CARING FOR HAND DYED YARN
Once you’ve brought your beautiful hand dyed yarn home, you’ll want to make sure it stands the test of time! It can be so disheartening to lovingly create an item, only to have it fade within a few washes. As an artisan product, hand dyed yarn does need a little special care, but following a few simple will help ensure the longevity of the wonderfully vivid colours.
WASHING
Yarn labeled “superwash” can be washed in the wool wash setting of your washing machine, however we do NOT recommend this. Even the gentlest of washing machines cause excessive agitation and colour stripping. All our dyes are colour and light fast, creating robust colourways that, if treated properly, will stand the test of time. Our yarn and fibres are steamed for 2-3 hours and left to fully cool before removing from the pot (generally overnight). This ensures a well set colour that soaks up every little bit of dye from the dye bath.
Wool is self cleaning, meaning that it doesn’t need excessive washing. A simple airing is often sufficient or, if necessary, a gentle soak in water with a teeny tiny squirt of washing up liquid if it gets a little dirty. NEVER wash your wool in hot water, as it will fade and age more quickly than it should. This is a natural characteristic of the wool, so please use cold water only. Blocking and drying your finished object flat will help create and retain your desired shape.
BLEEDING
All yarn, both commercial and hand dyed, has the potential to bleed. Colours most likely to bleed are darker, more saturated tones. Thankfully, our thorough dying and rinsing process means that bleeding rarely happens. Remember that hot water will make it more likely for bleeding to occur (again, never use hot water!). If you do experience bleeding, it may mean that a little excess dye is coming off your yarn. If this is the case, then it should only happen after the first wash. If you are planning a project with highly contrasting tones and are concerned about the darker colour bleeding into the lighter, then we recommend working up and washing a test swatch first to check and put your mind at ease. If the darker colour bleeds, then try gently washing the skein first to rinse out any excess dye.