Dye Your Own Yarn & Take Your Project to the Next Level | Podcast Episode #139

Episode Transcript

Well hey there, welcome to episode 139 of the B.Hooked Podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today! I have a real treat for you again this week. I’m always so excited about the people in the community I get to share with you here on the show—and this one is no exception.

I’ve been looking forward to talking with today’s guest for a couple of weeks now. We’re diving into a topic that I know piques your interest—dyeing yarn. We’ve talked about it a couple of times before on the show, and I always hear how fascinating it is from your perspective as a crocheter or knitter.

I know for me, it’s something I’ve found really interesting lately. Seeing how color is added to yarn and how you can use that creative process to take your projects one step further? It’s so inspiring. Crochet is such an important part of my life because of the process itself. I genuinely love the making part—sometimes even more than the finished project! Although, I definitely love gifting my makes and seeing people’s reactions, and of course wearing what I make makes me feel proud. But the process… the process is everything.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve gotten a little more interested in dyeing yarn myself. That curiosity actually started right here on the podcast when I invited a guest on to talk about it. But this episode? This one really takes it to the next level.

Ashley from Montana Crochet is joining me today. She’s got some truly beautiful yarns in her shop, and I would definitely encourage you to check out her Instagram so you can see what we’re talking about. She walks us through her colorways and how they come to life—and it’s just so cool.

I’m already looking forward to pulling out my dye pot and playing around with a few more skeins after this conversation. And I hope this episode inspires you to try something new, too.

Before we dive in, just a quick heads up: Ashley shares a few helpful resources during our chat—where you can buy undyed yarn, what kinds of dye she uses, and more. I’ve linked to everything on the show notes page, along with all the ways to connect with Ashley after the episode. You’ll find that at bhooked.com/139.

All right, let’s get to it! Here’s my conversation with Ashley from Montana Crochet.

Brittany:
Ashley, welcome to the B.Hooked Podcast! Thank you so much for joining me today.

Ashley:
Well, thank you so much for having me. I’m so happy to be here!

Brittany:
It’s an absolute pleasure. I’ve been an admirer of your Instagram for so long, and I’m just really excited to finally have you on the show and tap into some of your wisdom. You do so many things—you’ve really got a lot going on—and I’m thrilled to be able to share that with the audience today.

Ashley:
Oh my gosh, thank you! Those are such big compliments coming from you—seriously.

Brittany:
Well, I mean every word. Your Instagram is beautiful—it’s such an inspirational place for makers to explore. That’s one of the biggest perks of Instagram as a creative, I think. But you’re also designing, so you’ve got a lot to talk about!

The last time I had someone on the show to talk about yarn dyeing, I hadn’t actually tried it myself—aside from a not-so-great Kool-Aid experiment that went totally wrong. But I think it was about a month ago that I finally dyed yarn for the first time, and it was so much fun. I definitely want to get back to it. So I’m going to be a little selfish today and ask a few questions for my own curiosity—but I know they’ll help the audience, too.

Ashley:
Well absolutely—fire away! I love talking about dyeing, the science behind it, my process, and the tools I use. I’m so excited that you’ve tried it! I swear, once someone gives it a go, they can’t stop. It’s just so much fun.

Brittany:
It is! I spent an entire day completely devoted to it, and I was honestly a little sad when it was over—mostly because I didn’t have any more natural-colored wool to keep going. I’ve got the dye ready to go… I just need to get more fiber!

Ashley:
Sounds like it’s time for some shopping—a little pre-Christmas gift to yourself! Definitely get some bare yarn to play with.

Brittany:
That might be the perfect place to start. But before we dive deeper, I’d love to give folks a chance to get to know you a bit. Like I said, I’ve been following you for a while, but for someone who’s just hearing about you for the first time, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where can people find you, and how did you get started in the fiber world?

Ashley:
Sure! You can find me on Instagram—my handle is @montana.crochet. I really got into dyeing yarn in July of 2018, so just a little over a year ago. I’ll never forget that first time—I had about 20 skeins to play with, and I only liked one of them!

Brittany:
[Laughs]

Ashley:
It’s true! You’re just experimenting at that point, and you really don’t know what you’re doing yet. I learned everything by scouring YouTube and watching what other people were doing—seeing what materials and techniques they used. From there, I just started playing around.

Eventually, I honed in on what inspired me and what colors I was naturally drawn to. Once that clicked, it really took off. I realized how passionate I was about dyeing—and now, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Brittany: 7:35
Yeah. So did you start dyeing first or did you know how to crochet beforehand?

