Facing Your Fears About Hand-Dyed Yarns // Episode 98 // Taking Back Friday // a fibre arts vlog

[@bethk1312]

This was very helpful. My favorite was you saying that you buy the best quality you can afford.

[@karleenpage5979]

Very inspirational. I think another fear is about someone that we might gift a knitted item to - making sure they are knitworthy and being so disappointed if it turns out they don't like or take care of our made item.

[@laurelstieg9375]

Your sweater turned out beautifully. 👍🧶

[@sheltait4194]

Great episode! I’m realizing more and more how grateful we should be that we now have Raverly and other social media to help overcome our fears.

[@JesusJoy77805]

Felicia Was very intrigued by your video, VERY informative!!! Can tell you're serious about your craft and don't take it lightly and want people to be successful. Agree with you about price, quality, because you're investing alot of time. I've had so many crafts and it's not about quantity but quality. No matter how old you are, you can always learn something new, like all hand dyed yarns aren't equal. I really like hand dyed yarns. Malabrigo is one of my favorites. MI TRULY enjoy your videos. Keep up the fantastic work.👍🏼 By the way your sweater you're wearing is simply BEAUTIFUL. 👏🏼🧶🤩

[@nwele]

Wonderful video! I loved also the comparison with the heirloom tomato!! I also laughed when you said "there's more where that came from!!" :)

[@jennywren2395]

I think many fears would be vanquished by following the "less is more" policy, buy less yarn and spend more money on it if you can and time and inspiration on it to achieve your goals. That would include more time to finish, honoring your resources and have the finished item to cherish. Many of us are spoilt these days and we are the ones who do it to ourselves.

[@DebAnderson-f3n]

Love the colour of your sweater and the yarn that you are holding. It looks lovely on you.

[@csdayhoff]

Enjoyed this episode. Facing our fears.

[@debracrowhurst5900]

That was fabulous thankyou so much

[@jstallings2070]

Excellent! As a weaver I can relate to most of those fears as well. My fear of ruining a project (I tend to not use patterns) is closely linked to cost as I mostly weave with higher quality yarns. I envy knitters who can quickly make a swatch! 😊

[@sunnyw4148]

Yeah I made a pair of Tardis socks for my husband and another for myself. Boy did the blue run. The "White" windows are almost the same color blue now. Not your yarn, but a well known and revered one. I should have washed the dark blue several times before using it.

[@KnittingArtisan]

Oh my word, Felicia! The sweater on the dress form is stunning perfection! The sweater you're wearing is equally beautiful. What is the colorway of them all? No fear here. I want them all!!! Lol

[@marykoselke9735]

That sweater is gorgeous on you!!!

[@kyote_unleashed]

this episode is packed full of fantastic information! thank you! 😊

[@annmariehall8449]

This was your best vlog! It was informative but concise. You covered a lot of material efficiently.

[@andrearoosth564]

This video is packed with helpful information! Thank you!

[@surrattcindy]

Absolutely loved this video. Thanks so much for your expertise and knowledge to share these great explanations. Most of my yarns are hand dyed. I enjoy them so much. There are times though when I cast something on and it’s like eeek!! It knit up way different than my expectations. Then I will restash it. Sometimes I finally another project for it. Some are still waiting. I look forward to next Friday and learning more and seeing more exciting stuff. Think I will visit my LYS today that carries your yarn and get a hank for a pair of socks that I plan to cast on this week from Helen Stewart. Have a wonderful week. 🧶

[@teslah2997]

love your philosophy, love your creations, and love your videos.....so glad that I discovered you

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@Tplotz61]

Love that colorway and the sweater you made with it!!!

[@kathleenkaar6557]

Oh my goodness Felicia! This was your best vlog ever! I learned so much about dyeing, about fears ( I had them all!), but now I feel empowered to do more with hand dyed yarns. Thank you!

[@sweetgeorgia]

Kathleen Kaar wonderful!!! Thank you so much. I’m so glad it was helpful! I was nervous that I talked for too long 😆

[@kathleenkaar6557]

Not at all!

[@claratrujillo8854]

I am new to your channel and new to crocheting as well. I have never used hand dye yarns. I love the top you are wearing.

[@karenfarmilo3067]

This was a fantastic vlog!! Wow, you were just inside my head with so many of your comments. Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts and ideas with us.

[@nnj6918]

You are such a good teacher

[@jennifermassello8670]

What is the yarn and color way you were demonstrating in the video? The richness of it- I just love the gray and browns!!!😍. My fear is usually that my skills won’t do the yarn justice but that is abating as I knit more and learn more. What would you do with a skein that wound up to be really super short color changes? I love the colors on the skein but all the knitted Samples or swatches I’ve seen I just think “it’s so busy!”

