dyed again with the same recipe, and the recipe is written on the label.
Choose the base
We buy undyed merino and silk from two small mills. Each lot is weighed and checked for twist before it goes near a dye pot.
Scour and soak
The base is washed to remove oils and soaked for an hour so the dye takes evenly. Water temperature is logged for every batch.
Dye by hand
Each colour is mixed from a written recipe. Skeins are turned by hand in the vat so the colour reaches the middle of every hank.
Rinse and dry
Skeins are rinsed until the water runs clear, then hung to dry away from direct sun, which can fade the brightest shades.
Check and label
Every skein is checked against the batch sample. The label shows the colourway code, the batch number and the date it was dyed.
Ship or shelve
Skeins go on the shelf or into an order the same week. We do not keep a batch longer than about three weeks.
40
skeins at most in any one vat, so each one gets proper attention
Want to see a batch being dyed?
We run a studio visit on the first Saturday of each month. Book a place by email, and bring a project if you like.