Ashley: 7:42
Oh, I’ve been crocheting since I was nine. My grandma taught me, you know, one weekend when we were staying with grandma and grandpa, and she gave me my first ever crochet hook, which I still have. It’s just this, it’s a little treasure of mine. It’s an H hook, a little boy hook.

And yeah, I’ve been crocheting, you know, probably there is… about a six or seven year period, just kind of growing up and into high school where I didn’t do much of it. But after I graduated high school, I’ve really just been crocheting solid ever since then.

Brittany: 8:16
Super cool. What is your favorite thing to crochet? I know you do like a lot of different things, but I feel like we all sort of have our go-to project. If you had to put your finger on like one project, what would be like the thing you would go to when you want to relax and just sort of zone out?

Ashley: 8:34
Oh my gosh. Um, you know, I’m a total shawl addict right now. I don’t even know how many shawls I’ve crocheted in the last like year and a half, but when I just want to like, when I really want to chill and like zone out, it’s making Afghans and blankets and throws.

There’s just something really like, you know, like those repetitive stitches that, you know, you can just put on the Netflix and chill and… yeah, there’s just something about blankets. Plus, I mean, they make great gifts, you know, for like, you know, people getting married or people having babies. I mean, I’ve made more blankets for more family members. And that’s like the one thing I get requests from my kids: “Mom, when are you going to make me another blanket?”

Brittany: 9:23
Yeah, that’s true. You know, now that I think about it, that’s the thing that a lot of people request of me too. I wonder if it’s just like the thing that people associate with homey, cozy—like all the nice things that people love about crochet and knit stuff as well—who don’t necessarily do it, but they want to have that.

And what you see on TV all the time—I don’t know how many times I have like pointed out to my husband, “Look at that afghan like thrown over the back of the couch just in this TV show!”

Ashley: 9:58
Well, yeah, I think that’s probably the most prevalent part of crochet or knit culture that people see on a regular basis, you know what I mean? Seeing that crocheted afghan or knit blanket or whatever it is.

Brittany: 10:13
Yeah. So how many of those do you think that you’ve made? Oh, my gosh. Probably a lot of years there, right? I’m generally good for one to two per year. Any more than that is just… it’s a little rough.

Ashley: 10:29
Well, yeah, because they’re such big projects. You know, honestly, over the years, I bet you I’ve made at least 50.
Wow, yeah. At least.

I mean, I just think of all the babies being born in like the last 10 years. I’ve made more baby blankets, but then like graduations and weddings and things like that too. I mean, definitely, I’d have to say at least 50.

Brittany: 10:54
Yeah.

Ashley: 10:55
That’s impressive.

Brittany: 10:57
That’s a lot of blankets to make.

Ashley: 10:59
Right. What about you? How many do you think you’ve made then?

Brittany: 11:04
Oh gosh. If I had to put my finger on it, I would say—and we’re including baby blankets in this too—oh gosh, I would say probably at least 30. Right? I mean, it’s a lot. It is a lot.

Yeah, because I’m thinking of all of those that I have gifted and the patterns that I have created. I still have a lot of those. We have several in our house too. That’s the one thing my husband is always requesting I make: “Can you make a really, really soft afghan? Like a really soft blanket that we can throw over the back of the couch?”

So we have several of them. He’s really like keen on that—on like furry yarns or the Vel-Luxe or, you know, that sort of stuff. Which is fun. I really love making blankets out of that kind of stuff.

Ashley: 11:55
Oh yeah. Just that cozy—you just can’t get enough of it.

Brittany: 11:59
Oh, for sure. Love cuddling under that.

So anyways, bringing it into today—when did Montana Crochet come about? I’m guessing it didn’t start right away, but you sort of led into it. And now you have a business that you’re working full-time on. I think that’s really cool. I would love to hear just a tiny bit of that story.

Ashley: 12:19
You know, I guess what kind of happened is—I was so nervous about putting my own hand-dyed yarn into my Instagram feed for the first time. Just because I didn’t know what other people were going to think.

But it was, I want to say late August or early September when I posted—I guess I showed off my first hand-dyed skeins. And people really were just so receptive to it. Like, “Oh my gosh, you did that. It’s beautiful!”

And I decided, well, you know, hey—I bought montanacrochet.com months before, just thinking, “Well, who knows? I don’t know what I’m going to do with this,” but I wanted to at least kind of put it out there to the universe that maybe Montana Crochet could become a thing. At the time, I didn’t know what that looked like.

