Mindfully created yarns
for your knitting adventures

 

Hey Maker! Welcome to Augustbird

If you answered YES to any of these I think you're gonna like it here...

Augustbird is here to support you on your crafting journey by providing you with squishy, soft, glorious yarn that you can feel good about. The Augustbird story is one of kindness, creativity and the desire to find a better way forward. Here is a little bit about my journey and why Augustbird is here to bring more joy to your knitting and making.

Thank you for being here.

A bit about me

My name is Rebecca Robinson and it's so lovely to meet you. I am an artist and mum of two beautiful, cheeky boys. I live and create on Peramangk land in the Adelaide Hills, surrounded by gum trees. I share my home with kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras and other beautiful Australian flora and fauna. 

I have background in graphic design, but I much prefer making things with my hands. I love knitting, drinking tea, bush walks and reading.. oh and I'm a bit of a Jane Austen tragic…

Augustbird is all about finding the joy in our crafts and celebrating creativity. It is about slowing down, feeling grateful and choosing yarn that make us feel good.
 

The need for more ethical, locally produced yarn

I created Augustbird back in 2012 when I was having trouble finding locally produced hand-dyed yarn in Australia.

Ethical Australian yarn was hard to find, especially in the hand-dyed space.

After the birth of my first child I rediscovered knitting as a beautiful mindfulness exercise, and to keep my hands busy during those new born days. I had discovered I could easily carry a sock project in my bag, giving me something to do while I sat idly during those baby daytime sleeps. 

Along with knitting I fell in love with hand-dyed sock yarn, but was having trouble finding any in Australia at the time. I also was unsure about where the yarn I was purchasing was coming from, how it was processed and the treatment of the sheep and workers.

This was a huge worry for me.

I wanted to feel good about making things, not stressed. There just had to be a better option here, and if I was facing these struggles maybe I wasn’t alone. Maybe other makers were feeling this too.

Because that’s what it’s all about isn’t it? Knitting and making should help us to lift our moods not bring us down with guilt and worry.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and well… hellooooo Augustbird.

I made it my mission to source wool that aligned with my values, and to dye my yarns thoughtfully for knitters and makers like myself to enjoy. 

Augustbird has grown and flourished beyond my wildest imaginings, and is now home to the most beautifully soft, ethical Australian yarn.

It all changed when I met Nan Bray

Rebecca, Nan and baby Patrick on the White Gum Wool Farm October 2014

I met Nan Bray of White Gum Wool back in 2013 after hearing about her trailblazing ethical and sustainable farming practices. My organic Australian Merino base had been discontinued and I needed to find an alternative.

I reached out to Nan to see if she would be willing to work with me and we became fast friends. At first Nan was a little hesitant to work with a hand-dyer but she thankfully agreed (after caving to my pestering!) and we have been working together ever since. 

Together Nan and I  co-created the very first Ethical Australian Merino + Tussah Silk sport weight (My beloved Egret base).  I have also designed 5 colours for the White Gum Wool Range: Silver Tussock, Ashmore, Wildflower, Rose Hip and Apple Blossom. 

Watch my interview with Nan Bray where I talk about the new colourways

Check out the colourways I designed for White Gum Wool

The Yarn

My yarn bases are created from 100% ethical Australian merino, all of which comes from a single farm, Nan Bray’s White Gum Wool farm, in the midlands of Tasmania. This wool is the softest, loveliest superfine merino you’ll ever find. The softness of the wool or “angel dust” as it is sometimes referred to is due to the kind treatment of the sheep and the biodiversity on the farm. 

I am so grateful to Nan for supplying me with the most amazing yarn. I am ever in admiration of her earth-friendly and sheep-friendly farming practices.

Explore Augustbird instock yarn

Hand-dyed with heart

Augustbird yarns are dyed by hand in my small home studio. I use a variety of techniques to gently manipulate the yarn with layers of colour, transforming it into something special. My colourways are a form of expression; a blend of emotion, experimentation and artistry and I take inspiration from my natural surroundings. This is my way of interpreting the world around me and I find meaning and connections through my work.

Check out my latest hand-dyed creations

A word on the hand-dyeing process

The beautiful thing about hand-dyeing is the subtle changes in colour and tone that you will not find on commercially dyed yarn. I do not consider slight spotting or colour variations to be imperfections; rather I believe these variations add beauty and depth to my unique yarns.

Although many of the Augustbird colourways are repeatable, each dye lot will be a little different and each skein will be special in its own way. For large projects I do advise you order enough skeins for the complete work from the same dye lot. For an even spread of colour over a large knitted garment it is a good idea to alternate skeins every few rows.

Your magical story begins here

The Augustbird story merely begins with me, it is you who becomes the artist when you select that special skein. How will you transform it into something uniquely yours? What stitch patterns will you choose? How will the colours blend and evolve as you go? It’s exciting to think of the possibilities and I am so happy to be a small part of your creative journey.

Are you ready? Lets begin! 

Have you got any questions? Please reach out to me, I'd love to chat.