Happy New Y
ear! This year I have lots of beautiful, luxurious hand dyed yarn coming your way and to start us off I wanted to spend some time with you by looking at some of the popular options I have for knitting yarn and crochet yarn in 2021.
Don’t forget to read to the end as I have some super secret projects I want to tell you about!
Why buy hand dyed yarn at all?
Buying hand dyed yarn is a decadent choice for your knitting and crochet, as it provides the wonderful combination of unique colour and designer blends. Much more than that, each batch is lovingly created by an indie dyer just like me, who has poured passion and years of knowledge into selecting not only the perfect yarn base, but also the perfect colour combinations to make your knitwear stand out from the commercial crowd.
Here at Perran Yarns, my carefully sourced yarns have been rigorously tested, not just in the dye application process, but also in the knit and crochet samples I produce. They need to be soft, but up to the task (especially when it comes to sock knitting), they also need to offer just the right amount of drape and elasticity (particularly for larger garment projects). I also need the colour to stand up to regular wear and careful handwashing. All of this matters to me, because I know it matters deeply to you and as such each yarn is almost a love story… a product of my fervour to create the perfect knitting yarn, or crochet yarn.
As a result my hand dyed yarns create projects that stand the test of time, in both their durability and their colour patterning.
Why I choose to dye yarn
I love playing with colour. Colour literally brightens every day. It inspires, excites, calms, and delights us.
I am fascinated with the subtle variations in tone & shade that come from dyeing different yarn bases together in one pot, as each takes the dyes differently, even if they are in the same batch. Equally, I find it important to produce colourways that look good when worked into a project, not just in the skein – they need to be wearable!
I’ve been dyeing yarns for over 15 years now and I love it. How time flies!
If you want to see what I’m dyeing, join my mailing list for the latest yarns!
The hand dyed yarn bases I have in store for you
Since I have been hand dyeing yarn for a number of years now, my range of bases has grown dramatically. It seems natural to take this opportunity to go through some of the more popular base choices, so that you can make a more informed choice of knitting yarn, or crochet yarn.
Each of these yarns can be found in my Etsy shop.
Laceweight
Egyptian Lace
100 grams (3.5 oz)
50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Linen, 25% Silk
Length: approx. 600 metres ~ 656 yards
This is great for an introduction to finer work as it’s a heavy laceweight with the softness you would expect from Perran Yarns plus a gorgeous drape. It is a more matte yarn than the Decadence Lace, giving softer dye results. It is a good choice for those who wish to avoid a yarn with wool content due to any lanolin reactions.
Ideal to crochet the Light & Lacy Shawl.
Heavenly Lace
100 grams (3.5 oz)
70% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere
Length: approx. 1200 metres (1312 yards)
This is great for fine lacework as this is the finest yarn base we stock. It’s a beautiful luxury yarn, with the softness & subtle sheen you would expect. Perfect for a showcase project!
Patterns available for this base in the Lace One and Lace Two pattern booklets in my Etsy shop.
Decadence Lace
100 grams (3.5 oz)
55% British Bluefaced Leicester Wool, 45% Silk
Length: approx. 600 metres ~ 656 yards
This is the other heavy laceweight option, with metreage exactly halfway between standard 2ply laceweight & 4ply yarns. It has an amazing sheen & drape from the high silk content, & takes dyes enthusiastically giving vibrant results!
Ideal to crochet the Light & Lacy Shawl.
Silky Moh Lace
50 gram (1.75oz)
72% Superfine Kid Mohair, 28% Silk
Length: approx. 420 metres ~ 459 yards
This is great for adding a soft haze to your work. It combines really well with other yarns or can be used by itself with larger needle/hook sizes to give open feather-light results.
Sparkle Lace
100 grams (3.5 oz)
75% Extra Fine Merino, 20% Silk, 5% Silver Stellina Sparkle
Length: approx. 800 metres ~ 874 yards
This is great for lacy projects with a subtle sparkle for a fun element! The supersoft sparkle barely shows in natural daylight but catches your eye beautifully under electric light. Ideal for a shoulder wrap for parties & special occasions.
Ideal to knit the Tidal Wrap.
4ply and sock
Fleck 4ply
100 grams (3.5 oz)
85% Superwash Merino, 15% Donegal Nep
Length: approx. 400 metres (437 yards)
This is great for all-round use – from accessories such as socks and shawls to adult garments.
Tweedy 4ply
100 grams (3.5 oz)
100% Merino Wool
Length: approx. 400 metres (437 yards)
This is great for all-round use – from accessories such as socks and shawls to adult garments. It has superwash and non-superwash treated strands plied together which absorb the dyes differently, resulting in a subtle striped barberpole effect!