So then, late August, early September is when I had my first technical shop update—and I sold out in like two hours.

Brittany: 14:02
Wow.

Ashley: 14:03
I couldn’t believe it. And at the time, I think I only had just over like a thousand followers. And I just thought that was the most amazing thing. I’m like, “Oh my gosh, these people like what I do.” I couldn’t believe it. It was just so magical to me.

And then the whole process of just dyeing the yarn, hanking it up, labeling it, packaging it—the whole process—I love every little bit of it. I honestly do.

Brittany: 14:28
Well, it seems like—well, I mean, I sort of have a tiny, tiny bit of experience with the process and how long it takes—but I can’t even imagine doing that twice to the magnitude that you are, where you’re creating stock. So you’re creating more than one of every color and you’re doing multiple hanks at once.

If you had to guess, what would you say is kind of like what you can do in a batch? Are we looking at like, I don’t know, five or six hanks or like 50 hanks?

Ashley: 14:59
When I’m dyeing for an update, I try to dye anywhere between 100 and 120 a day.

Brittany: 15:06
Oh, wow.

Ashley: 15:08
Any more than that and I’m dyeing for like 16 hours straight.

It’s kind of good because I’m a small batch dyer and I’m not dyeing 10 skeins at a time in a pot. I typically dye anywhere between two and maybe four at the max. That’s why my process takes so much longer—because I only dye two to maybe four at a time.

Brittany: 15:35
Gotcha. Okay. And I think that really shows through in your product, because you have some really gorgeous, unique items.

I can scroll through Instagram, I can see a project that’s being crocheted with your yarn—not know that it’s you posting it—and know exactly who that is. Because your yarn, to me, it just, it feels signature. It just has a look to it that says Ashley.

Ashley: 16:00
Well, thank you. You know, a lot of my yarns too—which kind of blows people’s minds when I tell them—a lot of them are overdyed. And what that means is that it’s not just being dyed once.

Sometimes there are certain skeins or colorways—like Nebula, for instance, it’s a really popular colorway—that gets dyed anywhere between three and four separate times. So if I have to dye 10 Nebula, technically it feels like 30 or 40.

But in order to get certain depth to certain colorways and make sure the color saturation goes all the way through the yarn—whatever base that is—sometimes it does require being dyed three or four different times.

Brittany: 16:49
Okay. Now is that for the colorways that are more tonal, where you’re using the same color but it looks different, like shades? Or is it more like the multicolored hanks that we’ve seen from you?

Ashley: 17:06
It’s more the multicolored ones. Some of my multicolored ones have anywhere between four and six different colors that I dye with in the pot. But depending on the weight of the yarn, it’s going to take a few different tries to make sure that every single color gets saturated into the entire skein.

So like the more tonal yarns—those only get dyed once and it just comes out how it comes out, and I love it. And those are quick, and those are easy.

It’s the ones that have a lot of extra effort in them that can be tiring sometimes—but they’re gorgeous. And they crochet and knit up just—oh, I can’t get enough of it.

Brittany: 17:55
Yeah. And since we’re over audio here, let’s try to put a picture in the audience’s mind. When we’re talking about these multicolors, would you say that they’re more like striped or ombre, or more like variegated—spotty, if you will?

Ashley: 18:11
I would say they’re more variegated, but what’s really unique about some of them is the way they fade into the next color. So, if it’s something like—let’s take Larkspur, for example. Larkspur is named after this beautiful, deep purple flower that blooms in the mountains near my cabin. It’s very blue and it’s very purple, but it’s not just blue and purple.

So when you’re crocheting or knitting with it, you’re fading from the blue into the purple as you use it. There’s not just this clear-cut shift and change in the color. I don’t know—I mean, if that’s a good way of describing it or not.

Brittany: 19:01
Yeah, yeah, I think it is. Now, my mind here is going in the direction of: how on earth do you do that?

The yarn dyeing experiment that I did was just a single color. I put it in a single dye pot. But I know that hand-painting exists—I know a little bit about that. Is that more the technique you’re using for these, or are you dyeing sections in a pot? How does that work?

Ashley: 19:26
Yeah, it depends on the colorway, but really I do everything in the pot. And it all depends on how much water you have.

There are certain ways of dyeing where you have a low water table or a high water table. A lot of these are dyed with a low water table so I can control how the color takes in different sections of the pot.

