As Yet Yarns: a biography
AS YET ORIGINS
It has taken a while for As Yet Yarns to become what it is today. It started out a little differently … The name came from my desire to have a couple of different product lines. Originally it was going to be knitting patterns (As Yet Unmade) and hand knit items (As Yet Unworn), as well as upcycled accessories and craft tools (As Yet Unloved). This was way back in 2012/2013. Unfortunately it didn’t take off, not least because I can’t knit fast enough! In the end I decided I wanted to keep my knitting for pleasure rather than for business. But the name stuck…
THE START OF DYEING
In 2018 I had my first child. During my maternity leave I spent a lot of time sat on my bum breastfeeding. Whilst doing so, I started watching ChemKnits on YouTube to keep my mind active. If you’ve not seen her videos, she experiments with dyeing yarn using all sorts of dyes and dyeing methods. They are fascinating to watch and I learnt a lot very quickly. Obviously I was dyeing (excuse the pun - come on, it had to happen at some point!) to give it a try.
For my first Mother’s Day I was given some bare yarn and some spare time to spend in the kitchen, experimenting with dyeing using old teabags and food colouring. I loved the process, especially watching the water turn from coloured to colourless as the dye adheres to the yarn (never fails to amaze me!) and I wanted to dye more and more. I bought a load of fingering weight mini skeins so that I could practice different techniques and create some interesting colourways. I used photographs of nature and space as inspiration. There are still a couple of those skeins left - Elephants trunk MIP and Twilight Zone - in my Etsy shop, reason being I didn’t have the confidence to market myself.
THE PANDEMIC YEARS
Dyeing and crafting generally fell by the wayside when I went back to work. I threw myself into my job again and between that and parenting I didn’t give myself any time. I kept telling myself that I would get back to it in a few years. “When he’s old enough to…” was a regular thought. Then the pandemic hit. We navigated it as best we could as a little family. What it has left me with is a far greater understanding of how there may not be a tomorrow and that moments and ideas need to be seized, tried, played with. If it doesn’t work, that’s ok, but at least we can say we had a go!
CURRENT PRODUCT LINES
Roll on 2021 and I’m on maternity leave again (I know - a pandemic baby!) so I decided to rekindle my love of dyeing, knitting, crocheting, sewing and my little business and see what I can do with it. I have rebranded as As Yet Yarns and now have three product lines.
HAND DYED YARN
I’m still hand dyeing yarn: I’m focusing on dyeing one base (75% superwash merino and 25% nylon) as I know how it takes dyes. I now work with professional acid dyes for their bold colour ranges. I still have 20g mini skeins, but have now branched out to include 100g skeins in both fingering and DK weights. I’m going to experiment with Donegal nepped yarn, so watch this space!
My mini skeins are generally sold in sets of five. I dye them in ombré gradients, using the knowledge from my day job to create a series of solutions. My larger skeins are being dyed up as part of my Zodiac series. Each star sign has a few crystals and gemstones associated with it. I’m choosing ones that would work well together and dyeing up yarn accordingly. These are being released in time for the star sign switch each month.
STITCH MARKERS
My second product line is stitch markers. I started out with a box of drilled gemstones - that’s where the idea for the Zodiac series came from. It was a jewellery kit that has a few charms in too. I made four different sets of stitch markers and loved the process. This inspired me to dig out my Nanna’s old and broken jewellery and the bead collection she left me. She died a long time ago and I’ve kept them safe, just waiting for the right inspiration to hit me in how to use them. Obviously, there will be some I make that will never get sold, but others will be listed as vintage and one of a kind stitch markers in my shop.
This has given me the buzz to find other unwanted or unloved jewellery; to turn it into something useful that will bring joy when it sparkles. I am holding back for now, but once I’ve sold enough I will be hunting down some more treasures to craft with.
PROJECT BAGS
This is the final and most recent addition. I LOVE a good bag, with plenty of pockets to organise my belongings. One that closes so that the stuff doesn’t all fall out, and one that is stylish (or at least, fits with my aesthetic). Project bags just seemed like the natural direction to move in.
I found a wonderfully written pattern by Miss Freckles Design on Etsy and have used this to make a batch of bags. Each one has seven pockets in (and I’m trying to work out how to add more!). I will be looking to adapt the pattern as I get used to it, so that I can ensure it has storage specifically for stitch markers (as an example). I will be launching these in my shop on 19th March 2022. Let me just say … some of the fabrics are stunning African prints!
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my little business. If you want regular updates as to what I’m stocking or making, follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1tmlf2ucci0p1&utm_content=62ibe5
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@Asyetyarns
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