Hand-dyer Steph Thornton produces sophisticated colourways using luxury fibres from her dye studio on the Cornish coast
SPECIALISING IN gorgeous fibres and elegant colours, Perran Yarns is a must-visit website for knitters who love to work with luxurious yarns. The artisan brand is run by Steph Thornton, based on Cornwall’s rugged north coast.
When did you first try yarn dyeing? “My hand-dyeing adventures began around 2005. I had been reading about it in a group on Ravelry after seeing some gorgeous variegated yarn that had been hand-dyed in the US. There wasn’t much yarn like that available here in the UK at the time, so I decided to have a little play to see if I could dye some myself.
“I bought a bundle of Kool-Aid packs and started out with a turquoise and green peacock colourway. The way the colours could be blended captured my imagination, and so I started investing in acid dyes to experiment with a wider range of shades.”
What fibres do you like to work with? “Primarily natural fibres, which have to be supersoft to fit in my range. I have always had sensitive skin that was prone to eczema, so I couldn’t bear to wear remotely scratchy or tickly yarns. I am continually honing my range of yarn bases to ensure they are the softest, most luxurious yarns available. After all, if you’re going to spend hours making a fabulous accessory or garment, I believe you should use the best materials you can afford. Many of my yarns contain either silk or Tencel, with my current favourites including silk SeaCell (derived from seaweed!), silk baby camel, and Merino Tencel blends.”
What dyeing processes do you use? “I kettle-dye most yarns in small batches of around 300-400 grams at a time. I use a hot dye method with acid dyes to get fabulous repeatable colourways that are as colourfast as possible. I document my dye ‘recipes’ as I go, and have built up a collection of over 100 colourways to date.
“I’m very fortunate to have a supportive and talented husband who was able to build me a dedicated dye studio in our back garden during the lockdowns. It has fabulous lighting, a sink and a hob, and even wi-fi! You can see a time-lapse video of the build and a dye studio tour in my reels on Instagram @perranyarns.”
Do you have a favourite colourway from your current range? “I love the muted blues in my ‘Riptide’, ‘Soft Denim’ and ‘Down to Earth’ colourways, but also the more vibrant tones in ‘Sunset Party’ and