Does that make sense? So I’ll take something like Larkspur, which actually uses three different colors, and I place them in three different areas in the pot. Then I use a stainless steel spoon to kind of press the yarn down into the dye and let the dye come together and create its own—it’s like a new color.

Brittany: 20:15
Oh my gosh, it’s so hard to describe! So, are there multiple different colors in the pot at the same time?

Ashley: 20:21
Yes!

Brittany: 20:22
And they’re just not mixed together?

Ashley: 20:32
They will mix together—but that’s where I control it by using the spoon to say, “Okay, I want to see what happens when these ones come together.”

That’s where color theory really comes in. Because if you use a red and a blue together, when those two colors meet in the same pot, they’re going to create purple. You want to be careful about which colors you’re putting in the pot at the same time. But that’s what’s so cool about it—the science behind it, and seeing those colors shift and change.

Brittany: 21:13
Yeah, so you can get really, really detailed with this. But I’m going to venture to guess that most people listening have either dyed maybe once or twice for fun—or they haven’t tried it at all.

So let’s help that person out. I know you have a lot of experience with dyeing, including really intricate hanks of yarn, but also some really basic and simple ones. So let’s sort of break it into steps of what someone would need to do.

We’ll go back to that bookmark—because I think the first thing you need is: you have to have some yarn to dye.

A lot of people might not go to an online store and order a bunch of premium animal fiber yarn to dye with for an experiment. Do you think it’s reasonable—or okay—to just walk into your yarn store, find something that’s wool in a light color, and use that? Or what would your recommendation be as far as finding a couple of hanks to play around with?

Ashley: 22:19
Oh my gosh—yes! I would totally say yes to that.

Go to your Michaels, Joann’s, Hobby Lobby—find something that’s mostly wool. The more wool, the better. Pick it up and give it a go!

Definitely, the first place I went to—well, I didn’t go to my local yarn store. I went to Knit Picks. They have an amazing selection of bare wools, and what’s really nice is they’re very reasonably priced. You can buy just one or two skeins at a time, so it’s not a massive investment.

You don’t have to buy 10, 20, or 40 skeins just to experiment. A lot of people just can’t afford that—I know I couldn’t when I started.

Brittany: 23:11
And for an experiment, you probably wouldn’t want to invest that much. I know I wouldn’t.

If I’m just trying to figure something out—to say I’ve done it or to see if I want to do more of it—I’m probably going to take the easier, less expensive route.

Ashley: 23:25
Oh, of course.

Brittany: 23:26
But that’s good to know. Yeah, I’ve heard that before—that they’re a great resource. I’ll include Knit Picks in the show notes for anyone who wants to try dyeing and grab just one or two hanks.

Now they are online, so it’s an order you’d have to place. I haven’t personally ordered from them—do you know if they have a pretty quick turnaround for shipping?

Ashley: 23:51
Oh my goodness, yes. I believe it’s typically two days. They have it right out the door.

So if you’re really hankering to give it a try, Knit Picks is definitely a great resource and place to go.

Brittany: 24:06
Okay, perfect.

Now, before you said “the more wool, the better.” Does that mean—let’s say someone has in their stash an 80/20 blend—will that take up the dye? I know acrylic can be weird and finicky from past experience.

Can you dye an 80/20 blend and have it work out without the dye bleeding off all over your hands?

Ashley: 24:31
Yes. So the 80% is wool, correct?

Brittany: 24:35
Yes.

Ashley: 24:36
Okay. So the wool is what’s going to take the dye. The acrylic will not take it at all—zero.

Yes, it’ll definitely work. However, it will be different than if you had dyed the same exact color on 100% wool. So it’ll come out just a little different.

Brittany: 25:02
Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I’m thinking maybe lighter—and it might be easier to spot the wool versus the acrylic?

Ashley: 25:11
Yeah. It’d actually kind of be interesting. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m like, huh—I wonder how that would work out.

Brittany: 25:17
Yeah, well, we might have to give that a try just to see what happens. I do have some dye here.

But is there a fiber that’s good for beginners—or like a wool you would recommend? Or is it kind of all pretty much the same?

Ashley: 25:32
Honestly, 100% superwash merino is definitely my absolute favorite.

You can get Highland wools, but they just tend—they’re not as soft. I know they’re really good for knitting sweaters and things like that. But personally, I really want something soft against my skin. So that’s why I go with the 100% superwash merino.

Brittany: 26:01
Gotcha. I’m 100% with you on that one.

