9 Types of hand dyed yarn

When I first got into hand dyed yarn years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I have to say though, it's been a colourful and fantastical obsession since day one. However, I had no idea there was so much to learn, and I'm not going to lie, I'm still learning! You don't have to go down a rabbit hole of everything fibre though, like I tend to do, to hold your own in a yarn conversation. All you need to know are a few key terms, and luckily for you, I've compiled a list below! Here are 9 types of hand dyed yarn, but this is by no means set in stone. Please feel free to add in the comments below, and don't forget to heart and rate this post. We love to hear from you!!

9 Types of Hand Dyed Yarn

1. Semi-solids - This is the solid of the indie dyer. Only a true solid with no variation in colour can be created by a commercial dyer. An indie dyer can try his or her best to dye a flawless solid but there might still be some variation in colour. Therefore, we can only refer to indie dyed solids as semi solids, (just in case).

2. Tonals - Tonal yarns simply incorporate lighter and darker versions of the same colour. In other words, it is lightened or darkened with shades of black or grey and doesn’t have any other hues like blues or yellows added to it. The result is lighter and darker sections of the exact same colour when it's worked up.

3. Variegated - A variegated yarn is one that has three or more colours that are usually repeated in the same order. This can cause a pooling or striping effect, but it's not considered a legit self stripping yarn.

4. Ombre yarn/long stripping effect - This yarn is dyed in very long colour runs, so your project has a gradual fade/blend from one colour to the next.

5. Kettle dyed - A kettle dyed yarn is not just yarn dyed in a pot, although by definition this is accurate. This term also refers to yarn dyed with multiple different dyes added to the pot at the same time and leaving the yarn to absorbe it, resulting in a soft blend of multiple colours. These skeins can be very hard to replicate.

6. Mottled - To create this effect, a liquid dye solution is applied randomly to the yarn using drippers, spray bottles, or by pouring the dye directly onto the fibre. You can view many videos of this type of yarn being dyed on our Instagram page @ravelutionyarn.

7. Hand painted - A skein can be considered hand painted when the dye is applied literally by hand in a very controlled manner. This can be done by using a sponge brush or something of the like, but every dyer has their preferred method.

8. Speckled - A speckled yarn is yarn that has little or many areas of coloured dots (or specs) of dye throughout the skein. This technique is achieved by applying dry dye powder (sometimes mixed with citric acid for added sharpness) either by hand, with a salt shaker, a mini colander, or a spoon. Again, every dyer has their preferred method.

9. Self stripping: A genuine self stripping yarn is one that has consistant and predictable repeats throughout. This yarn is special and time consuming! There are indie dyers who only specialize in this type of dyeing.

Art yarn - I wanted to mention art yarn because, even if it's not always hand dyed, it is hand spun and hand made. Generally, art yarn is spun to include lots of texture and colour, and may also have unusual structure. It can combine many different fibres, some being hand dyed, and even include beads, charms or bells.

So that's it, your quick and dirty glimpse of different types of hand dyed yarn that you might encounter at your local fibre festival, favourite yarn store (LYS), or on your most cherished indie dyer's website (ahem). Stay tuned for a deeper dive into each type (including what to expect when casting) at a later date. Thanks so much for reading!