Sionnach Yarns – an interview with Sophie Fontaine
One of the best things about being a handknits designer is being able to work with other creative people. When I come up with an idea for a design, I am not alone, there is a small army of creative people who help me turn an idea into a beautiful and well written pattern. There are tech editors, test knitters, photographers, and of course the wonderful yarn makers and hand-dyers.
For my designs, I chose only Irish yarn – that is some of the yarn-making process has to be based in Ireland. And I am lucky because in Ireland, there are such talented and just great people dyeing and working with yarn, and I would like you to meet them too. So this is the first of the series of interviews I am going to bring to you my friends, hope you enjoy them!
Today I talk to Sophie Fontaine, the founder of the Sionnach Yarns. She hand-dyes yarn using botanical and natural dyes in her studio at Ballyvaughan in the Burren, county Clare, Ireland. I am fascinated to learn more about her environmentally friendly approach to dyeing yarn and her business in general. She also has some great advice to those who would like to start their own hand-dyeing business!
Could you tell us a little bit about what brought you to dyeing yarn?
I started to dye after watching a french podcast in which the dyer talked about using onion skins for dyeing. I tried it, and loved it so much that I have not stopped since! The whole dyeing process is so inspiring.
Tell us more about your yarn and the dyes you use?
For my bases, I mostly use Australian merino sourced from non mulesed sheep. I would love to have been able to check myself, but I trust my suppliers. They are completely transparent on many of the details regarding their yarns, so I trust them 100%.
I am also looking to introduce some UK yarns during the year. As for the dyes I use, they come from nature. Some are foraged locally, some are from organic waste, and others, the more exotic ones, I buy online.
Do you find it important to create yarn that is more environmentally friendly and zero-waste?
Yes, definitely! Yarn dyeing isn’t generally very water-friendly, but I do my best to use the dyeing bath cleverly – I put my dyeing pots outside when it rains and use the rain water.
I try to do the same with my dyes. For example, avocados are a huge environmental disaster and I avoid buying them. My local cafe does use them and so they keep the skins and pits for me. I work in a restaurant and luckily my boyfriend is the head chef, so I am able to keep kitchen scraps like onion skins, carrot tops, and other such waste for dyes. At the beginning my colleagues looked at me weirdly, but I think they like the idea of using such waste to a maximum before it goes to compost.
Which yarn are you most proud of and why?
I am in love with my luxury new base – the 100% Corriedale. I love how it takes the colours. And also, the Kid Mohair and Silk. I can’t tell you why, but I find this one so peaceful maybe because it’s so soft and fluffy, I just want to knit a cosy jumper for winter with it.
I actually love all my bases mainly because I love how each takes on the dye colour differently.
Where do you find inspiration for your beautiful colourways? Does being in Ireland inspire your colour choices?
I am so lucky to live by the sea, on the shores of the Galway Bay, in the Burren. I know for many people, when they think of the Burren, they maybe think of just rocks, but living here is so inspiring. Being between the sea, the rocks, and the meadows with all the different flowers, I feel that my mind is always full of inspiration and ideas for new colourways.
Would you like to see more Irish fleece on the market? And what would be the most important aspect for you to start working with locally sourced yarn?
Oh yes!! I would love to work with Irish yarn. I don’t know why I find it so hard to find a supplier. Maybe I just don’t have the right contacts, I don’t know. Since I am looking for yarn that is not too rustic, maybe this is why it’s harder to find it.
Do you have a favourite yarn of yours? A favourite base and colourway?
Hard question, it is like asking a mum “who is her favourite child.” But if I have to pick one, it would be the Kid Mohair and Silk. The natural dyes I use to dye it and its softness match so perfectly together. When it’s dyed with indigo, my heart skips a beat because the colour is just so beautiful.
What is your favourite thing to knit?
Socks! They are easy to carry and to wash. Personally, I wash them with my regulars clothes, in the washing machine. There are so many fun and pretty patterns available out there, and my Ravelry is full of them!
What is your favourite pattern/thing to knit with your own yarn?
I would absolutely love to knit Myrtle by Kate Davies Designs. I am sure my hand-dyed Kid Mohair and Silk yarn would be perfect for this pattern. All I need is a 48-hour day and another pair of hands!
What is the most important thing you have learned since creating your business?
Getting over my shyness. I hate to talk to people I do not know, especially in English. Because I am French, I am always worried that people would not understand me because of my accent. When I see a person making the “what is she talking about” face, I get anxious and it is difficult. But when you start a business, you have no choice – you have to talk to strangers like bank administrators, suppliers, and clients. So I am just putting my shyness to the side and go for it!
In your opinion what is the best thing about being an indie dyer?
Let my creativity express itself. Since the young age, I have been creative and crafty (drawing, dancing, making pottery etc). With natural dyeing it is like I am finally feeling complete. It is such an odd feeling and I have it only when I am dyeing. When I am cleaning up after a dyeing session, I always think to myself “this is what I want to do”!
What would be your advice to someone starting out in this industry?
Be patient, be a fighter. Sales will not come easily. Some days you won’t sell anything, but you could be sold out the next day (or month). Also, I have learned that people won’t come to you, you have to go to them – to clients or to potential retailers. You have to work hard and every day, but it is worth it!
Where can we find your yarn?
I have an online shop: https://sionnachyarns.bigcartel.com.
If you are on holidays near Llandudno, in Wales, Ewe Felty Thing stocks my yarn too. I am currently working hard on finding more places to stock my yarn.
I will be taking part at the yarn festivals in Ireland – West Cork Yarn Festival, Woollinn, and Yarnfolk Festival of Wool, so come and say hello.
Over the past month, Sophie and I collaborated on a knitting kit, which we will be launching at the West Cork Festival of Yarn on Saturday. If you will be there, then pop to her stall and say hello! The design is called Samhradh samhradh, which means Summer summer in Irish. It is a light summer shawl designed using Sionnach 4-ply Fingering yarn in Turmeric and Speckles, and the gorgeous Kid Mohair and Silk dyed with red onion skins. I’ve never worked with mohair before and I have to say that I am now completely addicted.
I will write more about the shawl design soon. Stay tuned. :) x.