I can do a sweater—a less-soft sweater—if I know I’m going to wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath it. But I’m definitely an itch-a-phobe for sure.

Ashley: 26:13
Oh, I know. And gosh, you spend so much time creating something—you want to make sure that you love it.

Brittany: 26:20
Yes, definitely.

And I think that’s what’s so great about this process. Think about how wonderful it is to crochet something from a little ball of yarn—or multiple balls of yarn—into something you can wear or drape over yourself on the couch. That process is what so many of us are drawn to.

But this takes it to the next level. When you hand-select your yarn, when you hand-dye your yarn, and then create it into a thing—I just feel like that’s so much more than just the project itself.

Ashley: 26:58
Well, it’s a totally different immersion into it. That creative process…

You know, we’re all makers, and we absolutely love to crochet. We love to knit. But to take it to that next level? It’s really magical.

There’s nothing like it—when you’ve been through the entire process from beginning to end. From when it’s drying, to caking it up, to creating a beautiful piece with it. It really is something special.

Brittany: 27:30
Yeah, for sure.

Now let’s talk a little bit about dyes, because that’s probably the next thing someone will need. Do you have a recommendation for where to get dyes? Maybe something that’s easier to work with for someone who’s just starting out?

Ashley: 27:48
You know, it depends on whether you want to work with natural dyes or if you’re up for trying acid dyes.

They’re totally different worlds and require entirely different supplies depending on which direction you go.

I use acid dyes, and I go to DharmaTrading.com to get mine. I use Dharma acid dyes almost exclusively—they’re amazing. The saturation they give is just out of this world. Their shipping, their company as a whole—they’ve been absolutely wonderful.

So Dharma Trading is where I’d go for acid dyes. They do have a great selection of natural dyes too, I just haven’t really gone that route myself.

Brittany: 28:37
Yeah. Okay, so acid dyes—I’m sitting here thinking, based on what I learned from the first hank I dyed recently, I know you have to use a mordant, which is really just an acid, right? You can use vinegar… there are a couple of other things. So when you use an acid dye, does that take the place of a mordant—like, does that mean you need one less supply? Or do you still have to have that?

Ashley: 29:01
No, absolutely—you still need it. I feel like I should just invest in citric acid stock for how much I buy! I use citric acid, and what that does is—when you’re getting ready to dye yarn, you need to soak it. That’s the first step, above anything else.

So you soak your yarn in your mordant. For people using natural dyes, they might use vinegar. For acid dyes, you use food-grade citric acid. It’s completely safe—you find it in all kinds of food. What the citric acid does is help open up the fibers so they can accept the dye.

And the longer you soak your yarn, the better. I mean, I’m thinking right now—I’ve got a few tubs where yarn has been soaking for over a week!

Brittany: 30:30
Oh wow, really?

Ashley: 30:32
Yeah! And here’s something people don’t necessarily know—citric acid is a softener. So if you take something like superwash merino, which is already soft, and soak it even longer in citric acid, it becomes softer. It’s magic—absolute magic. So yeah, citric acid is my go-to mordant, definitely.

Brittany: 30:57
Okay, all right—well that’s a great little tip there.

The kit I used didn’t call for much soaking, so not having done this before, it’s really interesting to hear that you can soak it that long—and that the longer, the better. I’m guessing that’s part of why your yarn is so vibrant and pretty!

Ashley: 31:22
Yeah, and I’ve tried before when I was in a rush—like, “I only have an hour to let this soak”—and there is definitely a difference. One hour compared to a day, or even three or more days, makes a huge impact.

I’ve just learned: the longer, the better. And the more I plan ahead, the better it turns out—and the less work I have to do, because the yarn is just ready. It’s like, “Ooh! Give me that color!”

Brittany: 31:56
Yeah! Now, are there any cautions about soaking wool for that long? I know wool can be finicky—it doesn’t like to be stirred or squeezed too much. Any precautions you’d recommend for handling it while it’s soaking?

Ashley: 32:11
Honestly, I haven’t had any issues at all. Once it’s soaking, I just don’t mess with it. I don’t touch it.

One really good tip: when you get your bare yarn, put a zip tie on it. That way, when you’re lifting it out of the tub or bin, it won’t get tangled. Trust me—you do not want wet wool tangled up. It’s a nightmare, especially if you’re dyeing 30 or 40 skeins. So I always zip tie mine, and when I pull it out, I just grab the zip tie and don’t even touch the skein itself.

