Frequently asked questions

If you have any questions, the FAQs may help you.

If your question is not listed, please send me a message via the website or an email to info@ovillo-wolle.de.

I, Corinna Berkemeier, will then get back to you.

1. Do you have a shop?

No, I don‘t have a shop. I sell my colourways at festivals of yarn and via my online shop www.ovillo-wolle.de

2. I can‘t find my desired colour in your shop. Can I order this colour?

From mid-October 2023, I will activate a new category in the shop. Selected colours can then be pre-ordered in advance.

3. What does mulesing mean?

Mulesing is a common method in Australia and New Zealand to protect animals from myiasis. Myiasis is a condition where fly larvae enter the animal's intestine and cause it to become severely ill. The method of removing the skin around the animal's tail without causing pain is called mulesing (named after the inventor of the method John W. H. Mules).

Ovillo doesn‘t stock yarns from mulesing practising countries such as Australia and New Zealand. My suppliers source from Argentina, Uruguay and Europe. In these regions, the fly that causes myiasis doesn‘t exist. So mulesing is not used there.

4. My recommendation for knitting with 2 skeins of one colour

The yarns are hand dyed and colours from one batch may vary in colour intensity and finish. To avoid a big difference in colour from one skein to the other in the knitted piece, I recommend to knit both skeins alternately (change the balls after every 2nd row).

Colours that are permanently available in the range have their own names. Colours with a number are only available as long as stock lasts.

5. After the colour name I find this: "B1", "B2" etc. What does this mean?

"B1", "B2" etc. stands for "batch". Batch is the batch at Ovillo.

Looking at the name you can see if the colourway comes from the same dye bath.

6. You recommend hand washing, can I also wash the yarns with the washing machine?

Basically, we recommend washing the yarns by hand to preserve the fibres and the colour intensity. It is possible to wash the yarns in the washing machine. Please make sure to use the wool wash cycle (30 degrees), a mild wool detergent (no fabric softener!) and a low spin cycle.

I dye my yarns with acid dyes, which I fix by adding vinegar. After the dyeing process, each skein is washed out by hand with a wool detergent (here I use "Eucalan" - you can also buy this from my online shop). Very intensive (dark) colours can still bleed from time to time (colour residues come out during washing). This is not a reason for complaint.

Each strand is carefully controlled during the dyeing and washing process. Factors such as the ph-value of the water and the wool detergent used can influence possible bleeding.

Tip: If you want to combine dark and light colours in one knitted piece, I recommend that you make a stitch test. Wash the sample by hand with a wool detergent and check whether the colours bleed. If any colour residues bleed out, please contact me by mail: info@ovillo-wolle.de.

7. I can't find patterns to buy and download from your site. Where can I find these?

I do not offer any download articles in my online shop.

Knitwear designers with whom I have a cooperation sell their patterns on all well-known knitting portals.

Status: 12.05.2023