The Yarn Dyeing Process

 I've just watched a video by The Corner of Craft, and oh my gosh, it really hit home. If you're interested in the costs of making hand dyed yarn, go and have a watch.

Anyway, I thought I'd write out a list of everything I do when I dye yarn, as it's actually quite enlightening when you realise how much there is to it. It's just a list, nothing more, but as you can see, it's a lot of steps. This is why hand dyed yarn costs a lot to buy, and that cost isn't really enough.

Plan colourways 

Create social media graphics 

Post on social media about colourways

List colourways in online shop

Receive orders

Add orders to order spreadsheet 

Count yarn needed for orders

Order yarn from supplier 

Check dye stock and order more if necessary 

Order supplies needed for extras (currently stitch markers, sweets, stickers and wax melts) 

Receive yarn order and store 

Put table together 

**Fill bucket with water and add citric acid 

Individually unpack each yarn skein and put them onto separate, Colour-coded cable ties 

Soak yarn in citric acid water 

Put together yarn drying cabinet (it has to be put together each time I dye, because my bungalow is so tiny) 

Get jugs, dyes, spoons, tea towels, gloves, mask, dye trays, hot water, foil, paper towels, dye recipe

Preheat oven

Prepare dyes by mixing colours into water 

Test dye colours. Change if necessary until dye is correct colour. 

Squeeze excess water from soaking skeins, and individually place them into dye trays

Arrange skeins into optimal dyeing position 

Dye yarn - I use various methods. Pouring, dipping, speckling, painting, squeeze bottles, pipettes, etc, depending on the effect I'm trying to create

Turn skeins over and dye other side 

Check skeins for colour 

Cover each tray with foil

Put trays into oven (for me, two at a time) 

Set oven timer 

Clean equipment and prepare for next colour

Remove yarn from oven

Soak yarn in wool wash

Squeeze skeins and place into spinner

Spin yarn and dispose of water

Hang yarn in drying cabinet **

Repeat from ** to ** for each colourway

(In [brackets] are the steps I take to make extras for my yarn clubs. Everyone may not do these steps. It depends on what is being sold.

[Gather jewellery making equipment 

Make stitch markers using rings, clasps and charms 

Attach stitch markers to tags

Prepare wax melt mould and jug

Weigh wax and coloured wax 

Melt wax

Add fragrance oil 

Pour wax into moulds 

When dry, demould and pack into bags 

Design labels 

Print labels 

Take photos for social media] 

Design ball bands 

Design yarn club cards 

Print ball bands 

Print yarn club cards 

Design yarn labels 

Print yarn labels 

Cut ball bands and cards with guillotine 

Remove dry yarn 

Remove cable ties from each individual skein

Retie yarn ties and snip ends 

Twist yarn into skeins 

Neaten each skein 

Attach ball bands to yarn 

Attach yarn label to ball bands 

Take photos of yarn 

Enter separate orders into Royal Mail website to calculate postage 

Pay postage 

Download and print postage labels 

Pack each order in tissue paper, remembering yarn, card, extras

Check orders on spreadsheet and pack yarn into postage envelopes/boxes 

Attach correct postage labels 

Pack parcels into bags 

Send to post office

Send dispatch notifications

What's that? 70 odd steps? It's a lot, isn't it? I'm not complaining - I love it all (except for perhaps the skein twisting because it leaves me in agony for weeks 😂), but it is a lot of steps. Even more when you consider the planning process too. 

Things would be easier if I had a dedicated dye space, for sure. I wouldn't have to retrieve equipment from different places all over the house. I wouldn't have to keep putting together the table and the drying cabinet. If I had a bigger oven, I could dye more than two trays at a time. There are ways to streamline the process, that just aren't accessible to me. 

So there we have it - that's my process. I'm sure other people have vastly different processes, but that's the way I have to do things. I don't have to include extras, but finding things that match my themes, like scents and charms, makes me happy, so I'm keeping them. I don't charge extra for my extras. If I include something other than yarn, if you've only ordered yarn, it's free. This is not a good business model, I know, but again, I love finding things to include that go with my yarn. 

I do wish there was a simpler way to buy postage, though. Entering in every person's details is so time consuming. You'd think that when you pay for an online shop, which isn't cheap, there would be a way to sync it with buying postage, but alas, there isn't. 

Maybe one day I'll make enough money dyeing yarn to actually pay myself something, but today is not that day! I love it, though. Giving up teaching made me incredibly upset, so having something I enjoy doing brings me life. 

Lastly, thanks to everyone who orders my yarn. I hope you love it. I do try to make it just a little bit special. I really appreciate your support, and every, single skein I dye is made with love and positive intention. Being mostly housebound, yarn is pretty much on my mind the majority of the time, and I hope that's reflected in my ideas. 

Speak soon. 

Charlotte x