Former chemistry teacher finds business formula with yarn dying venture

A former chemistry teacher has found the formula for success by establishing a business hand-dying luxury yarns – and securing a highly sought-after contract from a prestigious industry expert and tutor.

George Stoker, 54, founded Yarn Garden with his partner Louise Dodds, 44, in August last year after realising 30 years of classroom knowledge and experience could be a catalyst for a change of career.

Now, just weeks after moving into a new workshop and retail unit in Newcastle’s £6.5m Beacon enterprise centre in Westgate Road, they have clinched a contract from Cumbria-based Chrissie Day.

They met Chrissie, an author and one of the country’s most respected knitting and felting teachers, who designs high-quality knitted garments under her Teesdale Fibres label, at a wool show in Kendal.

So impressed was she by the couple’s insight and dedication to their work and business as they manned their stall that she asked them to dye her a sample of her own specially sourced yarn.

She has now confirmed her confidence in them through a contract to hand dye 70kg of pedigree Blue Faced Leicester prime yarn and Teeswater yarn – enough to make about 1,500 woolly hats - over the coming months.

George confirmed the deal is highly prestigious and expects it to further seal Yarn Garden’s growing reputation and credentials within the specialist sector, which boasts about 80 other companies in the country, including a number in the North East.

The former North East secondary school teacher said: “It’s actually quite big time and Louise and I are delighted.

“We saw Chrissie looking at the stalls at the wool show and she spent some time at ours before introducing herself properly. She asked us to dye a sample and now we have this exclusive deal.

“We are also collaborating with other designers, and we are very happy with how well the business is going.”

Chrissie, who lives near Alston, Cumbria, said it was a “thrill” to be working with Yarn Garden’s “expert” team.

She added: “I had been looking to find an artisan buyer who was running their own business, who had a passion for what they did and who went one step further by also knowing the science. I’m really pleased that I’ve found George and Louise.

“It absolutely shines through that George knows and understands colours very well – you can’t learn it, you either have it or you don’t and he does.

“There must be lots of little knitting shops that don’t want to buy from the big companies but would love to be supplied with pedigree yarn which is beautifully dyed by Yarn Garden. I hope their business is a success.”

George’s new–found passion stemmed from his interest in understanding the chemistry of fibres and dyes during his long teaching career, finally becoming “hooked” by the scientific and artistic nature of dyeing.

He and Louise, whose technical and administrative talents underpin the business, spent only a few months researching the sector before taking the plunge, already having a deep technical expertise of the dyeing process.

They buy un-dyed yarn from mills or brokers and use acid dyes, which are more environmentally friendly than natural dyes, an alternative substance, to create their lustres colours.

The couple have installed four 30 litre dyeing vats inside their unit, and have a range of wools for sale. They also take orders on-site or via their website.

George believes Yarn Garden is well placed to capitalise on an industry-acknowledged upsurge in crocheting as a popular past-time, one which is likely to outstrip uptake in knitting over the next couple of years.

He feels its popularity is based on a desire from people to return to having greater understanding and control over where their products come from.

He said: “Older people are returning to it, and while those in middle of the age range may not have as much interest, young people are also taking it up.

“I think the reason is a backlash that so much of the stuff around is made by people that we’ve never seen, or in the case of televisions and computers by robots in places like Russia, America and Taiwan.

“There is a great community spirit within this industry and among those who work in it, which is very important – it is not a pressure environment, it’s a creative one.

“We picked The Beacon because it has a unique combination of being a creative community space as well as an enterprise hub. We’re thrilled to be here.”

The Beacon is a diverse business space which also plays host to a range of community activities. It boasts state-of-the art conference facilities, artisan units and offices as well as a flexible working portal and bistro. It is funded by two charities, Centre West and Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle, and received £2.42M of ERDF money.

The couple have organised regular master-classes at The Beacon by international knitwear designer Katya Frankel and writer and knitting expert Aimee Nicholson.

Aimee’s first class takes place from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday, May 17 (NOTE: THIS SATURDAY) with Katya following on Wednesday, May 21, from 10am to 1pm. Each costs £30 to attend and places must be pre-booked.

Andrew Watts, executive director of ‘changing lives, changing places’ charity Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle, who manage The Beacon, said: “Yarn Garden is a very creative and interesting new business that fits in perfectly with the core values of The Beacon.

“It is great news that George and Louise have won this very prestigious contract, which is a sign of their expertise and growing presence within their field.

“They have been warmly welcomed into The Beacon, and I wish them every success.”

Yarn Garden also hold ‘Thursday Knit-Out’ advice and support sessions, which run every Thursday between 3.30pm and 8pm, and drop in ‘Knit and Knatter’ sessions on Saturdays, from 10am to noon. The cost is £3 which includes refreshments and cake.

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