DEGEN Yarn !!!!

This project has been a long time coming and I cannot wait to share it with you.  This journal entry will be all about the origin, bases, inspiration, and aspirations of this collection.

Origin:

I started my Ready To Wear (RTW) collection in 2010.  This September marks 15 years in business although the brand has really gone through many phases. At the start, instagram was just in the mix and I barely had a smart phone for a year.  At that time I was showing during fashion week, had a publicist and if you asked me who my collection was for, I would have said 'people who love streetwear.'  I'll drop an image from my first full collection below since I don't do deep throw backs very often and its fun to look at. 

Li Ming in FW12 photographed by Mark Fina

When instagram started to gain some steam, I began to notice more and more knitters liking and commenting on my work.  I was invited to give a talk at Vogue Knitting Live back then about my work - it was the last time slot on the last day and there were maybe 4 people in the audience but one of them was Xandy Peters. He told me I should go for it and release patterns.  And I did. Slowly, more and more knitters were finding out about my work.

I continued to release RTW collections even though I was also releasing patterns.  When you go into bulk production with a collection, it is typical to order about 10% extra yarn than you need.  This covers possible damages found in the knitting, someone dropping a sweater in a puddle, literally anything that can and will go wrong in production. Before now, that yarn would be used for future season's sampling.  The first round of samples of any give collection are always wild colors that do not make sense together because they are the 10% overage of the previous season.

As my collections have gotten a little bit larger, that 10% extra has grown. And this yarn is absolutely gorgeous.  So I am taking my extra and bringing you a yarn collection that is the exact same colors as my RTW collection.

Pima DEGEN DK

Meet Our Bases:

The collection will be launching with 3 bases.  Pima DEGEN DK and DEGEN DK are my custom yarns. Chunk is beautiful deadstock that I sourced in Lima that I thought deserved a spot in the collection.

Pima DEGEN DK

This is my classic sweater DK weight mostly used in my spring collections but also a bit in fall. I think this yarn is particularly special and unique because I do not see a lot of hand painted // hand dyed cotton yarns available out there.  Most cotton yarns are industrially dyed- single solid colors.  These yarns have beautiful highs and lows.  One skein is 100g and 219yrds.

The colors are Ferrari, Puddle, Butter, Mist, Bud, and Wyrmwood.

Pima DEGEN DK in Butter

DEGEN DK

Degen DK is my classic merino sweater weight yarn.  Importantly, it is non super wash.  Superwash is a pretty nasty chemical treatment that makes yarns less likely to felt but it is not good for the environment and your skin. This yarn is also hand painted // hand dyed and features similar highs and lows as the Pima DEGEN DK base.

DEGEN DK

One skein is 100 grams and 225 yards. Check out the red color above, Ferrari.  Below I will show a photo of that color in action in a RTW style.

DEGEN DK in Ferrari in our FW25 collection Harlequin Stitch Vest.

Colors are Ferrari, Moss, Rivendell, Elven, Smile, and Linen.

Chunk!

Our last base is Chunk. A bulky weight roving yarn in 100% non super wash merino that is so so so soft due to its low micron fibers. This is the one that is not my own yarn but available deadstock that we could not miss out on. Because of that, who knows how long this base will be around but we love it while we have it.  This yarn is perfect for beginners, quick projects, and accessories.

DEGEN Chunk Yarn

The colors here are more collegiate but has some really beautiful soft colors to compliment the more saturated tones.  This yarn, unlike the others, is industrially dyed so it does not have those tonal highs and lows.  All Chunk orders will have a free pattern included - the Chunk Hat

Degen in the studio with the Chunk Hat

The Chunk hat requires 2 skeins.  A skien is 100g and 55 yards. 

Chunk Hat

The colors of Chunk are: Ent, Rohirrim, Lothlorean, Mordor, Lore Drop, Siren, and Pelor. 

Where to Get It:

DEGEN Yarn will drop here and at KNIT CLUB on Thursday August 21st at 10am.  Knit Club is our local yarn store in Providence.  Come squish this yarn. 

All DEGEN Yarns will also be available at Woolen Affair and Sacred Sheep in the fall. 

Some Pima DEGEN DK colors

What Is the Future of DEGEN Yarn:

This first collection is for retail only but in the future we hope to open our doors to some key wholesalers.  One thing that we haven't worked out yet though is if the future of our yarn collection will only be our left over yarn.  I do want this collection to grow so it is likely that the collection will end up being zero waste (all yarn that is dyed will be used) but not just from our production left overs.  The reason for that is that we love these colors that we developed so much that we want them to continue to be available for you.  We don't want to run out of our more core colors and then not have them again. The best we can promise is that we will always try to create as responsibly as possible. (Fair trade, less waste, employing woman owned micro businesses, etc.)

Bonus! 

We are dropping our expanded pom pom collection along side our yarns!!!!

DEGEN Yarn and Pom Poms drop Thursday August 21st at 10am ET