[@BrendieR]

Excellent video - thanks so much

[@crochetingknitter4751]

I had the worst experience with a new dyer, and her red color bleeding. First it came off in my hands. Then I decided to rinse it- well after over 7-8 rinses....it was still coming out as you mentioned. She replaced two skeins...but the same thing happened. I also tried setting the dye with vinegar which helped a bit. I have a feeling she didn’t know what she was doing or she skipped a process to get her yarns to Stitches West last year.

[@susansatchwell8482]

Oh I wanted to see more of your sailing sweater! You covered so much succinctly. I guess I have not had so many of these fears. Sometimes you get surprises as to how it looks. I have had colors not match so learned my lesson about alternating skeins. So far sweet Georgia has had very good consistency from what I have used. Thanks again!

[@pabaril1995]

A must to watch!! Amazing content, as always!

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thank you so much!

[@roxannewaddell3830]

This was a great podcast, loved all the information and ideas to "go forward" with any of your projects using hand dyed yarns.

[@chynnadouglas4828]

I've bought quite a few yarns from different dyers, and I find that your yarns from a scale of 1-10, I give your yarns a 10.

[@iunderscoream]

I bought one of your skeins of Tough Love Sock recently. It's my first hand dyed yarn purchase and it feels so much better than any other sock yarn I've used. It's somehow soft and rugged at the same time. It's not scratchy, but I feel like it will last a long time. The stitch definition is consistent and phenomenal. I agree with your point about purchasing one good quality skein that will last longer than the cheaper ones. With online shopping and curbside pickup, it's hard to tell anything about the quality of hand dyed yarns, though. Most dyers just list the fibre content and not the structure. I think that because you're a spinner, you selected an excellent sock yarn as your base. I'm looking forward to trying your other yarns.

[@keikoparker4532]

Great job with this podcast and talking about hand dyed yarn. I really enjoyed it. Your podcasts are very well put together and I look forward to watching them.

[@nerdaccount]

I love this! I fear all the time that I will ruin stuff. And honestly, I have! But you're right, I did always extract all the joy and fun out of the act of crafting. I have this fear that I'm going to give some crafted gift and it will be something friends or family will say they love but really it's weird or ill-crafted and they would rather I got them a gift certificate! I see all the flaws in what I make and I'm NOT that good. I'm just beginning in some of these crafts. I'm actually pretty OK at drawing and painting, but other crafts really got started because of covid. I'm like part of a crowd of people who started doing crafts. I loved this topic, thank you!

[@Hannah-ds6fx]

This was so informative! Thank you!

[@ic7505]

This was a very helpful video. Thank you.

[@sandygrogg1203]

A very interesting episode.. I have yet to buy my first skein of hand dyed yarn... I am the quentisential “poor widow”, so most...of my yarn comes from stores like Joznn’s. Believe it, or not, but if you take the time to really look, you can find some decent yarns there. However... My town has a wonderful LYS; which is owned by a woman from the UK. I go there every Thursdsy, to knit for charity. I can’t afford the hand dyed yarns, but I do buy the .inexpensive wools, such as Galway, and blends such as Encore. I really don’t think I am a good enough knitter...or crocheter...to splurge on somethung more luxurious. Maybe some day... If I could buy hand dyed yarns, my biggest fear woukd be thst I woukd not be able to do it justice. I have vision issues, and make mistakes that I really can’t fix... maybe someday I will give hand dyed yarn a try...But... It will have to be rich in saturated purples, pinks, and blues! Thanks again, for a truly interesting episode... I thunk I ticked all ten issues!

[@joycegraff182]

Yeh I have some beautfull hand dyes . can't wait to start ! U really need to try a good yarn u will buy less and enjoy more! I love alpaca blends for scarfs( some made locally) u will never regret it. I'm working on a hooded scarf for my daughter.She goes to work at 4:00 a.m. gets cold here in upstate N.Y. gotta say this blog covers all the bases😀😀😀

[@adiayarnarts2567]

New sub...learned a lot! Thank you!

[@ishratk5139]

Some great points! But your Sailing Sweater is so gorgeous, it kept distracting me LOL!

[@angelikameurer2005]

Thank you so much!!!! I loooove hand dyed yarn and its becoming very popular in Germany as well. I am just wondering about the sweater behind you in this video, it looks gorgeous!!! Where can I find the pattern? Many thanks for the intetesting informative content of your videos, I am learning so.much and feel supported and best wishes from angelika from Cologne.in Germany

[@larisaodonnell1496]

As always, a great video with loads of cool tips and support. One of my resolutions this year is to try to overcome several of these fears myself and have been reminding myself lately that there are no knitting police!! No one has been knocking on my door to tell me that I made a poor pattern choice to showcase my hand-dyed yarns, or that my garment isn't knitted 100% perfectly :) I'm my only (and worst) critic, so that letting go of fear = greater freedom and enjoyment. That said, there is still quite the nice stockpile of luscious hand-dyed yarns in tubs in my living room...but hey, it's still early in the year, right?? And let's not talk about my huuuuge pile of UFOs...

