I try my best to make Woollen Wytch photos as accurate as possible but every screen displays colour slightly differently, so we cannot guarantee complete accuracy.  Hand-dyed yarns vary from one batch to the next as well, so there will always be some variation between the photo and each individual skein. 

As with all processes done by hand, no two hand-dyed skeins can ever be absolutely identical, so we strongly recommend striping your yarn in when using more than one skein in a project.  When using any of our hand-dyed yarns work two rows from one skein and then two rows from your second skein, carrying the yarn not in use up the side of your work, this will minimise the difference between skeins. 

I use colourfast concentrated acid dyes specifically designed for animal fibres. Don’t be worried by the term acid as this refers to the way in which the colours are fixed in the dye bath with either white vinegar or food-grade citric acid.

It can actually be argued that Acid Dyes are better for the environment than Natural Dyes. Just because natural substances come from the earth doesn’t mean they’re safe, nontoxic or sustainable. Many mordants used in the natural dying process are toxic. And the amount of water used to rinse the extra ‘natural’ dye and mordants out the fibre is often excessive- using larger amounts than in Acid dying.

All Woollen Wytch Yarn and Fibre weights are approximations. I purchase my roving and fleece in bulk and split them into their end weights by hand. Because everything’s done by hand and not by machine a degree of error has to be allowed, so sometimes you’ll find your fibre a little over or underweight.

This shouldn’t be too much difference, at most by 5g, if you find there’s a huge difference get in touch via the Contact page.

No wool washes or detergents are used in post-production of the hand dyeing process at Woollen Wytch. Yarns and fibres are rinsed clear with water only so that customers with skin sensitivities are minimally impacted. The vinegary smell comes from the White Vinegar/Citric acid I use to help the Acid Dyes fix to the wool fibres, feel free to soak/prewash the Skein in lukewarm water with the light detergent of your choice.

All my Yarn and fibre is farmed and spun in the United Kingdom, using 100% British wool.

Check each listing for more information.

Hand wash in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, rinse in lukewarm water, lay flat to dry.

Dye transfer from dry yarn as you are knitting with it is called crocking.  This doesn’t happen because the dye isn’t fixed properly, but is due to excess dye particles which loosen as the yarn rubs against your fingers when you knit with it (a bit like blue dye rubbing off a new pair of jeans). 

If you experience crocking when knitting with our yarns, we would recommend washing your finished project with a delicate detergent by hand. Add a colour catcher sheet to the wash if you’ve used more than one shade in your project. 

If you’re worried about your Yarn bleeding, especially when using more saturated colours with light/white colours, I’d recommend pre-washing your skein before knitting.

Most colour bleeding is caused by excess dye molecules (see above) which will rinse out. 

First, rinse your project a few times in clean cold water (not warm or hot water). Some colour bleeding may happen when you first wash your yarn, particularly if you have yarn with intense colours, so it is best to wash your items separately. You may want to avoid using light coloured yarn with more intense coloured yarns until you have tested for colour bleeding by washing your skein first.

I ship your skein with a few skein ties throughout. First, remove the label and untwist your skein. Fill a sink or basin with lukewarm water and a small amount of mild soap and carefully add the yarn. Let it soak for a few minutes – adding vinegar or anything else is unnecessary. Pick up your skein out of the water, gently squeeze out any excess, and let it hang to dry.

You’ll need to wind your skeins into balls before working with them. Once you take the label out, the yarn should separate fairly easily into a large loop with a couple of ties to keep it together. Make sure the yarn is all going in the same direction and that no strands cross the tie. Drape the yarn over the back of two chairs or put it on a swift so that it will not tangle while you wind it. Untie or cut the ties, carefully pull the ends where the self-tie crosses through the skein in a figure-eight to the outside so that the yarn comes away from the skein effortlessly, and start winding.

Yes and no… Yes, Woollen Wytch yarns are made in a smoke-free home. And unfortunately no, they are not 100% pet-free. My yarns are dyed from at my home in Bristol with two troublesome kittens, Mogget and Mouse. While all the yarns are stored away from the felines, occasionally a pesky whisker or two may get attached to the skein. If you’re allergic to Cats, let me know before ordering and I’ll do my best to kick them out the room when spinning or dyeing.