Meet The Indie Dyers: Heather & Angela of Nano Stitch Lab.
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber Officer
Meet Angela and Heather, two long time knitters and friends who share a passion for science, yarn and color. The combination of all three results in Nano Stitch Lab, a wonderful range of beautiful hand dyes inspired by all aspects of science – geology, astronomy, biology chemistry and more.
How long have you been dyeing yarn and can you tell us about your journey?
We are Heather and Angela, the owners/dyers of NanoStitch Lab, a small batch dye studio located in Lake Forest Park, WA. Our yarn dyeing journey began in 2014 when we wanted to try something new after many years of knitting and buying yarn hand dyed by others. Starting a business wasn’t our intention at first, but soon we were opening an Etsy shop and had to decide on a name. We wanted to emphasize the importance of science in our world so we chose NanoStitch Lab as our name. Neither of us have a professional background in science, just a curiosity for the world around us and a thirst for knowledge. We have spent the last eleven years sharing our love of science and color through our business. A business that has taken us into all of our favorite yarn shops and to fiber markets that we’ve always wanted to visit across multiple states. And still every skein is either kettled dyed or hand painted by the two of us.
What kind of fibers do you enjoy dyeing and why?
We enjoy dyeing most fibers as we have our preferred methods of dyeing each so that they really shine. For example, if we are speckle dyeing, superwash merino wool absorbs the dye beautifully and the speckles appear crisp and distinct. For kettle dyeing solid colors, we like both the superwash merino wool and non-superwash wools but our favorite is definitely kid silk mohair! Nothing adds texture, glow, and fun to your projects like mohair.
What is it that you love about your craft?
Heather: The act of dyeing provides me with a way to focus, express my creative energy, and to tune out the world around me. I’m the type of person who loves nothing better than to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty so I really enjoy the tactile nature of fiber and the physical exertion of dyeing. It is intensely satisfying to be able to pour all of your energy into the process of turning ideas and inspiration into something tangible that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Angela: While Heather is more of a process dyer, I’m more of a product dyer. I just straight up love color (as evidenced by my own hand knit wardrobe) so one of my favorite parts of dyeing yarn is seeing the finished product. I like seeing our vision become something tactile that’s ready to be used by a customer. And in turn, those customers have their own vision of what the yarn can become! Seeing the finished projects that people make with our yarn is the most rewarding part of what we do.
Where do you find your color inspiration?
At NanoStitch Lab we find our color inspiration within the various branches of science. Whether it’s a distant galaxy, a geological formation, or simply a living organism, color is everywhere. In an effort to promote science and an understanding of the world around us, we name all our colorways after fields of science, women scientists, and scientific terms. Our hope is that our customers will take the time to research colorway names that they are unfamiliar with and learn something new.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about dyeing their own yarn?
Maybe it’s the science lovers in us, but our advice is to research and experiment! Before you begin, do your research on the science of dye and take the time to understand how dye adheres to the different types of fiber. Not everyone dyes yarn like you see on Instagram, so try different techniques and see what you enjoy and what finished products you like best. The yarn we dye now looks so different from the yarn we dyed eleven years ago. It took time for us to develop our style so be patient. But most importantly: have fun! Oh, and be safe. Don’t forget your respirator.
Which shows will you be attending in 2025?
On June 7th and 8th we’ll be at Fiber Fusion Northwest. At the end of June we are setting sail with A Little Knitty as a vendor on their Sit-n-Stitch at Sea cruise to Alaska! We’ll return to dry land for Flock Fiber Festival on August 9th and 10th.
Where can we find your yarns and will you be holding any trunk shows in the near future?
At this time, our yarns can only be purchased in person at trunk shows and markets. But we are aways open to custom orders, just e-mail us! During the Puget Sound LYS Tour in May, we’ll be at our neighborhood yarn shop Needles and Hooks in Lake Forest Park. Then we’ll be at A Little Knitty with our pal That Crafty Little Fox on September 27th and at Strikke Yarn & Supply in early November to celebrate their birthday.
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