[@christyconolly7791]

Unrealted question - what is the name of that sweater pattern you are wearing? It looks beautiful in the yarn you're holding!

[@jdmosaics]

Love this info thank you 😊 I would like to know more about your natural plant pigments that you use with acid dying. Are they all eco friendly ?

[@ConnyNordlicht]

Yes! THATyS the yarn l love!

[@serenalee2424]

Number two is a big fear of mine.... so I always buy extra yarn. Pattern is likely to use nearly 5 full skeins? I'll probably buy 6.... just in case. ;)

[@Rachel-vz6gw]

Excellent, informative video. I like your style. Follow.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@conyh]

You are aweson!

[@carolejones5530]

Wish you could model your finished sweater, as we watched you block it . Thanks 😊

[@gtogirl1970]

OMG I get bored with a project and put it down. I’m at the point where I have to rotate so my projects get done.

[@qltygrl3187]

gtogirl1970 I’m the same way. I actually have no idea how many WIPs I have. Then I see a new pattern and want to start yet another project!

[@DAYBROK3]

i sometimes lose projects

[@tamarafaurot]

Omg. So much fear!

[@vickilynch6871]

I enjoyed your show. What is the pattern name and colorway of the sweater you are wearing?

[@Oliviaplayspokemon]

Hi! The pattern name is in the description. It is the Sailing Sweater, knit with SweetGeorgia Mohair Silk DK in the Arbutus colourway. Cheers!

[@bethrichardson3240]

Thank you! I have a question...I realize that I go to a lot of effort to know where the goods I buy, yarn included,come from. I have not purchased a lot of hand dyed yarn as I have only discovered the internet side of knitting this last year, which has upped my consumption tremendously, but none of the small indie dyers seem to say where they bought the wool, what the sheep breed is, etc......It seems like I am buying the dye job. I am happy to pay top dollar for that creativity, but am concerned about the economics of the dyer. I assume no one is getting rich, but I want to be sure that no one is getting hurt. Why do you think small to medium sized dye operations don’t say where the wool came from and what mixtures the breeds are?

[@aggierowe9574]

Beth Richardson absolutely!! I was curious as to the plethora of indie dyers on Instagram/Etsy etc. I also noticed that the small (tiny) hand dyers that have not been around for long are former intermediate crafters who got tired of knitting/crocheting and got into dyeing yarn. I am one of those fiber fanatics who has been knitting/crocheting on and off for decades. I try to buy most of my stash from fiber festivals and the makers I’ve met there. I no longer buy yarn from Michael’s, made in China etc. I also am not a fan of chemically laden dyed yarn. There are a few companies that sell sustainable, environmentally sourced, bioregional yarn. It’s more expensive ie $30 for 450 yards which is a lot, but it’s anti-itch, rinsed and recycled water as much as possible.

[@sallynelson5570]

I am experiencing a fear right now that you have not mentioned. What if your hand dyed yarn has several plies twisted into a DK weight and is 50% Merino superwash merino wool and 50% silk but after knitting with it you notice white threads appearing ever so often in some of your stitches? It is like the core of the yarn did not catch the dye. I started really examining the yarn and when I started squeezing a small length together and the plies started rolling away from each other and you could see white in the underside of the plies. Is this normal for hand dyed yarns? I bought the yarn from a very reputable dyer that has lots of 5 star reviews. Sine the yarns are dark colors (Burnished Bonze and Turquoise) these white pops of thread are noticeable. I am not catching the yarn when I knit it. I even had another experienced knitter knit several rows with this yarn and she also ended up with some white threads appearing in some stitches. Is this just a bad dye lot or this is something you have in dyed yarn where the core does not get the dye? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

[@toniesolomon]

how to prewash already made yarn like use detergent or wool wash and like machines or hand wash?

[@jlynnc9559]

Tonie Solomon I use the sink and wool wash. I treat it the same way as a finished object. Also, I have used a “Color catcher” sheet in the basin of water when washing more than one item (tub of socks).

[@toniesolomon]

@@jlynnc9559 color catcher what is that is it like the sheet u put in the washing mashine

[@jlynnc9559]

Tonie Solomon I use it in the wash and also when I am washing my handmade socks all together in the kitchen sink when I think I have items that will bleed. I have also used it when wet blocking an item that I think might have a color run. It is a Shout Color Catcher dye trapping sheet.

[@truff1185]

What is the gorgeous sweater on the forum in the background? 😍

[@sweetgeorgia]

That is the Navelli Tee designed by Caitlin Hunter ☺️ so nice, I knit it twice ☺️

[@annieoannie]

Once again, crocheters are not worth putting in the topic. What knitters fear... Why not what knitters and crocheters fear? As a crocheter, I love hand dyed yarns.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Annie O'Sullivan oh absolutely! All of these fears apply to knitters, crocheters, weavers, and anyone who is using hand-dyed yarns!

[@rachelembletonpalmer5891]

Start at purlsoho aswell as ravelry they do countless awesome free patterns and I love them