Shobha of Serendipitous Wool Company

Shobha is a knitter, crocheter and indie dyer. Her beautiful yarn can be found on her website Serendipitous Wool Company. Her vibrant colors are a sight to behold! I love her company name, since Serendipity is one of my favorites words (and movies!). Read my interview with Shobha to learn more about her love of learning, her cute sweaters, and how she learned to both crochet and knit.

[Pattern and yarn in above image: Camp Wilkerson by Caitlin Hunter and the yarns are all Agni bases from Serendipitous Wool Company, Through The Cosmos, Masala-Flash, Prismatic and Sage.]

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I’ve put some yarns in my shop! Hope you find something you like! Image Description: Picture showing yarn butts in reds, green, orange, yellow, purples, pinks, blues,speckled, peachy, cream in an ebony colored shelf. #serendipitouswool #vayufingering #vajrafingering #agnixldk #mataworsted #gurufingering #kumarilace #ranisilk #agnidk #bipocdyer #indiedyersofinstagram #asianknitter

A post shared by Shobha (@serendipitouswool) on Aug 25, 2019 at 9:54am PDT

What inspired you to start knitting or crocheting?

When I was younger, my mother and a cousin would crochet, learning from the Japanese books that were available in abundance. They would allow me to try, and I would attempt to make a few stitches and would pass it back, having other interests!

Life happened, I got married, moved to the US, have a son, lost both my parents and my cousin. In 2015, I decide that it’s the year I learn crochet, landed in Joanns, met a lovely sales person, who took me to the yarn section, picked a book, opened a ball of yarn and a hook and taught me to chain. I chained for days and then crocheted motifs for an afghan from the book, and never put it together. I went on to crochet shawls, blankets, and joined Instagram in 2016. When I saw the lovely hand dyed yarns, I went looking for them.

I found a local yarn store, and decided yes, I need to learn to knit too, and I have never looked back. The next thing I was excited about was dyeing and I started with avocado pits, skins, onion skins, got some acid dyes in 2018 and with encouragement from friends went right into opening Serendipitous Wool Company and have not looked back.

What keeps you obsessed?

I am very keen in having a knitted, hand made wardrobe, sweaters, tops, shawls, socks. I love dyeing wool and love to see my hand dyed yarn, crocheted, knitted and hopefully woven. It’s fascinating how the finished hand crafted garment looks.

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My Modified Lounging Top ♥️. I made it in 2 colors both my own hand dyed yarns. The main color is a Masala (OOAK) on my Vayu (Fingering base) and the red is Siva on my Guru (Fingering base). I added flowing sleeves with a ruffle♥️. Swipe to see more of my sleeves. Pattern by @jojilocat ♥️ Image Description Slide 1: Asian woman standing, wearing a knitted sweater in two colors, a speckled red, green, cream and dark tonal red. Her hands are in her pockets, her sleeves are hanging. Backdrop of green grass and brick patio. Image Description Slide 2: Asian woman , standing , hands outstretched showing her speckled red, green, cream and tonal red colors of her sleeves. Backdrop of linen curtains and bamboo flooring. #serendipitouswool #vayufingering #gurufingering #jojilocatelli #loungingtop #asianknitter #indiedyersofinstagram #bipockalcal

A post shared by Shobha (@serendipitouswool) on Aug 19, 2019 at 8:04am PDT

What’s your favorite project that you’re working on right now?

At the moment I’m knitting and hoping to finish a modified Lounging Top and My Boy Lollipop. I’m almost done and I cannot wait to wear them. [Update: she did finish them!]

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My Boy Lollipop design by amazing Nancy Ricci @gettingpurlywithit ♥️♥️♥️!! I love it, thank you Nancy for a wonderful pattern. Yarn is my own hand dyed, Main Color Way, Kissed By The Sun and my sleeve cuffs Pincushion Urchin both on my Mata (Worsted) base. It fits wonderfully, the sleeves are just right! Image Description: Image of an Asian woman wearing a knitted sweater in Kissed By The Sun and Pincushion Urchin color ways. Her hands are tucked in her black pants pockets. The yarns are hand dyed and knitted by her. Glimpses of her curly hair. Backdrop is her garden, patio and grass. #serendipitouswool #myboylollipopsweater #nancyricciknitweardesign #asianindiedyer #asianknitter #mataworsted #indieyarndyer #bipockalcal

A post shared by Shobha (@serendipitouswool) on Aug 12, 2019 at 7:34am PDT

What project are you most proud of? Why?

I’m proud of the two garments that I am working on at the moment as I hand dyed the yarns that I am using for them, and the Lounging Top I am adding sleeves.

What’s the best knitting or crochet advice you have received?

It wasn’t so much as advice for knitting or crochet, but one that certainly applies to anyone, in any craft. My parents always made it a point to advocate learning and this is one of the reasons that I picked up crochet, knitting and am the owner and indie dyer of Serendipitous Wool Company.

Do you have a favorite colorway that you’ve dyed?

I have several color ways that I love, the two that I am partial to is my Kissed By The Sun and Golden Earth, especially in my Anu Fingering base which is a single ply.

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Follow Shobha on Instagram here.

Check out her website here.

If you would like to be featured in the “Variegated Yarn Tales” column, please join the community and read our guidelines here!

Follow Shobha on Instagram here.

Check out her website here.

If you would like to be featured in the “Variegated Yarn Tales” column, please join the community and read our guidelines here!

5 Comments

Jayalakshmi on September 3, 2019 at 11:31 am

Great interview!! Loved reading about Shobha, as always!! A fabulous dyer and an even more fabulous person!!
- Monica on September 4, 2019 at 6:56 am
  
  Thanks for checking out her interview! 🙂
- Shobha Nadarajah on September 6, 2019 at 4:26 pm
  
  Thank you Jaya♥️
Terri Brown on September 6, 2019 at 11:28 am

Beautiful yarn colors! Do you dye a combination of green and purple together?
- Shobha Nadarajah on September 6, 2019 at 4:27 pm
  
  That’s in the pipeline for sure!

Check out her website here.

If you would like to be featured in the “Variegated Yarn Tales” column, please join the community and read our guidelines here!

5 Comments

Jayalakshmi on September 3, 2019 at 11:31 am

Great interview!! Loved reading about Shobha, as always!! A fabulous dyer and an even more fabulous person!!
- Monica on September 4, 2019 at 6:56 am
  
  Thanks for checking out her interview! 🙂
- Shobha Nadarajah on September 6, 2019 at 4:26 pm
  
  Thank you Jaya♥️
Terri Brown on September 6, 2019 at 11:28 am

Beautiful yarn colors! Do you dye a combination of green and purple together?
- Shobha Nadarajah on September 6, 2019 at 4:27 pm
  
  That’s in the pipeline for sure!