Meet the Master Indie Dyer: Kristin of KraeO

I first met Kristin in NYC at Vogue Knitting Live. I'll never forget walking the marketplace and seeing her yarn from a distance - the colors had me stopping dead in my tracks and I literally lost the ability to do anything else but make my way to her booth, promptly introduce myself and tell her how amazing and talented she was. I likely made a fool of myself but HEY....here we are 5 or 6 years later still collabing, cheering each other on and having fun being creative.

When the idea of a summer shawl collection came together in my planning session last fall, I instantly knew I wanted to reach out to Kristin to gage her interest. I am so lucky she was all in - with her full plate and all! I sent her my vision of the project along with inspiration images and the rest was in her hands! We used some of her catalog colorways and she created 4 new colorways.

It has been fun this summer sharing her gorgeous yarn and the beautiful shawls that show them off. To introduce you a bit more to Kristin and her business, KraeO, I had a few questions for her...

1. Would you share how you got started dyeing yarn?

I started out in the industry as a designer and maker of winter accessories. I was selling them to small boutiques around the country, it was great! BUT, as you can imagine, after tens of thousands of pom pom hats I started to burn out really badly. For fun, I got some bare skeins and dye and played around a little bit. I LOVED the whole process! I'm a painter by trade, so melding my love for painting and color with my love for fiber was an obvious transition for me. I made a conscious decision to change my business model and it all fell into place. 

2. Where do you find your inspiration for your colorways? And how do you name them?

I have a love for color combinations that seem like they shouldn't go together. I will often go to the paint swatch department at Home depot and spend an hour just putting different swatches together. Sometimes it works, a lot of times it's a bust. But usually my mistakes turn into future colorways. Some of my most popular colors are mistakes I've made trying to make something work.

3. Would you share a bit about the bases you offer?

I mostly use Non Superwash yarns. My fingering and worsted are both an 85% Merino 15% Mulberry Silk. The addition of silk makes for an incredibly strong yarn with a beautiful sheen and a fantastic drape. It's a workhorse of a yarn and doesn't grow when you block it (one of my least favorite parts about superwash) . I also have a DK that is 45% Merino/ 45% Baby Alpaca/ 10%Mulberry Silk. I do also offer some superwash options in fingering, aran and super bulky. There's room in my heart for all fiber!

4. If you could only use 1 of your bases for the rest of your life in your future projects, which would it be and why?

100% certain that I would use my DK. It is the softest yarn I've ever worked with. And again, the addition of the silk makes it a very strong yarn that you don't necessarily have to be precious with. I love a luxury yarn that can stand the test of time. 

5. Can you share what’s coming for Kraeo/Fuzz Family for 2nd half of 2024?

I'm SO excited to be going to Rhinebeck this year again! I'll be vending at Indie Untangled this year. So if any of y'all are going, please stop by to see these beautiful shawls in person! and a hug (I'm a hugger).

6. When dyeing yarn, do you like it quiet, or must you always have noise? If the latter, what’s your preference?

Noise.. always noise. I'm a podcast fanatic. Love true crime! Also obsessed with lawtube, which is just lawyers on youtube talking about current cases in the media. I love anything to do with the law...I wish I had known this before I went to art school ;)

7. Knit or Crochet?

I think I'm an even split. I learned to crochet first and did all crochet for many years before teaching myself to knit. At the moment I'm doing more knitting than crocheting, but crochet will always be my first love.

8. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Hands down teleportation! I'm so sick of Chicago traffic.

9. Anything else you wish to share?

I'm so excited to have done this project with you! I love your designs so much and was so honored when you asked me to be a part of this project. So THANK YOU! 

A little more about our talented dyer...

Kristin Oldach is the master dyer behind Fuzz Family for KraeO. With a masters in Painting from The School of the Art Institute Chicago and a decade of experience in the knitwear business, Kristin brings a studied and applied understanding of color and design to KraeO. She has developed a line of complex neutrals to pair with vibrant pops of color that are both unique and wearable. Kristin is an artist first, and approaches her work with fiber and color through that lens. Kristin lives and works in Chicago with her family.

Website: https://kraeo.com

Instagram: @kraeo

Interested in exporing the Summer Shawls & Sips collection more - find the full collection HERE.

Until next time my friend....Cheers & Stitches! Crystal