Brittany: 32:40
Yeah, yeah. So you’re soaking and dyeing in that long loop format—like when you unwind a hank, and you’re left with a big loop. That’s how you soak and dye?

Ashley: 32:57
Yep, exactly. Once you unwind the hank and have that big loop, I attach the zip tie, and that’s how I soak and dye it. And that zip tie stays on until it’s dry.

Brittany: 33:11
Okay. Just to clarify for anyone listening—if you buy yarn that’s already in a skein or cake, it’s a good idea to get it into that big loop format before dyeing. Do you have tips for that—for someone who doesn’t have a yarn swift?

You know, before I had one…

Ashley: 33:34
I used the back of a chair!

Brittany: 33:36
I do too!

Ashley: 33:37
I think it’s the best trick—otherwise, I don’t even know how you’d do it! Before I figured that out, I had some hand-dyed yarn, and I didn’t know how to manage it. I spent hours trying to deal with it, trailing yarn all over my living room. It was a mess. So yeah—the back of the chair trick!

Brittany: 34:10
Yep. I remember the first time I bought a hank of yarn from a local yarn shop—it was early in the game, and I had no clue how a hank actually worked.

It was my birthday, and I bought some Malabrigo—it was gorgeous, and I was so excited to make a hat. I got it home, opened it up, and I was like… “What now?”

I laid the loop on the table and just started slowly winding it by hand—no swift, no ball winder, nothing. It didn’t tangle too badly, but it did stick together and get a little messy. By the time I was done winding it, I was so exhausted, I didn’t even feel like crocheting!

So, yeah—swifts and ball winders are a great investment. But if you can’t make that purchase, ask the yarn shop to cake it for you. I didn’t know that back then, but most shops will absolutely do that.

Ashley: 35:46
Yes! They’ll totally do it. And even if you hand-dyed the yarn yourself and don’t have the tools, just head to your local shop and say, “Hey, I just dyed this—can I use your winder?” They’ll usually be more than happy to help.

Brittany: 36:13
Yeah, that’s a good tip too.

Now I’m thinking through the process again. We’ve talked about yarn, about dye, and about soaking… Is there anything else someone needs to know before jumping in?

Ashley: 36:31
Yes—especially when it comes to acid dyes, it’s really important to use stainless steel. So, a stainless steel pot or restaurant pan, stainless steel spoons, measuring utensils… and your work surface should be non-porous, so it won’t absorb any spilled dye.

Acid dyes aren’t exactly safe to work with, so you need to take precautions. Wear a mask—you don’t want to breathe in the powder. And don’t use your kitchen tools. I’ve seen people try dyeing in a crockpot, which can work, but only if you’re never planning to cook in it again. Just be very aware of what the dye touches.

Brittany: 37:40
Yeah—I’ve heard that’s good practice for any kind of dyeing. Just have a dedicated set of supplies. Head to the dollar store, grab a stainless steel pot and spoon, and keep those as your dye tools.

Ashley: 38:00
Exactly.

Brittany: 38:01
So if someone’s getting into this, they might be thinking, “Okay, I need to get a few things…” And yeah, it’s an investment, but if you’re excited about trying it, it’s not much of a risk. I think once you do it once, you’ll want to do it again.

That’s what happened to me. I was hesitant to give up my extra pot and spoon at first—but I decided, “You know what, this is my yarn-dyeing set now.” And I do want to dye again.

Ashley: 39:01
Yes! Look around and see what you already have. And like you said, the dollar store is a great place to start. You’d be surprised how little you really need to get going.

Brittany: 39:17
How big of a pot do you think you need? I had a stock pot—maybe the third size out of a set of four. It felt pretty big, but does it need to be that big?

Ashley: 39:32
Mine are probably 14- or 16-quart stock pots. But it depends on whether you’re using a low or high water table. You definitely don’t need a massive pot to start—it just depends on your process.

Brittany: 40:00
Could you explain what a low vs. high water table means? Is it just the amount of water in the pot?

Ashley: 40:07
Yes. I usually dye with a low water table—so I’ve got my yarn, already soaked, and then I’ll add just enough water in the pot so that there’s maybe an inch of water above the yarn. That’s a low water table.

A high water table is more like when you fill the pot halfway with water for the same amount of yarn.

Brittany: 40:45
Got it. And what’s the difference in the look of the yarn between the two?

Ashley: 40:59
Low water table gives you very highly saturated yarn. High water table looks totally different. Even if you’re using the same dyes, applied the same way—it’ll blow your mind how different it turns out.

