December Pop-Up: Martin's Lab!

We are very excited to announce our 2020 Pop-Up Shop series! Each month, we will be featuring an indie yarn dyer or company, showcasing their yarn, and highlighting perfect patterns to go with them! We'll also share an interview with the owners and designers here on the blog. All photos courtesy of Martin's Lab.

For our very last (but most certainly not least!) Pop-Up Shop of 2020, we have one of our favorite dyers in the world - Martin's Lab! Hand-dyed by Marcin in Poland, Martin's Lab has striking colors and unique bases!

We got to chat with Marcin, the creative force behind Martin's Lab, to learn a little about the business and his inspiration!

Check out Martin's Lab and all of our 2020 Pop-Up Shops here!

1. How did Martin’s Lab start?

Many times I went to festivals and took photos for my wife as "an Instagram husband”. 

During one of the festivals in Edinburgh, I bought a couple of undyed skeins for me to play with. 

As the time flew by and the more skeins I colored I realized this is what I’d like to do in life. 

It was such a great change that I gave up my PhD studies for the knitting world.

2. Where do you find inspiration for your colors?

Inspirations surround us every day. I find them in my garden, on the street, in the museum and during my trips. 

For example, when I drive back from the festival and notice beautiful bushes on the side of the road, I feel the need to create a yarn in such colors. 

Recently, I dyed a small batch of colors inspired by what I see around my house: deep red like the tulips in my garden, speckled skeins like a meadow with poppies and cornflowers or a green combination like the ravine nearby.

Sometimes I dyed colors that match the season, such as summer or fall, or my current mood.

3. Is there any particular colorway that has special meaning to you?

These are the colors created at the request of my children: Aga's Wish, Caterpillar, Agnieszka, Wojtek. Colors that evoke pleasant memories from a trip also mean a lot to me: Memories, Warsaw Flamingo, Beach.

4. When did you first learn knitting or crocheting?

I am still learning how to knit or crochet. In elementary school, I did crochet lessons, but I never made anything big. 

I am currently learning knitting but I have nothing to show. I don't have much time to knit, but my test scarf is growing.

5. And just for fun: If you could design a parade float that was fiber themed, what would it look like?

Definitely a colorful parrot or dragon on a black base. When I started dyeing the knitting world was filled with love, not politics. I would like this project to remind people that we are different but knitting connects us.