About Us

Folkestone Harbour Yarn: A Coastal Story in Colour

2015 — A tiny studio with big ideas Folkestone Harbour Yarn began in 2015 in the heart of Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, just a short walk from the sea. What started as an occasional craft‑fair stall with a handful of quirky, colourful sock yarns soon grew into a small dye studio committed to sustainable making, supporting British farmers and collaborating with other independent makers.

2016 — Natural dyes and a dye garden In 2016, the Natural Dyes range was born. Alongside it came a small dye garden — a way to keep colour sources local, seasonal and environmentally gentle. This marked the beginning of FHY’s deep connection to the Kent landscape.

2017 — Our first magazine feature A proud milestone arrived in 2017 with our first magazine feature in Knitting magazine, celebrating our emerging coastal‑inspired identity and introducing Folkestone Harbour Yarn to a wider audience.

2018 — Our first yarn festivals 2018 was another landmark year: our first foray into yarn festivals. Folkestone Harbour Yarn appeared at Unravel and Yarndale, bringing our Kent‑rooted colours to makers across the UK and stepping confidently into the indie‑dyer community.

2019–2022 — Growing through change

In the years that followed, we continued to exhibit at festivals across the UK — venturing further north to the Scottish Yarn Festival, returning to Yarndale, and travelling east to the East Anglia Yarn Festival, among others. These events helped us connect with an ever‑wider community of makers who share our love of colour, craft and coastal storytelling.

During this period, Folkestone Harbour Yarn was also featured in publications including Mollie Makes, Knitting magazine, and Simply Crochet, each celebrating our distinctive, place‑anchored approach to hand‑dyed yarn.

2022 also marked a new chapter as we began stocking local yarn stores, starting with The Wool Shop, Folkestone — a lovely step toward making our coastal‑inspired colours more accessible to makers in our own community.

The pandemic years brought a shift toward online growth, expanding our range of bases (many from British breeds) and strengthening our connection with our community of makers.

2023–Present — A deeper sense of place

Today, Folkestone Harbour Yarn is shaped by the colours, textures and stories of the Kent coast. Every skein is hand‑dyed in small batches, capturing sea‑light, harbour walls and shoreline quiet. The signature Colours of Kent range is dyed on Kent Romney — a fibre native to this landscape — celebrating its natural lustre, strength and sustainability. Each colourway is rooted in a real place: beaches, cliffs, towns and skies that define our county.

Living and working among artists, designers and makers in Folkestone’s Creative Quarter continues to influence Suzi’s expressive, art‑inspired palettes and patterns. This blend of coastal storytelling, local fibre and creative energy gives FHY a distinctive, emotionally resonant voice within the indie dyer community.

2024 — ‘Tis The Season Pop‑Up Shop

From 2024, we began running the ‘Tis The Season pop‑up shop alongside Emma of The Makers Marks. Together, we bring a curated selection of seasonal wares from local designer‑makers to a Folkestone audience at Christmastime — a joyful celebration of community, creativity and the handmade.

A warm welcome from Suzi (human) and Bella (cat)

We hope our yarns, kits and accessories bring you many hours of joyful making — and that your finished pieces are treasured for years. We’d love to see what you create, so please share your projects with us on Instagram or Facebook.