Retail Profile – Kaalund Yarns

Kaalund Yarns handspun alpaca yarn

Kaalund Yarns is a family run boutique fibre mill in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Back in the 1980s we started hand spinning and weaving and developing our unique hand dyeing techniques. In 1997 we launched our own range of hand dyed embroidery yarns and from there progressed to artisan dyeing hand knitting yarns and hand weaving accessories. These days with commercial spinning machinery we dye and spin more yarn, faster, with the same ideals of creating beautiful yarn. Soft natural fibres and inspirational hand dyeing are still the basis for what makes our products great.

We love the look of handspun yarn with its undulations and nuances, so we have set about creating mill spun yarn from hand dyed fibre that embraces this traditional concept, with every skein being unique. Some of our products are fulled singles with a thick and thin look, some yarns are plied, and others are just crazy, gorgeous art yarn waiting to be snatched up and knitted. Our yarns can be used for knitting, crocheting, weaving, abstract embroidery or textile art and our fibre products such as rovings or batts can be felted or handspun.

So, what do we do in the mill? After the bales of fleece arrive, the fibre is sorted, washed, dyed (if required). It is then that the mill transforms into a kaleidoscope of colours. Armfuls of coloured fleece are processed through a series of machines which align the fibres. The fibre now resembles fairy floss like cob-web clouds ready for pre-spinning. These fibre webs are again further processed until the fibres are arranged (not necessarily uniformly) in a format that form the bases for our yarns. At each stage of the fleece journey the fibre maybe dyed or overdyed and thus helping to add those special touches to the final product. We also design our own knitting, crocheting and embroidery projects that complement our yarn. After many hours of hard work, the raw fleece that arrived has now been transformed into beautiful, soft, artisan yarn. Spinning our yarn is more than just adding twist to fibre.

Our yarn has been showcased around the world both in retail settings and events. It is regularly used in publications, competition and exhibition entries including in our own work featured in a previous exhibition at the Handweavers Guild of America Convergence.

If you asked every one of us what is the most enjoyable part of the fibre processing journey, you would receive a different answer. However high on the list is choosing the new colour combinations. I also should mention this is probably our most challenging and even frustrating process as we have so many ideas that we could not possibly produce every one of the colour melts that we dream of. Running our fibre mill is not a job, it is an adventure.

Our range of yarn and fibre can be purchased at selected LYS, online at www.kaalundyarns.com.auor see us in person at selected wool shows.

Kaalund Yarns carder