Hand Dyed Tops – by Cat and Sparrow on Devonia Fibre
As part of our Mill Open Weekend celebrations, we have curated a glorious selection of hand dyed yarn and fibre, showcasing the dyers who use our bases to create their beautiful wares.
Rachael, of Cat and Sparrow is a prolific and talented hand dyer. We’ve worked on many collaborations with her in the past and you folks love her stunning shades and interesting fibre blends, which we often create for her here at our Devon Mill. What we LOVE about Rachael is that she also dyes up her beautiful colourways on fibre tops like this Devonia, as well as yarn, which is super exciting for all us spinners!
Devonia is one of our all time favourite bases. Made exclusively with local fibres, our woolly pals all bring their unique qualities to the party. The Exmoor Blueface is our local sheep and brings its wonderful springy nature, the Bluefaced Leicester lends its outstandingly soft handle and lustre to the yarn, whilst the Romney adds a beautiful golden sheen and fine drape. Together they create a wonderfully drapey lustrous blend, with just a dash of woolly bounce. It’s a go-to fibre for any time you want a little swing, like shawls and drapey cardis.
Visit Rachael’s website to see more of her yummy yarns.
For our 2025 MOW special, Rachael has created four punchy colourways: Hocus Crocus, a buttery yellow interspersed with lilac purple; Scarfell, a warm, glowing orange; Fruit Salad, a mix of punchy reds, light greens, purple and yellow; and Careless Whisper, a cool combination of dusty pinks, purples and grey.
Beautiful top from Rachael of Cat and Sparrow, on our Devonia fibre base.
Rachael has been spinning and dyeing fibre and yarn since 2012, and loves filling her life with colour and texture. She creates beautiful colour mixes and seeks out fibre blends that makers love to look at, touch and transform. Rachael dyes these in her home/studio using non-toxic acid dyes, which produce the most wonderful, rich colours. You can also find glorious blended fibres in her shop!
Composition: 50% Exmoor Blueface / 30% Bluefaced Leicester / 20% Romney
Hand wash at low temperature with mild detergent. As the fibre is hand dyed, the braid you receive might look slightly different than on the product photo.