Brittany: 41:19
That’s cool. I want to experiment with that now!

Okay, I have to ask—my favorite kind of hand-dyed yarn is tonal. When it’s all one color, but you get really saturated spots and really light spots… How do you do that?

Ashley: 41:41
It’s actually really easy! I hope dyers don’t hate me for giving this away—but it’s so cool.

Instead of pouring dye over the yarn that’s already in the pot, grab your yarn by the zip tie, take it out of the pot, pour the dye directly into the water, swirl it around to mix, then drop the yarn in.

Make sure the yarn gets completely saturated, then lift it up. Then put it back in. Then lift it again.

You’ll literally see the dye attaching itself to the yarn. That’s how you get a tonal colorway.

Brittany: 42:35
Oh wow, that’s really cool! Thanks for sharing that—it’s always kind of mystified me.

I tried to get that look when I dyed my first hank, but it didn’t really work. Some spots are a little more saturated, but mostly it just looks uneven. Still, I think that’s the beauty of dyeing—it’s kind of experimental, and I’d say it’s hard to be totally disappointed with the outcome. Would you say that’s true?

Ashley: 43:10
Yeah. I mean—unless it’s a total fail. And I’ve had those too! Sometimes I’ll get this idea, and then I look at it and go, “Oh wow… that did not work.”

But even then, you learn something. It’s not wasted time. You figure out what works, and that just comes with experience. There’s no one right way to do it—you just have to see where it takes you.

Brittany: 43:44
Exactly. Like anything else in crochet or knitting, you get better the more you do it.

Your first time might be a total wreck—but the second time will be better because you learned something. It’s like our first crochet project—wobbly stitches, weird tension, holes… but we improve over time. I’m sure even now, you’re still making little improvements every time you dye.

And I’d say solid color is a great place to start. It’s hard to mess up a single-dye skein. The yarn ends up looking pretty much like the dye you used. Would you agree?

Ashley: 44:46
Absolutely. One hundred percent.

If there are colors you naturally gravitate toward, just pick one or two of those to start with. You’ll be so happy with the result.

Brittany:
Yeah. Now, I wonder if there are any resources available. Let’s say you buy a set of dyes that includes your primary colors. Does it come with any instructions to help you mix those together to get certain colors? Or is this something you have to figure out on your own?

Ashley:
You know, I get my acid dyes from Dharma Trading. They have a starter set that comes with the primary colors, maybe black, and some citric acid too. It usually includes some basic instructions. But honestly, a lot of dyeing with acid dyes is trial and error. Even the little package instructions just say how much to mix with a certain amount of water. When you’re just trying it out, you’re not dyeing huge amounts, so you’ll mostly learn by experimenting.

Brittany:
Yeah, yeah. And probably write down what you did, so you can either replicate it or avoid it next time.

Ashley:
Exactly. There have been times where I didn’t write down my process and later I was like, “Oh no, how did I get that color?!” So definitely write everything down like it’s a recipe — how much dye, how much water, what you mixed. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to recreate it.

Brittany:
Don’t trust your memory. If you’re anything like me, you can’t.
Now, I want to end on some inspiration because I know you really draw inspiration from around you. I think that’s part of why I can spot your yarn anywhere on Instagram. I’d love to tap into that a bit and help people figure out where to find inspiration for their yarn dyeing or crochet projects. Can you walk me through your process from idea to execution?

Ashley:
Sure! My business is Montana Crochet, so my inspiration mostly comes from Montana — the place I love and where I’m from. Whether it’s the city, mountains, lakes, streams, flowers, or prairie, there’s so much inspiration here.
But when I feel stuck, here’s a good tip for your listeners: head to your closet. Find your five favorite pieces of clothing, lay them out, and see what they have in common — patterns, colors, textures. That can be a great source of inspiration. Because as makers and creatives, we want to wear and surround ourselves with our makes. If you’re not a nature person like me, start with your closet for sure.

Brittany:
I really love that tip. I started doing that this year—not for dyeing yarn, but for projects. I used to pick yarns just because they looked pretty, but then I realized I didn’t have anything to wear with what I made. Now, I check my closet first and pick yarn colors that coordinate with the sweaters I already love to wear. That way, my projects are more versatile.

Ashley:
Exactly! Then your makes become pieces you wear all the time, and people notice and ask about them. Give yourself an excuse to wear your makes and don’t let them sit forgotten in a closet.

