About Us
Catherine Gaertig
Hand Dyer and Owner of Little Bishes Stitches
How I discovered Hand Dyed Yarn
In 2014 I discovered the world of hand-dyed yarn and immediately fell in love. This type of yarn was an extraordinary discovery for me due to the endless color combinations and limitless selection of yarn bases offered by other dyers. Each skein of yarn was a work of art, which immediately inspired my next knitting project with sheer joy. I also noticed very quickly that this joy didn't end with the selection of colors. My joy deepened while working with the yarn and remained after the project was over.
My Journey as a Hand Dyer
Hand dyed yarn has not only inspired my knitting projects but also awakened my own artistic past and encouraged me to return to my expression through color. The yarn dyeing process is like shedding layers, which gives me an incredible feeling of balance, joy and inspiration. My favorite part of the yarn dying process is seeing how the yarn looks after it has been wound into a skein.
After my first coloring session, I knew I wanted to share my inspiration with other makers. And so Little Bishes Stitches hand dyed yarn was born. The color composition was a art to me. The depth and contrast of the colors, usually with an explosion of speckles, spread across the surface of the ball. Knitting with hand-dyed wool was so artistically fulfilling that I had to try dyeing it.
Hand Dying Yarn and My Process
After my first coloring session, everything came together. I found a familiar sense of artistic balance and expression from my days studying fine art. I recognized my senses again and from that point on I dyed wool almost every day. I also very much enjoyed the process that came with it. Several steps are involved in Dyeing yarn. The yarn needs to be prepared, dyed, rinsed, dried, wound and prepared for purchase. In a sense, these steps were a ritual that fulfilled me.
It became clear to me that there was much more to dyeing wool than just dyeing it. I knew that dyeing yarn was a ritual that I had to do daily. As a result, I opened Little Bishes Hand Dyed Wool.
How the Name Little Bishes Stitches Was Born
I like humor and the safe space to be creative! I also like word play and rhyme. If someone asks me how would you describe your hand-dyed yarn, I would use language like "expressive", "sorry not sorry", "emotion through colors". The inspiration of my children, my love for the knitting and the energy of my creative process also played a very important role in this. As a result, the name Little Bishes Stitches came to mind and stayed.
What is Important to Me When Hand Dying Yarn
The integrity of my product is very important to me. That's why I only use sheep's wool for dyeing, which is muleseing-free and of high quality.
In addition, my focus is also on the environment. During my dyeing process I pay attention to the consumption of energy and water. I try my best to keep these as low as possible and reuse water for further dyeing, among other things. My dye recipes are designed so that the cooking time of the wool is short. This way I keep energy consumption low.
Environmentally friendly products are used when washing the wool and, when the weather is good, it is air dried in the sun.
Orders are also prepared with environmentally friendly packaging materials and sent using Go Green Transport, among others.
