FAQs

 

FAQs about Woollen Wytch

 

How did you get into spinning yarn?

I’ve actually written a full blog post about this, check it out. But long story short, I dabbled in spinning yarn with a drop spindle at University for an Art project. Picking it back up again as a hobby a few years after graduating. With the help of my lovely fiance, I built my DIY Spinning Wheel in 2018 and got seriously hooked. 

 

How can I spin my own yarn?

The easiest way to get into spinning, without dropping a few hundred pounds on an overpriced wheel, is with a drop spindle. I’ve even got a few kits with instructions, spindle and starting fibre in my shop.
 

Any tips for beginner spinner?

Plenty! For starters, Youtube will become your best friend, watch all the videos and learn the techniques – then it’s all on you. Practice. Take those techniques and forget them- work out what works for you, then run with it. Get yourself Ashley Martineau’s book ‘Spinning and Dyeing Yarn’, it was my bible when I first started spinning.

 

 

 

 

FAQs about Yarn

How accurate are your yarn colours to your website?

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. 

 

Why do my skeins not 'match' each other? 

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. 

 

What dyes do you use? Are they environmentally friendly?

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.

 

I weighed my yarn/fibre and it is under/overweight. 

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.

 

Why do my skeins smell slightly funny?

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.

 

What is the wool content of your yarns?

Most of my Yarn and fibre is crafted from 100% Superfine Merino wool. But make sure you double-check each listing because this may differ.

 

How should I care for my knitted items?

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

 

Some of the dye is coming off my yarn and onto my fingers when I knit with it, what should I do?

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.

 

My yarn is bleeding when I wash it, what should I do?

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.

 

How do I pre-wash my yarn?

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.

 

How do I wind my skeins?

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.

 

Are your yarns from a pet free, smoke free home?

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.

 

FAQs about Orders

I've changed my mind, can I return my kit/yarn I bought from Woollen Wytch?

You have up to 14 days for UK orders, and 30 days for the rest of the world, after the receipt of order to contact me and request a return/exchange. I totally understand that yarn can look and feel different in real life compared to on-screen, so there are no hard feelings.

Please read my full Refund Terms & Conditions for more information.  Items must be returned in ‘as new’ condition and in the original packaging. Customers are responsible for the return postage costs (unless the item has arrived faulty or damaged).

 

Halp! I need to finish my project and my yarn/fibre hasn't arrived! What should I do?

Oh no! I’m so sorry you haven’t received your order timely! Unfortunately, I’m at the mercy of the Royal Mail, and sometimes their delivery times can take longer than I’d like. Check out the Delivery page to find out your estimated delivery times.

Have you been waiting patiently for your delivery to arrive, and the estimated delivery date has passed? Get in touch with me via the Contact page, and I’ll chase up what’s going on with it.

The Consumer Rights Act states that the retailer is responsible for the condition of the goods until they are delivered to you, so please note I am not responsible if your order gets lost after delivery. i.e Left at your neighbour’s address or left in a safe place.

 

No, seriously I think my items are lost!

All orders through Woollen Wytch are sent via Royal Mail post. Unfortunately, the Royal Mail only considers packages lost 20 extra working days after the due date for items in Europe, and after 25 extra working days for the rest of the world for International postage.

If your order hasn’t arrived by your estimated delivery date, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait the added working days before I can officially claim the item as lost. Once I can claim the item as lost, I can either send out a replacement or give you a full refund.

 

Do you do wholesale to retailers?

My kits and fibres are available for Wholesale, just send me a message and I’ll send you my Woollen Wytch Wholesale catalogue. Currently my handspun isn’t available for Wholesale, but I can create you a large custom yarns wholesale order, just ping me a message.