Meet Hannah Mackie
We talk colour and rock music with the indie dyer behind HeyJay Hand Dyed Yarns
THE INDIE yarn brand HeyJay Hand Dyed Yarns is run by Hannah Mackie, a vivacious and talented woman who brightens up every yarn show she attends thanks to her amazing colourways. We chatted with Hannah about her creative life.
When did you first try hand dyeing?
“I started dyeing yarn about four years ago. I was at a point where I wasn’t enjoying my job, as it wasn’t even close to my dream of owning a bricks and mortar yarn shop. The trouble is, starting that kind of venture is very scary and needs a lot of financing! So I decided to try my hand at dyeing yarn, to at least live a sliver of my dream of faffing around with yarn! I ordered myself a handful of skeins, and a book about dyeing, and started experimenting. It’s a bit like painting, but you get to knit with your canvas at the end!”
What was the first colourway you created?
“It was a variegated blue and purple - my knitting group friends pointed out that it looked just like the fur of Sully from the film Monsters Inc., so that’s what it was called! (My knitting group were my very first customers, and HeyJay wouldn’t exist without them cheering me on.) The dyes weren’t the ones I use now and the blues majorly came off on your hands when you knitted with it, but it wasn’t half bad for a first attempt, even if I do say so myself!”
What fibres do you like to work with?
“Merino will always have a place in my heart - it takes dye like a dream. I enjoy experimenting with different yarn bases, though, and most of my yarn bases are blends of either merino or Bluefaced Leicester wool with things like silk, alpaca, donegal neps, and sparkle - honestly, what’s not improved with sparkle?”
What dyeing processes do you use?
“All my dyeing happens in my home studio, also known as my living room and wee kitchen! There’s no fancy equipment, it’s acid dyes and heat setting with nothing more technical than a microwave, and the yarns are then left to cook in their residual heat so the colours set. For the plant fibres I use cold water dyes that marinade overnight to set before they get rinsed clear. Dyeing is something anyone can get into, so I also teach yarn dyeing workshops in Oxfordshire which is a lot of fun.”
What are the highlights and challenges of in running an indie dyeing business?
“The highlights have been the amazing community that I’ve found through this venture. I have made some fantastic friends, both dyers and customers, and I will forever be grateful for that.
“In terms of challenges, the top one is competition. There are SO many indie dyers on the market now that it’s a lot of work to try and stay ahead. On one hand, it’s great that this industry is so accessible, but on the other hand, sometimes it’s tough to feel like you’ll be seen.”
Where do you find creative inspiration?
“I’m a huge fan of rock and metal music and the punk aesthetic. I’m forever going to live gigs - they are very much my happy place. The whole alternative scene influences a lot of my branding, and how I present HeyJay and what it stands for. It’s all about being loud, proud and bold, so I’m forever trying to create colourways that represent that.”
What has been your proudest achievement?
“The fact that I’ve made it this far and made my wee business what it is now is something I’m hugely proud of. Every time someone runs up to my stall at a yarn show and shows me what they’ve made with my yarn, I beam with happiness that they enjoyed the thing that I did! And they made a thing with the thing that I did!”
Are you a knitter yourself?
“Absolutely! I’ve been knitting for a long old time now, and it’s very much maintained some form of sanity! This year I’ve also fallen down the rabbit hole of learning to spin, and have acquired my first wheel. That’s been a fresh addiction that I’m very much obsessed with!”