Valley Yarns on Ravelry – Franklin on Cones
Many of you have used our Franklin Hand Dyed sock yarn before and even have a favorite Kangaroo Dyer colorway. But did you know that undyed Franklin is also available on cones? These cones are perfect for the hand dyer.
Valley Yarns Franklin Natural is sold by the pound, $18.99/lb.
75% Wool/25% Nylon and machine washable, it’s perfect for socks. But it’s also great for any fingering weight project.
Below you’ll find a collection of inspiring Ravelry projects showcasing some of the interesting things you can create when you experiment with dyeing your own yarn.
OpArt by Melissa Dominguez, pattern available for free from Knitty.com, knit by beakerm
With the way Becky’s hand dyed Franklin looks in the OpArt pattern, “Dr. Who Meets Dr. Seuss” is the perfect name for this baby blanket.
Pogona by Stephen West, available in Westknits Book One pattern book, knit by Blunckie
Andrea dyed Franklin in an ochre yellow creating a beautifully subtle tonal color.
Snowbird Mittens by Elli Stubenrauch, pattern available from Vogueknitting, knit by Marlana
Marlana dyed Franklin to match a coat and combined the green with the undyed yarn to create stunning two-color mittens.
Luiza by MaweLucky/Jane Araujo, available for purchase on Ravelry, knit by Mawelucky
Even though dyeing the yarn didn’t turn out as Jane had planned, I think the darker edge of the shawl is a happy accident, creating a cool “dipped” effect.
Zirkel by Stephanie van der Linden, available for purchase on Ravelry, knit by ikumi
Ikumi creates a lovely plum color using Cushing’s Acid Dye.
Nikolai by Marysia Nodzykowska, pattern available for free, knit by momtofour
Shawna hand dyed the yarn with egg coloring to create a pretty, dappled look.
Koi and Lotus Sweater by AlphaMango
Wanting to commemorate a family trip to China, Jen dyed Franklin with Sapphire Blue, Royal Blue and Black to create a semi-solid blue with depth and character. Don’t miss reading her whole story of this incredible sweater.
Black Tie, Optional by Adrienne Fong, available for free on Ravelry, knit by AlwaysRosie
Carol chooses to use the undyed Franklin for her socks to really let the pattern shine.
Have you ever tried dyeing your own yarn? Share your dyeing tips, triumphs, and mishaps in the comments.
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Tags: dyeing, knitting patterns, Valley Yarns Franklin, Valley Yarns on Ravelry
June 8th, 2012 at 11:49 am
I love dyeing yarn! (Usually Im dyeing the actual fiber or roving before I spin it into yarn..!) I’ve dyed with koolaid, food coloring, tea, fruit and now Im very fortunate to be working with some natural dyes straight from Peru! I’m very surprised in the range of colors in natural dyes and the vivid colors too!! Easier than you’d think and worth a try! 🙂
June 8th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
I love the Franklin yarns are affordable enough to allow some experimentation. I’m new to dying and have enjoyed trying several types of food safe dyes. The yarn blooms nicely with the water soak and dye process to make a lovely soft hand the knits up beautifully! Thanks WEBS!
June 10th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
These are all fabulous projects and dye jobs!
June 11th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.
High School Diploma
February 1st, 2013 at 11:27 pm
Just bought some and I’m panicking – do I wash it before I knit? I’ve only bought yarn in skeins or balls before. It seems silly, but I don’t want to have it shrink.
February 21st, 2013 at 11:24 am
I’m working on a painted warp project right now! I’m using Valley Mercerized Cotton, which I have space dyed in the past and which comes out awesome. I started with the yarn in shell, but it would be great to start with a colored yarn one of these days. I use MX fiber reactive dyes from ProChemical & Dye, which come out as bright as you would like and still colorfast. I’m not a huge fan of working with wool for wearables, since I sell my work and I find that a lot of people are allergic/sensitive to wool.
January 6th, 2015 at 1:04 pm
No one answered my post two years ago, so here’s the answer: I did wash some and it bloomed into a warm and soft yarn – I love it! I’ve knitted two pairs for my mom and she says they are holding up much better than another pair I had knitted. I now knit them right off the cone and make them just slightly bigger. If the pair is too large, as one was, she just washed the socks in hotter water and they shrunk to a perfect size. Great stitch definition, very warm and hard wearing, very economical.
May 16th, 2016 at 9:10 am
How does the Franklin yarn feel and wear?
September 30th, 2020 at 5:24 pm
I have dyed the yarn with food coloring as well as natural dyes. I heat fix it and then rinse it with a vinegar wash. Once the yarn is washed it softens right up. I knitted over 50 pairs of socks for presents and thank you gifts for people that have sponsored me. I have done gradients as well as long dye runs or very short repeating patterns by the way the wool is painted. Lots of fun