Brittany:
It’s funny — I used to pick really bright, bold yarns, but my closet is mostly neutrals like navy, taupe, and gray. Bright yarn can work with neutrals, but it’s interesting how what catches your eye in yarn doesn’t always match your usual style.

Ashley:
Absolutely.
Now, on a different note — I know you’ve done this really well, and it will help makers and sellers who have blogs, shops, or channels. This community feels really busy. Not oversaturated exactly, but there are a lot of people. It’s important to find your own place and what you uniquely offer. Do you have tips on finding your positioning?

Ashley:
My biggest tip — and I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true — is: do you. Quit the comparison game. Don’t compare your work to others’. If you create what makes you happy and fulfills you, you’re succeeding. There’s no right or wrong way to be a maker. The more authentic and genuine you are, the more people will be drawn to that naturally. People love realness. So just be yourself — you’re the only you there is.

Brittany:
I agree 100%. You are the only one who can be you, and that’s your positioning in any niche. I love that. I’m actually going to write that down right now: Your vibe attracts your tribe. I say that to anyone trying to please everyone — it just doesn’t happen. Not everyone will love you or your work, and that’s okay. But when you’re true to yourself, you attract the people who really love what you do.

Ashley:
Exactly. They will find you. Just be authentic and genuine. Don’t compare yourself to others — it doesn’t serve you. Look at yourself as your biggest competitor. Aim to be better than you were yesterday, last week, last month, or last year. If you compare only to yourself, there’s nowhere to go but up.

Brittany:
Yes! That’s so important for business owners or side hustlers, no matter your goal — extra vacation money or full-time. Track your important metrics, whether sales, page views, or YouTube views. Check in quarterly or yearly and compare only to your past self. That way you have a baseline and a target to beat. It’s the healthiest kind of comparison.

It’s good to know I’m not alone. It’s hard scrolling through feeds and not questioning yourself. For me, I try to curate my Instagram so I’m surrounded by people who lift me up, not bring me down.

Ashley:
Absolutely. Your vibe attracts your tribe, like you said. Surround yourself with people who lift you up.

Brittany:
Yeah.

Ashley:
Whether that’s your crochet community or the people you follow on social media, make sure what you see makes you happy.

Brittany:
It really is so important. I heard that saying on a podcast once, but I don’t know who said it originally. If I find out, I’ll include it in the show notes because I love it.

Ashley:
It’s wonderful. I wrote it down too. I just adore it — it’s perfection.

Brittany:
Well, I’m glad I could share it with you today. And thank you so much for this conversation. It’s been fun to step a little aside from crochet and knitting and dive into yarn dyeing and your methods. It’ll definitely help me, even if I only do it for fun. I don’t think I’ll be dyeing a lot of yarn, but maybe I’ll share my fails and successes on Instagram stories — like the time I dyed my hands pink!

Ashley:
It’s been an absolute pleasure. I’m so happy to share what little wisdom I have with your listeners. It’s been so much fun.

Brittany:
I think it’s more than just “little wisdom.” I’m sure people listening have really connected with you. Where’s a good place for them to connect with you?

Ashley:
Head to Instagram and look up Montana Crochet — that’s where I’m most active socially. And montanacrochet.com to check out my yarns at least once a month.

Brittany:
Yes, they’re beautiful. If nothing else, go look — hand-dyed yarn can be a splurge, and I think it’s for special projects. I wouldn’t buy it just to play around, but I’m very intentional about it. If you’re looking for a special project, start with hand-dyed yarn and definitely check out Ashley’s shop. It’s gorgeous.

Thanks so much, Ashley. I really appreciate it.

Alright, that wraps up this week’s episode of the B.Hooked podcast. If you want to connect with Ashley, she’s on Instagram @montana.crochet — I’ll link that and her website in the show notes. The show notes are at bhooked.com/139.

Before I go, today’s episode was brought to you by my Blueprint course Tunisian Crochet for Beginners. Maybe yarn dyeing isn’t your thing right now, but if you want to learn something new, Tunisian crochet is a great next step. It’s a hybrid of crochet and knitting — if you love crochet but haven’t tried it, you’ll enjoy it. It lets you create stitches that look like knitting but use a crochet hook.

The course walks you through all the basics and your first three projects. If you want to learn more, head to bhooked.com/TCFV to see all the details and sign up.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I’m so grateful for you and for all the five-star reviews this podcast has received — it truly means the world and keeps me going.

I’ll see you next week. Bye-bye!