Discover Bernie Kennedy’s gorgeous hand-dyed yarns
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AFTER FALLING in love with the colours and fibres on show at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival in 2017, Bernie Kennedy returned home to Northern Ireland and was inspired to attend a yarn dyeing workshop – and she was instantly smitten by the process of creating colours.
“When I got back from the show and took a yarn dyeing class, I discovered that I loved it!” says Bernie. “I wanted to play with fun, bright colours on rustic yarn bases. There was no one that I knew of doing that in Ireland at the time. As I couldn’t knit up all the yarn I was creating myself, I decided to sell it - and so the Bear in Sheep’s Clothing Etsy shop was born!”
Bernie was determined to ensure her business was environmentally friendly. “There is no Planet B - sustainability should be important to every one of us!” she says. “Environmental concerns are behind every decision I make. I dye very small batches, as most of my bases are non-superwash I cannot rush things. Water is reused, and every speck of dye is exhausted. Gloves are reused and packaging is biodegradable where possible. You might find your yarn bowl wrapped with protective packaging that has a different logo on it, as we reuse or recycle absolutely everything!”
Bernie dyes on British wool bases spun in Yorkshire. “It is mostly a matter of ethics,” she says. “Sourcing the yarn as locally as possible means less guilt over carbon footprints, as well as supporting local farmers, and being certain that the sheep are well cared for and that everyone is fairly paid. But also, the yarn is glorious! Without superwash treatment stripping it of its natural qualities, it is lofty and warm, keeps you dry (that’s highly desirable in Northern Ireland!) and has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so does not need to be washed as regularly and will smell fresh after repeated wear. And of course it’s biodegradable!”
Why the name Bear? Bernie laughs and says “I am Bear! The beginning of my name is Ber... my maiden name was Kerr so I was ‘Kerr bear’, like the Care Bears cartoons and toys in the 1980s. I feel an affinity with a protective momma bear, and I give good hugs! I wanted a logo that would be recognisable, which would make a cute sticker or badge which wouldn’t be a blatant advertisement, but that hopefully in time fellow yarnies would recognise.” Bernie’s niece designed the symbol and written logo, and the brand was born.
A creative life
Along with Bernie’s hand-dyed yarns,
Bear in Sheep’s Clothing also sells wooden yarn bowls and accessories hand-turned by her husband Derek. The couple has three children, and work is fitted in around their routine. “A typical work day would involve a hectic school run, back home to wash the fruits of yesterday’s dye day, washing all my equipment, and putting another batch on. Quick lunch and a bit of admin. Go to pick up the youngest with the dogs in tow… then we wait for the other two. Bring everyone home, get them something to eat and help everyone get their homework done. Put on some laundry and start their dinner. Wash the yarn and equipment from the morning. Serve dinner. Let them watch a wee show while I go out and put on another batch.”
Colour-wise, Bernie only dyes shades she loves, and is typically inspired by the seas and beautiful landscapes surrounding her home in Bangor. She reports that she has grown to like blue, thanks to persistent blue-loving customers. Her most popular base is Bear Sturdy, a 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool sock yarn. “It is soft, versatile and has an incredible texture. It also takes speckles amazingly!” she says. Protista, a semi-solid yellow-green, is the company’s most requested colourway, with dusty pinks and mochas also being popular.
Her yarn kits are also in demand. Bernie offers kits for patterns where the designer has used her yarn – “such an honour!” she remarks. “I like to offer kits to make it easy for customers to find exactly what they are looking for. It also allows me to split skeins and keep the costs down for customers.” A recent example is the range of colourway kits developed for An Caitín Beag’s ‘In The Night’ sweater.
In the future, Bernie is hoping to rebuild her studio to have an office and yarn room above, and she also has plans to stock Irish yarn. Top of her list is exhibiting at yarn shows again - something she has sorely missed during the Covid-19 lockdown. “It has been a challenge, but we have to push ourselves to live life to the fullest, right?”