Into the Dyebath with Ewe2Yarn

Trudy’s Instagram account captivated me from first glance. After many moons of enjoying her hand dyed yarn eye candy, I wanted to know more and discovered she’s eco! Trudy graciously granted an interview… as well as a Hoedown Showdown prize!

Join me in saying “Howdy Partner” to Trudy :-).

Q1. Swoon – that’s the feeling that strikes when I see your yarns on Instagram. How did you get started?
I think the answer to this is pretty typical. I could not find the perfect colors for my own knitting so I began creating them for myself. I would see a pattern I liked but wanted my own spin (haha) on it.

Q2. I love your eco principles! “eco-friendly, human-friendly, and animal-friendly, and that I feel good about knitting for myself and my family. I exhaust all dyes so none ends up in the earth and I use vinegar only as the acid additive. I source local whenever possible and produce everything responsibly.” Why was going eco in your dyeing important for you?
It is important for me to go eco in everything I do. I feel very strongly that every person can make changes to help sustain our environment and our humanity. More about this in Q6.

Q3. Your colors are so interesting, full of depth and variation! The nature-inspired is seen in each skein. What’s the process for developing such complex colors?
Nature knows color. It is endless and complex, comforting and so pleasing to the eye. When gazing across a field of multi-colored flowers, no one says, “Those don’t go together!” This, I believe, is because everything natural is made up of many hues, multiple little pixels shared by everything. I look very closely at leaves, bark, flowers, rocks and landscapes of forests, mountains, fields….. and try to pick out each individual color and combinations of color. I then mix and mix and mix colors until I think each color I’m using looks natural by itself and then layer multiple colors to approach the vision I’m trying to capture. I often will pull these hues across many different yarns. My goal is for all my yarns to “go together” just as everything does in nature.

Q4. You said your colors are nature inspired. Where are some of your favorite haunts for discovering new colors?
I am very drawn to mountain and forest areas. Much less to the coastal areas.

Q5. Your cross over business in hand crafted metal goods looks really intriguing. What drew you into metal work and how does it compliment your gorgeous eco hand dyed yarns?
I have been making jewelry for over 20 years, concentrating mostly on metalwork for the last 5 years. Honestly, after a long stressful day at “the real job”, hammering and torching metal is quite relaxing and strenuous at the same time! But really, I love working with both fiber and metals and remain open for ways to combine the two without forcing the issue.

Q6. With your commitment to eco, I admit I was surprise to see so much superwash in your shop. Is this the same superwash the EU banned (https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/category/fibers/wool) or is it a “healthier” superwash method?
So, this is a question I’m glad you asked and at the same time struggle with. The ultimate goal of my small yarn company is to hit on all cylinders in alignment to my personal and professional values. Ewe2Yarn’s stated goals are (not in any particular order): 1. Beautiful nature inspired colors produced on quality yarn bases. 2. Human friendly conditions. 3. Animal friendly conditions. 4. Eco friendly production. I have only been offering yarns for sale to the public a little over one year, so we are still in infancy.
I feel I have been able to find sources of yarn that comply with goals 1, 2, and 3. But, number 4 is a work in progress, and mostly for the same reason you ask…. the superwash issue. My goal is to only offer untreated yarns. Starting out, my company was too small to find yarn producers willing to offer me affordable wholesale prices on the yarns I really want. And I am not large enough to work directly with farms and mills independently. But, as I learn more, make more connections, and have a greater following, I am finding more choices. For now, I am able to offer a sustainable untreated DK weight Merino yarn that does meet my goals. And not to let the cat out of the bag, I think I am close to having a couple more bases that align nicely. It is taking much time and effort but progress is being made. For the moment I continue to offer superwash yarn bases, all in compliance with EU standards. On my end of the production process I can control environmental impact by exhausting all dyes, re-using water, and buffering acids, which I do. There is unfortunately a demand for superwash yarns. But my hope is to change this one yarn at a time.

Puddles species to species question – what role do your rescues play in Ewe2yarn? Do they accompany you when you venture into the wild for inspiration?
Puddles – The only dog that is young enough to hike with me at the moment is out newest rescue dog. His name is Kodak and we are not sure of his breed. We like to refer to him as a ‘Rot-Weenie’ because his coloring and head shape are like a Rottweiler, and his size and body shape look sort of similar to a large Dachshund.

Find Trudy around the world wide web in the following places:
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ewe2yarn
Instagram: http://instagram.com/ewe2yarn
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/ewe2yarn
Trudy’s Metalwork Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metalbreakdownjewelry/
Trudy’s Metalwork Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/metalbreakdown
Trudy’s website: http://ewe2yarn.com/ currently under construction

Trudy also may be found in person at yarn shows and a few yarn shops!
And if you live in Texas, stop by her booth at STITCHES TEXAS! Sept 14-17, 2017 in Irving, Texas.