Will the colors bleed?  

I am a big fan of hand dyed yarns (obviously) and I have a very large stash of yarns I have purchased from other companies.  I love all of them, but have been troubled in the past when sweaters I have made from very expensiven yarns bled terribly when I washed them, even when I followed the washing instructions very carefully.  There are even some hand dyers who claim that excess dye and color bleed is normal and to be expected in hand-dyed yarn.  THIS IS NOT TRUE.  It is true that when working with reds, purples and very deep colors, it is wise to wash your garment before wearing it over your white blouse, and this is true with all hand dyed yarns.  But your colors should not go down the drain, and your garment should not fade.  My sister and I dye each batch of yarn ourselves, taking care to completely set the color.  We then wash and rinse each skein of yarn so that if there is any excess dye, it goes down my drain and not onto your needles. Then we hang the yarn out on the clothesline to dry.  Simple as that.  

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A Comment about Plant and Vegetable Matter

Occasionally you may find small bits of hay or grass embedded in Andy’s Merino, and less so with Roxanne’s Mohair and Fat Sheep Yarn.  This is because I do not add any acids to my fiber, as many large commercial producers do, to dissolve the naturally occurring plant matter that gets into the wool while on the sheep on the farm.  As you knit, any small bits you find usually fall right out.  Occasionally you may have to pick a piece out with your fingernail.  Plant fibers are hardly ever found in Farmhouse Silk Blend, Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene, Yarn by Bessie, I Am Allergic to Wool, and Silk Spun Cotton. 

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Do they Felt?

Yes.  Andy’s Merino, Fat Sheep Yarn, Roxanne’s Mohair, Woodland Spun and Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene all felt. Remember—with all yarns, the softer the yarn, usually the easier it felts.  Felting is not a precise art.  Your water (city or well water), chlorine content, the brand and fiber content of your yarn, the breed of the sheep that provided the wool, the dyes and chemicals used in the yarns, the type of washer you have, and the pH of the water are all variables that make results vary from project to project.  Felting is for knitters who like adventure and experimentation.  Your colors should not bleed in the felting water, but you might see a tinge of color in your water—do not be alarmed.  Hot water is used in the dyeing process, so when knitted items are placed in hot water, it is normal for a little dye to escape.  Always place your items in a lingerie bag or pillowcase and secure tightly to prevent your item from distorting permanently.

Woodland Spun felts the easiest, and you need to be sure to protect your washer by putting the item to be felted into a pillowcase that has been closed tightly.  Woodland Spun tends to shed, and you do not want the fuzz to plug your washing machine pump.

Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene felts the next easiest and the resulting felted item is surprisingly smooth despite the textured nature of the yarn.

Andy’s Merino is the next easiest to felt.  You might see a little stitch definition in your final results.  This combined with the light and dark variations in the colors of the yarn results in real depth and color character.

    
Fat Sheep and Roxanne’s Mohair are the next.  Both of these yarns are 50% mohair, which is a lustrous, sturdy fiber.  Remember, the sturdier the fiber, the more you might have to agitate the item.  Results will show a little stitch definition, adding beautiful depth and texture to your item.

       

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General felting instructions:
 
Wash in the washing machine on hot-cold cycle with a little detergent (1/3 cup) and the water set on the lowest level.  Place item to be felted into a zippered lingerie bag (or a pillow case tied with a string) to prevent distortion during felting.  NOTE:  If you have hard or chlorinated water, it may help the felting process if you add 1 cup or so of baking soda to your water.  Agitate for a full cycle, then check to see if item has felted enough.  If not, skip over the rinse and spin cycles and repeat the agitation process as many times as necessary to felt the item, checking often.  I usually take the item out of the pillowcase after it is has felted about half way.  Most items take 3 cycles of agitation to felt.  If you go 3 cycles and the item still is not the size you would like, add a teakettle full of boiling water and repeat the agitation one more time.  Let the washer spin out and follow with COLD rinse then spin.  Shape and air dry. 

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What about Softness?

At the request of our customers, we have developed several soft yarns to offer you--Farmhouse Yarns Lumpy Bumpy Yarn by Charlene is the softest, then there is Farmhouse Silk Blend, I Am Allergic to Wool and Silk Spun Cotton.  It is important to remember that we do not add softeners, perfumes, sizing or any other chemicals to the yarn other than the dyes that are used to achieve the vibrant colors.

Andy’s Merino, Fat Sheep, Yarn by Bessie and Roxanne’s Mohair are sturdy yarns that soften the more they are worn, the more they are used.  The local wool that goes into these yarns is sturdy wool grown by American farmers.  The finished yarns still contain naturally occurring lanolin which works through the yarns as they are worked.  You can achieve extra softness by adding a capful of regular hair conditioner to your rinse water when you wash the garment before wearing.  Remember—wool is fiber from a sheep with a protein makeup much like human hair.  The benefit of sturdy fibers is that garments knitted with these yarns will not pill, and they will not wear out nearly as fast as garments knitted with many of the super soft yarns on the market today.  Remember how Grandma’s sweaters lasted forever and withstood all that abuse?

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Product Development

We are continually developing new yarns to add to our collection.  Keep watching our website for new yarns and colors.  I welcome your suggestions as to yarns you would like to see added to the collection. 

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Pattern Support

Pattern support is excellent, as you can see by the pattern selection.  We have several excellent designers working on new designs, so you will find a steady stream of new projects for Farmhouse Yarns.  If you are a budding designer (or an established one!!), please call me.  I am always looking for new ideas and talent.  For a full listing and photos of available patterns (and yarn requirements), go to  Pattern Support .  

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Customer Service

I look forward to doing business with you, and I do what it takes to provide you with a product your customers will love.  As I said before, I am always accessible to you by phone and email, and whenever possible (and as my farm chores allow), I will pay a visit to you personally.  My sales representatives are also available to assist you as well.  Do not hesitate to contact any of us with any issue concerning my yarns.  The reason my yarns have come so far is because of the generous feedback offered to me by customers.

Doing business with Farmhouse Yarns is very easy.  I am very flexible when it comes to order size, payment options, model programs and delivery schedules.  I do whatever it takes to satisfy you and your customers.  Thank you for considering Farmhouse Yarns for your shop. 

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