Quarter Round Minis
20 grams (0.7 oz)
100% Superwash Merino Wool
Length: approx. 80 metres ~ 87 yards
This is great for small projects or stripes in larger projects. It can also be used for areas of instarsia and tipping.
I have plenty of other mini skeins, from sock, to sparkle bases
Silky Sea 4ply
100 grams (3.5 oz)
70% Silk, 30% Seacell, Length: approx. 400 metres ~ 437yards
This is great for luxurious projects needing fabulous drape without stretch, such as wraps for special occasions. Why not try my Flower Crescent Shawlette kit!
Gold Sparkle 4ply
100 grams (3.5 oz)
75% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon, 5% Gold Stellina Sparkle
Length: approx. 400 metres ~ 436 yards
This is great for sparkly socks for twinkly toes! Also ideal for scarves and shawls.
Sport weight
Silky Sport
100 grams (3.5 oz)
50% Silk, 50% Merino Wool
Length: approx. 300 metres ~ 328 yards
This is great for soft and silky accessories and garments that need to feel smooth against the skin.
Suri Sport
100 grams (3.5 oz)
50% Suri Alpaca, 50% Merino Wool
Length: approx. 300 metres ~ 328 yards
This is great for warmer accessories such as my Triangle Trellis Shawl
DK
Egyptian DK
100 grams (3.5 oz)
50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Linen, 25% Silk
Length: approx. 250 metres (273 yards)
This is great for wraps and scarves such as the popular Flowery Infinity Scarf
Falkland Merino DK
100 grams (3.5 oz)
100% Fine Falkland Merino Wool (UK-spun)
Length: approx. 240 metres (262 yards)
This is great for projects needing more structure and stitch definition such as the Pinnate Gloves knit kit
DK Silky Smooth
100 grams (3.5 oz)
50% Superwash Merino Wool, 50% Silk
Length: approx. 212 metres (232 yards)
This is great for accessories needing good stitch definition with a little more drape such as slouchy hats and scarves.
Aran
Aran Fleck
100 grams (3.5 oz)
85% Superwash Merino, 15% Donegal Nep
Length: approx. 166 metres (182 yards)
This is great for winter accessories needing a thicker yarn that still feels soft against the skin, such as hats and cowls.
Merino Silk Aran
100 grams (3.5 oz)
60% Extra Fine Merino, 40% Silk
Length: approx. 162 metres (177 yards)
This is great for drapey warm next-to-skin accessories such as cowls and the Slouchie Twist Beanie Hat knit kit
Chunky/Bulky
Chunky Alpaca
100 grams (3.5 oz)
100% Baby Alpaca
Length: approx. 100 metres (109 yards)
This is great for chunky warm but lightweight accessories such as winter shawls and my Fingerless Mitts crochet kit
Chunky Merino
100 grams (3.5 oz)
100% Superwash Merino
Length: approx. 100 metres (109 yards)
This is great for warm winter accessories with structure and softness such as my crochet Chevron Cowl
You can find out more about these yarns and the rest of my range on my origins page.
Where you can buy hand dyed yarn from me in 2021
As we aren’t entirely sure, but remain hopeful that 2021 will be a release from Covid lockdowns, planning shows has had to be something I have had to shelve, because I simply don’t know what lies ahead. In order to balance this I will be very visible online this year and that is where my 2021 planning has been focusing.
I have been selling my hand dyed yarns on Etsy since 2006 and very much intend to work hard on supplying you with more choice in frequent updates there. So if any of the bases I have talked about catch your eye, or you want to see what colour options you can buy from, please take a look in my online yarn shop.
Don’t forget I have plenty of ready made kits and patterns too!
To create even more of these beautiful hand dyed yarns I am working behind the scenes with my husband to build a new dye studio! I cannot wait to tell you more about it, so make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter for all the latest teasers. This will give me the production space I have been craving for so long and it will mean that I can finally take the dyeing out of the kitchen.
This is such a big move for a small business and I could not have got to this stage without YOU, so thank you.
The top secret hand dyed yarn projects you aren’t going to want to miss!
I’m so excited to tell you about some of the projects that I have been working on behind the scenes these last few months, but of course as usual the finer details will have to wait until the release date for each design, kit, or new idea.
What I can tell you is this – I have a few hand dyed yarn projects that I am already working on with knitwear designers and some of them will be available very soon. This will mean exclusive designs and exclusive kits. All of which have been meticulously designed with your knitting, or crochet pleasure in mind.
I am also working on some new mini skein ideas and am planning for an advent calendar for release later in the year.
I do love a new year and a fresh dye pot!
Steph x
P.S. If you have any questions, or you’d like some help selecting the perfect yarn for your project please contact me.