Meet the Maker: RMR Yarn Co.

It's trunk show time again! Locals might be familiar with the sisters behind RMR Yarn Co., who are native to the Chicago area and named their company for their mother, Rocio M. Ramirez.  We'll be hosting some of RMR's sumptuous skeins in store and online through Saturday, March 16th!

How did you get into dyeing?

We hosted a dyeing class in our shop many years ago and fell in love with the process and the infinite creative possibilities.

What is your favorite part of the process?

Every step of the process brings about something special.  From sourcing the softest wools, to creating unique colorways, to ultimately seeing how each person uses the colorways in their projects.  Knowing that out of all the amazing talent out there someone chose our wool and our colorways for their special project is greatly satisfying.

Where do you get your inspiration for colors?

Everything around us creates inspiration for colorways.  Our approach varies depending on what we want to achieve.  We ultimately try to come up with colorways that we would be happy to work with ourselves. 

How do you come up with names for the colors?

We have different methods for naming a colorway but they must all be in Spanish because that is the language our mother spoke, and they must be something she would enjoy or find amusing.  The colorways Niña Fresa, Se Comio La Tuna, and Luna Azul allude to songs.  Our colorways that begin with the word Para are named after people that inspired that particular colorway.  Mi Salmon Brinco, Se Comio La Tuna, and El Barney are simply funny.

Which color best reflects your personality and why?

The Catrina colorway best reflects our personalities; it is a great balance between a neutral color and super bright colors.

Tell us about a WIP or a project in your queue that you're really excited about! Which of your yarns would you recommend for this (or these) project(s)?

We always have something on our hooks and needles.  One of those projects is the Escape shawl by Lena Fedotova.  It is a lovely pattern with simple stitch patterns that create a wonderful design in between the rows.  We are using our Gloria base in the Bonita and the Mi Salmon Brinco colorways. 

new colorway Quilla

Of what you are sending us, what are your favorite colors or color combinations?

We were able to include many of our newer colorways in this trunk show as well as a couple of our newer bases.  Grillo, Rojo Hormiga, and Luna Azul are among our favorites.  We have included two of our newest colorways Quilla and En Llamas and we are hoping everyone will share our enthusiasm for them.

What advice do you have about combining colors in, for example, a two-color shawl?

Dare to experiment!  We have taken chances with some of our projects combining bright colorways with neutrals resulting in amazing results.

What is your best knitting or crocheting tip?

Work out of your comfort zone from time to time.  It is an amazing feeling when one is able to conquer a new technique.

THIS or THAT!

Knit or crochet?

Both!

Starting a project or finishing a project?

 Anything but the middle of a large project.

Solids or Variegated?

Depends on the project.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee!  The stronger the better.  But we do have a large collection of teas on hand.

Sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets

Netflix or audiobooks (while crafting)?

Both plus podcasts.