Sometimes you just have to start all over again.
And, damn, that change can be difficult. It comes with a lot of loss.
For Outlaw Yarn the ongoing supply issues meant the discontinuation of the brands we loved and built our business on.
Bohemia, Gothic, Nyx, Lissy Cole’s Auaha Haukura and the Bandit range.
It also meant the loss of Outlaw HQ which, to me, was always the physical manifestation of our community.
If there is one thing the pandemic taught me, it was to pivot.
To be able to change my plans at a moment’s notice and to find new ways forward.
So, that’s what we are doing now, finding a new path.
Our new home is still on Stanley Street, in the building affectionately known as “number 8”.
Primarily because it is number 8, but also because the dye house it contains was built
with a whole lot of the number 8 wire mentality that kiwis are famous for!
In 2021 during the pandemic (and due to the aforementioned supply issues), I purchased a small, second hand,
commercial sample dye vat knowing that we would need to convert it from steam to electric.
Unfortunately we weren’t really prepared for the rough state that it arrived in.
It was a steep learning curve to repair, convert, and then install the vat and get it to working order,
as well as source the dyes and equipment needed to begin.
One that took an entire year.
It was June 2022 before we finally did our first dye run and we were delighted with the result.
The months of preparation paid off and we had our first batch of Rebel yarn dyed by us!
I would love to say that it has been smooth sailing since then,
but a year of experimenting with dye has taught me that I can still be surprised on a regular basis!
Opening the vat is still the most exciting part of the day.
Commercial dyes primarily use a tri-tonal system which means that each shade is made up
of a mixture of red, blue, and yellow shades.
This can make for some interesting and unexpected results!
The dye house is a noisy place, in part because we have the radio blaring while we work.
It’s set to an old rock music station and this became the inspiration for Rebel yarn’s make over.
I love a theme, and I needed one that would provide me with plenty of inspiration for colours
and colour names since I can (in theory) dye any colour I want now.
So, our new labels feature punk sheep and the colour names are song lyrics.
New beginnings are an opportunity to do things differently, so Outlaw Yarn is getting a make over too.
We have a fun new look to take us forward in this new dye house era.
I always want “all the crayons in the box” and now with the ability to dye my own yarn
I can have every colour (and non-colour!) that I desire.
I hope you’ll find some that you desire too.
Deb
And, damn, that change can be difficult. It comes with a lot of loss.
For Outlaw Yarn the ongoing supply issues meant the discontinuation of the brands we loved and built our business on.
Bohemia, Gothic, Nyx, Lissy Cole’s Auaha Haukura and the Bandit range.
It also meant the loss of Outlaw HQ which, to me, was always the physical manifestation of our community.
If there is one thing the pandemic taught me, it was to pivot.
To be able to change my plans at a moment’s notice and to find new ways forward.
So, that’s what we are doing now, finding a new path.
Our new home is still on Stanley Street, in the building affectionately known as “number 8”.
Primarily because it is number 8, but also because the dye house it contains was built
with a whole lot of the number 8 wire mentality that kiwis are famous for!
In 2021 during the pandemic (and due to the aforementioned supply issues), I purchased a small, second hand,
commercial sample dye vat knowing that we would need to convert it from steam to electric.
Unfortunately we weren’t really prepared for the rough state that it arrived in.
It was a steep learning curve to repair, convert, and then install the vat and get it to working order,
as well as source the dyes and equipment needed to begin.
One that took an entire year.
It was June 2022 before we finally did our first dye run and we were delighted with the result.
The months of preparation paid off and we had our first batch of Rebel yarn dyed by us!
I would love to say that it has been smooth sailing since then,
but a year of experimenting with dye has taught me that I can still be surprised on a regular basis!
Opening the vat is still the most exciting part of the day.
Commercial dyes primarily use a tri-tonal system which means that each shade is made up
of a mixture of red, blue, and yellow shades.
This can make for some interesting and unexpected results!
The dye house is a noisy place, in part because we have the radio blaring while we work.
It’s set to an old rock music station and this became the inspiration for Rebel yarn’s make over.
I love a theme, and I needed one that would provide me with plenty of inspiration for colours
and colour names since I can (in theory) dye any colour I want now.
So, our new labels feature punk sheep and the colour names are song lyrics.
New beginnings are an opportunity to do things differently, so Outlaw Yarn is getting a make over too.
We have a fun new look to take us forward in this new dye house era.
I always want “all the crayons in the box” and now with the ability to dye my own yarn
I can have every colour (and non-colour!) that I desire.
I hope you’ll find some that you desire too.
Deb