Steam setting your hand dyed yarn is a great, easy way to finish your freshly dyed fibre. Heat setting dyed yarn ensures the dye pigment fully bonds to the wool fibres. Any of the Knomad yarns will steam set beautifully, but today we are using MARSHMALLOW DK which is wonderfully soft and squishy.

SUPPLIES:

• Undyed yarn like MARSHMALLOW DK 100% superwash merino wool, or any other Knomad yarn
• Steamer rack or basket
...

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It’s always amazing to me when I meet a knitter who doesn’t like to swatch--swatching is sometimes my favorite part of the entire knitting process! Setting aside time to swatch gives you a moment to get to know your new yarn intimately. For dyers, swatching is one of the many ways to determine how a yarn will behave and whether it’s right for your customers. I know swatching takes a little time, so I’ve done some of the work for you! I’m spending some time...

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I have a well-documented love affair with the color pink. My childhood bedroom was painted a light bubble gum pink, at my request. I started dyeing my hair pink in 2016, even getting married with pink hair in 2019. I recently visited the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California for my birthday. We stayed in a blue-colored room but spent plenty of time enjoying the color pink at the...

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Logwood is a family of trees also known as “bloodwood” in some parts of the world. Found in Mexico, Belize, Central America and Australia, logwood can be found in extract, powdered, sawdust and wood chip form from many natural dye sources.  I had avoided logwood for some time because I am just not a huge fan of purple! However, as I worked my way through so many natural, wood-based...

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Where I live in the Southeastern United States, there are a lot of old, big trees. Every spring, the world transitions into a fuzzy, watercolor-like state as the trees are bristling with tiny leaves and buds. In a few more weeks, many of our flowering trees burst into full bloom or display bright, acid-green leaves. It’s always one of my favorite parts of each season, but I also love an...

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Purple is one of my favorite colors to work with! I primarily use my dyed yarn for embroidery work, but I do crochet and knit for fun on occasion too. When I am making things just for fun, I always find myself drawn towards shades of purple. Figuring out which purple is best can sometimes be a challenge. Some shades of purple lean more red or warm-toned and others are more blue or cool-toned. Purple can also be a tough color to...

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  Better for the Earth, and better for you — we know you care about choosing sustainable yarns. Knomad is an independent brand, but our strong relationship with our partner mill in Arequipa, Perú gives us the ability to create a collection of bare yarn with an eye on sustainability.    READ MORE

Baby alpaca yarn is a treasure in a dyer’s arsenal. The delicate haze of baby alpaca and its delightful warmth make it a favorite for cold weather accessories and sweaters. Alpaca are naturally gentle on the ecosystem, making their fibre an environmentally friendly choice.  It can be tricky to dye alpaca, as the fibre does take a bit of coaxing to absorb the color to the intensity you might desire. Armed with a little bit of know how, we will have...

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Next up in our video series, learn a bit more about Alpaca! To make our superb alpaca yarns, Knomad works exclusively with fibre experts who have specialized in alpaca for generations. This means we only source the finest alpaca with the highest standards for the ecology! These alpaca live in harmony with their native habitat, grazing out in the gorgeous open fields of the Andean highlands, eating a naturally vegetarian diet. Careful attention to the alpaca makes the best yarn. We think you’ll appreciate...

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You’ve probably heard all about silk, but do you know what makes it so special? Silk is a type of natural protein fibre made by silk worms. Silk has a vibrant history as it is one of the oldest commercially made fibres. When dyed, silk takes color quickly and easily. You can use any dye you would use for wool or other animal fibre to dye silk. It has a subtle luster like gold, and a soft hand, with excellent drape. All of these...

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