Category: How to dye yarn
Color pooling
January 12th, 2021
Multicolor yarn is so fun to work with and relatively easy to achieve. One of the ways to achieve cheerful, multicolor yarn is to pool color in a shallow dye bath. Adding one color at a time gives you control over the color placement. Keeping the water shallow keeps the pigment in sections making the color pool around one area of yarn.
Basic Dye Terms
December 14th, 2020
Whether you are a veteran dyer or just getting started, there are a wide variety of terms that are helpful to learn. Today on the blog we are going to cover a variety of dyeing terms that will be useful to you wherever you are in your dyeing journey. Let’s get to it!
Acidic
A pH less than 7. Many dyes require an acidic environment, which can be created by adding white vinegar or citric acid into the dye bath.Acid dye
READ MOREHow to Rinse Dyed Yarn
December 11th, 2020
So you’ve dyed your favorite skein of bare yarn! Now what? There are a few things to do at this phase that will be the best for your yarn. Today we will walk you through the basic steps needed to rinse your hand dyed yarn and care for it properly. This process picks up after you have heat set your yarn. If you hand painted your yarn, skip ahead to “let it cool.”
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How to dye Starry Night inspired baby alpaca yarn
October 12th, 2020
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...
Yarn scouring process
October 7th, 2020
Scouring is a vital process in making undyed yarn, because it gets the fiber ready for you, the dyer! Scouring removes any oils, debris or any other substances in the fiber, making it a perfectly clean, bare canvas for dyeing. Knomad yarn undergoes a thorough scouring and washing process. The waste water from this process is captured and specially treated by bacteria which removes toxins that can harm the environment. The mill we work with is even partially powered by solar electricity!...
Community Spotlight: Annette at The Knitting Tree LA
September 29th, 2020
At The Knitting Tree LA, Annette Corsino-Blair has a vision for creating a yarn shop that’s vibrant and welcoming to all. “I’ve recreated the neighborhood that I grew up in, which was pretty much every nationality you could think of,” says Annette. “I’ve always felt more comfortable in ethnically diverse environments. I want to build a place where everyone can come and feel welcome.”
Annette co-owns The Knitting...
Two color kettle dye on STRATUS
September 17th, 2020
When KNOMAD launched, STRATUS instantly became one of my favorite yarns in the whole collection. Made from 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% nylon, the merino in STRATUS is some of the softest available. The small nylon content doesn’t noticeably affect the feel of this plump and round, 4 ply fingering weight yarn, it simply adds a touch of strength to the luxuriously soft merino!
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Yarn sorting process
September 15th, 2020
Continuing with our video series, today we show you the sorting process, one of the first steps in making a quality undyed yarn. When I entered the sorting area at the mill we work with in Arequipa, Perú, I felt a sense of awe. I had never seen that much fiber all in one place, let alone alpaca fiber. I’m so happy I get to bring you along on this visit from December...
Meet the Team: Alex Gernert in Customer Care
September 10th, 2020
If you’ve sent us an email, or reached out using our live customer support chat, you’ve likely connected with Alex Gernert, Head of Customer Care at Knomad. Let’s meet the avid knitter who fields your burning questions about our yarn.
For Alex, her role is about building relationships. “I think it’s helpful to be available to have a conversation,” she says. “Whether it’s a technical question about our website, or...
Transform Bare Yarn with Avocado
September 2nd, 2020
Avocados are already a versatile food, but did you know you can use the pits and skins to dye a range of shades from blush pink and dusty rose to soft browns with undertones of peach?! Next time you whip up a bowl of guac, be sure to save the skins and pits for your next dyeing adventure.
Dyeing with avocados is a very simple process; all it requires is a bit...
