Hanna Lisa asked, “When we think about Telling Yarns, one word that immediately comes to mind is “intentional”. Can you tell us a little more about your business and what is important to you in running it?”
Beth responded, “Telling Yarns is more than just a small business; it's a lifestyle and heartfelt passion that allows my creativity to flourish and our entrepreneurial spirit to be constantly challenged. What started as a solo compulsion in 2019 blossomed quickly into a family endeavour, with my husband James now playing a significant role in our daily operations. We base every decision about Telling Yarns on whether it feels authentic to us. This has felt key to keeping joy at the forefront of our venture.”
“You only work with British non-superwash yarns – we’re so honoured you’ve chosen us as your mill! – and dye incredibly nuanced colourways on them. Would you share a bit about your dyeing process with us?”
“Our dyeing process is unrushed and dedicated to capturing that perfect undefinable moment between colours; where a million nuances of shade converge in a single inch of wool, resulting in a subtly semi-tonal shade that is both wearable and, hopefully, captivating. Often, we search for that opposing tone that elevates a pretty colour into a complex hue. Think of Claude Monet's Seine paintings or that Hellebore flower which offers a hint of softest coral blush, streaked with veins of deep aubergine, all on a background of gentle, glowing lichen.“
“For this collaboration, you’ve created a gorgeous pastel-earthy colour named “Pocket Full of Dye”. What's the main inspiration behind this colourway and its name?”
“Working on colourway collaborations with John Arbon Textiles has been a delightful journey, with the recurring theme of Agatha Christie adding a fun touch. For example, 'A Pocket Full of Rye' inspired 'Pocket Full of Dye,' where I aimed to encapsulate every conceivable flush of pastel into a soft, summery palette. The Mill Folk already create such wonderful multitoned yarns, and so I feel it is essential that I instead capture that elusive hand-dyed feel as much as possible in any collaboration we work on together.”
“You dyed the collab on your new custom-spun base Dark Friends, a blend of Grey Exmoor Blueface, Romney, and Bluefaced Leicester. What was important to you when creating it and what do you particularly like about it?”
“When developing our new base, Dark Friends, it was crucial that it complemented our existing 4-ply base, Resolute, within any project. Dark Friends shares all the characteristics of Resolute but with a slightly darker hue, striking the perfect balance between the almost ecru shade of Resolute and the much deeper Night Gathers. The opposing natural wool colours of the Grey Exmoor Blueface vs the light Romney and BFL, needed to be only lightly blended during spinning, to ensure that we can still capture our signature colourway style on this more saturated wool.”
“Last, but certainly not least: Do you have a pattern or two in mind that would work really well with this colourway and base?”
“Currently, I'm finishing up the Lucca Cardigan by Sophie at The Knit Purl Girl, and using Dark Friends held double has been a delightful experience. Each strand shifts colours gently at its own pace, creating a beautifully intricate and subtly nuanced colourway without even thinking of alternating skeins. I also recently knit a Thea Colman pattern, Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, which would have been beautiful in this colour, Pocket Full of Dye.”
