Sea Change Fibers began in October 2016 as The Dye Project in Portland, Oregon. Born of a desire to dye tonal colors on non-superwash bases, which were largely unavailable in the hand dyed yarn market at that time, our color palette and aesthetic developed quickly. We moved to a home near Monterey Bay in 2017 and have evolved into Sea Change Fibers, a new name for 2020 and beyond that reflects both our location and our commitment to social and environmental justice.

Our yarn bases are carefully researched and sourced from sustainable fiber producers. Since most of our bases come from small producers, their availability can change over time, and we bring in new bases to fill in gaps. All of our bases to date have been non-superwash wools—often blended with silk—that create soft and durable garments. Please keep in mind that all of our yarns must be hand washed. Our newest bases (Seacliff, Pelagic, and Littoral) are climate beneficial wool that is fully traced from the pasture to the mill.

Vibrant colors are a signature of Sea Change Fibers. We are always inspired by the colors of nature, especially those found in and around Monterey Bay and the redwood forests. We love dyeing and knitting with complex jewel tones as well as tonal neutrals. While we do cycle in new colors frequently, we rarely retire colors unless the dye becomes unavailable. After all, there can never be too many colors!

Our society is experiencing a sea change in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement, the ongoing fights for queer and trans rights and fair immigration, income inequality highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and rapidly increasing climate change issues. We are committed to social justice for marginalized people and to working toward a sustainable planet and just world. $3 of each skein sold on the website or at shows (virtual and eventually in person again) is donated to organizations that work toward these goals. Our most recent donation was to the Center for Constitutional Rights (www.ccrjustice.org) and the donations for September–December sales will be for supporting victims of the recent West Coast wildfires and building sustainable forest management practices (not raking the ground) as we face climate change. We proudly support progressive causes and feel strongly that our values are an essential part of our business. Sea Change Fibers will always work toward being the change that we believe our world needs.

The dyeing process at Sea Change Fibers involves careful and sustainable use of both water and power. We reuse water for similar colors throughout the day, with each dye pot dedicated to specific color families. Our airy pale colors come from reusing the dye pots from hard-to-exhaust colors, so that no dye or water goes to waste. We minimize power use with low wattage heating elements, the use of overnight dyeing after heating, and even solar dyeing on warm and sunny days. We dry the yarn out in the warm air as much as possible, and allow for longer drying times in the winter rather than using heaters, except during particularly wet/cold times.

Thank you for choosing Sea Change Fibers yarn! We hope you enjoy the love and care that has gone into creating our yarn, and know that part of your purchase goes to supporting positive change in the world.

All colors are created in house and inspired by the world around us. Living by the beach and the forest means eternal inspiration. Most of our colors are semi-solid so that they are timeless and work well combined with the more variegated yarns from other indie dyers that we love.
The Dye Project uses a variety of bases - none of them superwash. Because most come direct from the mill, they may have seasonal or limited availability.