Indie Dyer Spotlight: Brea Kehr of Brediculous Yarns

With yarn colorway names like Arctic Bliss, Funky Monkey, Unicorn Barf, and Tiki Bar, stitchers don’t even have to see the colorways that Brediculous Yarns dyes up to know that they are going to be colorful, unique, and a lot of fun!

How does owner and dyer of Brediculous Yarns, Brea Kehr, decide on her yarn names? “I have a list of colorways coming out for the next two years and they all have names that I think would fit them. However, dyeing them up and seeing them in my hands can also change my mind.”

It is obvious that Brea loves playing with color as much as she loves inventing funky names to fit her fiber creations.

From Digital Art to the Dye Pot

While in college earning her BA in Digital Media Arts, knitter Brea discovered the beauty of hand-dyed yarns. Falling in love with the combination of colors that could be created on yarn, she began dyeing her first hanks in the living room. From there, the hobby took on a whole new life of its own and has now become a fast-growing business. She moved her crock pots into the basement as her brand continued to grow.

As more and more knitters and crocheters discover her soft and colorful hanks of art, she has expanded yet again. She has now retired the crock pots and is capable of dyeing on a much larger scale. “With my business growing over the years I now have two decent sized pots to put on the stove that hold up to 15-20 skeins. I even have a bigger quart pot that sits on the ground and can dye up to 50 skeins at a time!”

Brediculous Yarns’ Unique Dye Technique

It isn’t always easy to describe the variegated colorways that Brediculous Yarns is known for. They have a uniquely different dye technique that creates a distinctive effect for each colorway. “The biggest compliment I get with my dyeing is that they look like tie-dye! Which in a sense, it’s almost like that. I twist and tie certain parts of the yarn really tight. The twists don’t allow those areas to absorb color. I then re-twist the yarn and expose new sections of yarn to absorb a new color. I twist and dye several times in different colors to create the tie-dye effect.”

“Brediculous” Explained

When it came to naming her yarn brand, it was a pretty obvious choice. As an avid softball player, she gained quite the reputation on the field. “I played a lot of co-ed leagues and was an outfielder as well. Unfortunately, a lot of people in these games try to hit to the girls thinking they can’t catch, throw, or play. Well, those people learned really quick to stop hitting to me. My friend came up with the name by saying, ‘She’s not ridiculous . . . she’s Brediculous!’”

And with that came a softball legacy and a fitting name for her yarn brand.

Follow Brea on Instagram @brediculousyarns where she makes fun and quirky dyeing videos that are super funny to watch! Shop her rich and vibrant colorways at www.brediculousyarns.com.

All images courtesy of Brediculous Yarns.

Krista Ann is a nomadic knitter. She travels with her husband and their fur baby, Phinny, in an RV while she designs knits and teaches at yarn shops along the way. Instagram @explorewithknitsy | Website www.explorewithknitsy | The Knitting Rockstar Academy www.knittingrockstar.com