Uncategorized

NEW YARN: WildWestDye

Super soft merino, hand dyed with natural dyes, in a rainbow of gorgeous colours, with no winding required and the option to purchase only as much as you need. Doesn’t that sound like a dream of a yarn? It sure sounds like our dream yarn and it perfectly describes WildWestDye yarns which we are thrilled to be introducing to the store. Better yet, you may already know the dyer behind this beautiful new line of yarn, she’s no stranger to the Baaad Anna’s community.

Photo courtesy of WildWestDye.

Browse WildWestDye yarns here.

Rebecca Glazier is the dyer behind WildWestDye and in addition to dyeing yarn she is also one of our wonderful knitting and crochet instructors and the host of the local Knit 1 Tea 1 Meet Up group that holds weekly virtual knitting events on Zoom. Rebecca has been knitting since she was 7 years old and has always had a love for textiles and colour. Originally from the UK, she has called Vancouver her home for the last 5 years.

Rebecca Glazier, the dyer behind WildWestDye and one of our wonderful knitting and crochet instructors at Baaad Anna’s. Photo courtesy of WildWestDye.

Browse WildWestDye yarns here.

When we learned she was going to be launching her own hand dyed yarn we knew it would be something special and we were right. WildWestDye is focused on bringing naturally dyed, renewable, non-toxic, colour goodness into your home, to inspire you and to bring your beautiful handmade creations to life. Rebecca named it WildWestDye because of the natural ingredients (wild), West for the West Coast which she calls home, and it plays with ‘WildWest’ and her love of cowboy style. We’re lucky to be carrying her soft fingering merino, soft singles (single ply fingering), as well as kits for her colourwheel cushion.

WildWestDye Colourwheel Cushion. Photo courtesy of WildWestDye.

Browse WildWestDye yarns here.

One thing that sets WildWestDye apart from other yarns is how the yarn is sold. WildWestDye works with what Rebecca calls ‘cake quarters’. Sold in increments of 25g, you never need to buy more than what you need which reduces waste and less idle stash. In the shop you will find the WildWestDye soft fingering merino offered in 25g, 50g and 100g options. For colourwork or smaller projects, being able to purchase 25g yarn cakes is ideal and since they are already wound all you have to do is cast on and begin your project.

WildWestDye cake quarters on the road! You’ll also find WildWestDye yarns with us when we take The Travelling Woolery out to events.

Browse WildWestDye yarns here.

All WildWestDye yarns are dyed using natural dyes, such as Madder, Weld or Cochineal, which have been used to dye textiles for hundreds of years. Did you know that up until 1857 all textiles were dyed using natural dyes? They not only result in a gorgeous array of colours but they are also renewable and non-toxic. The process to dye yarn using natural dyes is one that Rebecca describes as slow, careful and satisfying. The yarn first goes through washing, then a mordant is applied (which allows the natural dye to attach to the yarn), and finally it is taken through a one or two step dye process. Once dried it rests for two weeks before it gets its final wash, is caked and ready to use. The combination of using traditional dyes with modern techniques is how Rebecca coaxes out the range of subtle and stunning colours in her yarns.

WildWestDye yarn cakes. Photo courtesy of WildWestDye.

WildWestDye uses wool that is carefully sourced from New Zealand and is spun in Canadian mills. The wool is only purchased from farms that do not practice mulesing and careful attention is paid to the ethical treatment of the sheep (free from hunger/thirst, free from discomfort, free from pain/injury/disease, free from distress/fear).

You will find the store stocked with WildWestDye soft fingering merino in 21 colourways, with the option to choose 25g, 50g, or 100g yarn cakes, and 100g skeins of fingering weight soft singles, a single ply yarn which come in 11 colourways. Fun fact, many of the colourways are named after Rebecca’s love of pole dancing! Banana Split is actually a pole dance move!

Here are all the details on both yarns:
Soft Fingering Merino:
  • Fibres: 100% Merino
  • Gauge: 23 – 32 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
  • Needles: 2.25 – 3.75 mm (US 1 – 5)
  • Weight: 2-ply Fingering (1)
  • Length: Sold in ‘CakeQuarter’ increments
    • 25 g / 92 yards (84 m)
    • 50 g / 185 yards (169 m)
    • 100 g / 370 yards (338 m)

Soft Singles – a luxuriously soft blend of merino, cashmere, and silk:

  • Fibres: 75% Merino / 15% Cashmere / 10% Silk
  • Gauge: 23 – 32 stitches = 4 inches (10 cm)
  • Needles: 2.25 – 3.75 mm (US 1 – 5)
  • Weight: single-ply Fingering (1)
  • Length: 100 g / 431 yards (395 m)

We are also carrying the WildWestDye Colourwheel Cushion Kit which is a full kit that includes all the yarn you need to make one cushion.

For the yarns and cushion, we recommend hand washing and laying flat to dry. Naturally dyed yarns are best cared for by washing them in a neutral ph soap like Soak, Eucalan or a commercial brand like Woolite.

Yarn cakes from Wild West Dye. Photo courtesy of WildWestDye.

You can register for one of Rebecca’s upcoming classes here and make sure to give her a follow on Instagram @wildwestdye. As always, we can’t wait to see what you make with WildWestDye yarn! Make sure to tag us and Rebecca in your posts @baaadannas and @wildwestdye.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Not Your Mama's Yarn Store

X