Ylva is yarn made from German wool, with a difference. Every step of the process, from sheep to plant-dyed skein, is done with sustainability in mind.

The fibre is bought at a fair price from small sheep farms in Northern and Eastern Germany and then plant-dyed in Austria. The dye house in Vienna thoroughly checks the yarn for colour fastness, ensuring that they will stand the test of time.

This is a rustic wool which makes it well suited to long-lasting garments. Ylva is a versatile yarn and is ideal for textured patterns, brioche, or colour work. Be sure to always wash Ylva swatches as the yarn blooms considerably and becomes noticeably softer after washing.

The colours 1204 Madder Red and 1101 Reseda Yellow are intensively dyed in order to produce such magnificent colours and can still bleed during knitting and blocking. It is therefore recommended to pre-wash these colours in particular before using them. This works wonderfully by putting the yarn into a wash bag in the washing machine with a mild wool wash on a cold, delicate cycle.

Indigo shades 1403 and 1406 may come off onto the hands whilst using and this is easily removed with a little soap and water. However, indigo does not continue to bleed afterwards and can be worked without pre-washing the yarn beforehand.

Please note that yarn dyed with plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time as this may cause some colours to fade.