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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