THE PAW PLY YARN CO.
Many of us daydream about setting up a yarn business, but Daniel Haywood-Stone took the plunge and founded Paw Ply Yarn Co. in 2019, as he tells Penny Batchelor
Discover the vibrant yarns of Daniel Haywood-Stone
ABERDEENSHIRE BASED
Daniel Haywood-Stone is the hand-dyer behind the Paw Ply Yarn Co., which he set up in 2019. Daniel creates beautiful colourways that aim to bring joy and fun to knitting and crochet projects, in a range of weights from lace to chunky, and using fibre bases including merino, Bluefaced Leicester and Highland wool. We caught up with Daniel to find out more about the highlights and challenges of being an indie dyer, and his plans for building this exciting new brand.
What inspired you to set up your indie dyeing business, Paw Ply Yarn Co.?
“I was in full-time catering work, but I was desperate to do something else. I’d been tempted previously, but I kept finding excuses not to make the change. In early 2019 I attended a small workshop on hand-dyeing yarn in Hampshire. I enjoyed it so much that from then on I had the yarn-dyeing bug, and my husband Ashley convinced me to give it a shot. Coming up with a name was challenging, but our dog Oslo is such an important part of our lives, so it was no surprise to anyone that he’d feature in our branding. A few cheesy puns later and we’d settled on our name: Paw Ply Yarn Co.
“We got to planning, and after sorting out stock we were left with the most important job: colourways. The freedom to play with colour was just so much fun, and when the first skeins came out of the dye pot I was sold.”
What parts do Ashley and Oslo play in the business?
“Ashley has played a big part in setting up the business, especially with the accounts and the admin side of things. I often ask him for his opinion on new colourways, and he very occasionally asks to try some colours out himself. Having such a big support behind me, especially when things get difficult, is wonderful.
“Oslo, on the other hand, is more of a silent partner - but what he doesn’t say with words he says with his eyes! He likes to think he runs the show, so we run everything past him before it’s shipped out - although after a treat or two, he’s happy to leave us to it.”
Why do you think hand-dyed yarns have become so popular with knitters?
“I believe hand-dyed yarn is so unique, and every yarn dyer has their own techniques and uses colour in so many different ways. There is a beautiful luxuriousness to hand-dyed yarn. The wonderful knitting and hand-dyed community is so diverse and friendly that it’s impossible not to be enthused by it.”
Which are your most popular products?
“My colourway ‘Heart of the Ocean’ is an amazing blue with rusty/gold/red speckles running through it, and I can honestly say it looks stunning. The other is ‘Shadow Ballet’, which is a toned-down pink with grey through it. I’ve had many customers messaging me with photos of it.”
What challenges have you come across in your first year?
“One of the biggest challenges I have faced is getting my name out to the knitting community. I mainly use Instagram to promote my business, but I also found attending yarn festivals was a good way. Covid-19 has had a huge impact, though, because physical yarn festivals have been cancelled or postponed.
“My first sale to the USA was a big high for me. Not only was this customer a big podcaster in America, but they placed a big order with me, and included me in their podcast on YouTube. Having my yarn stocked by the only specialist hand-dyed yarn shop in Aberdeen was also exciting. I am so grateful for every single one of my customers - the way they have supported me has been great.”
What advice do you have for others who want to follow in your footsteps?
“The main thing about starting yarn dyeing is to do your research. If you register as a limited company, as I did, you need to know how to do your accounts and make sure you’re keeping up with them. You also need to work out how much dye to use and how many skeins you need to dye: making sure you have enough stock is vitally important. Managing money is a big part in starting up a new business.
“Make sure you have a business plan in place before you get up and running, so that you’re clear on where you want your business to be and where you want it to go in the future. I recommend taking up some business start-up courses, too.”
What are your hopes for the future of your business?
“In the future, I would love to have my own workshop space, so that I can dye my yarn from there rather than in my kitchen at home. I would also love to host workshops, and have my own little shop to stock my yarn and other dyers’ yarn as well.”