Welcome to our Brand Spotlight Series! We’ve asked local dyers and fiber producers to share a little bit about themselves and their processes because we find it fascinating and thought you would, too!
To kick it off, we have Renee Hahnel from Spun Right Round!
Renee has been dyeing yarn since 2009, and her dye studio is right here in Fairport, NY. Fifteen years of recipes, twisting yarns into hanks and coming up with names as creative as her colors has turned her into a household name in the knitting and crochet world. Her yarn is regularly used in pattern design from designers like Wool & Pine, Summer Lee, Laura Nelkin, and many more! We've devoted an entire wall of the shop to her gorgeous Classic Sock, Squish DK, Mohair Silk, and Tweed DK with special appearances of additional bases (because who can resist?!).
If you're new to the Spun Right Round brand, you can expect vibrant colors on superwash merino bases in both speckles and tonals. Her color library spans the rainbow, sometimes all in one hank. With names like Kewpie, Careless Whiskers, Spaced Out, and Poison Dart, you might just find yourself picking your yarn like you pick your nail polish! (Honestly... does it matter what it looks like when it's called Babes in Brioche???)
✨ Dye magic ✨
Three fun facts about Renee:
She graduated from cosmetology school...bald.
She was an art school dropout (twice!).
She’s a self-proclaimed serial houseplant killer.
Sources of inspiration:
Nature
Vintage toys
Street art
How she chooses color names:
It's usually whatever comes to mind during her process (as long as it passes the urban dictionary test!).
What excites her most about the dye process:
The unpredictability of the process and results of layering dyes.
What's her dye studio soundtrack?
Roky EricksonBlack Sabbath
Motorhead
Things WE love about Spun Right Round:
We love how FUN her colors are and the versatility of her bases. Classic Sock and Squish DK are standbys around here.
When delivery/restock day happens it is (more than) a little bit like Christmas.
She dyes special edition colorways for us for occasions like Canal Days, Small Business Saturday, and Local Yarn Shop Day! (Let's face it--limited edition colorways are kind of like collecting trading cards in the fiber world. But better.)
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We are so grateful to our local artisans. They truly are the heartbeat of our shop and provide us and our fiber friends with immense creative energy and inspiration.
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