Name: Herb & Hue
Brand: The Fibre Co.
SKU: Y-HHW190
Price: 38.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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Description

Experience the luxurious softness of extra fine Merino wool, naturally dyed using plants. These vibrant hues come directly from nature's palette—logwood, indigo, madder, and other botanical dyes—creating color without chemicals. Herb & Hue is a worsted weight yarn that blends sustainable craftsmanship with rich, vibrant hues drawn from nature’s own palette. Each hank reveals rich, complex hues derived purely from plants, honoring both ancient craft traditions and modern environmental values.

Perfect for: Luxurious hats, cozy wraps, next-to-skin sweaters, and heirloom accessories.

Additional Information

Hank weight: 100 g
Fibre: 100% extra fine Merino wool
Length: 214 m (234 yd)
Tension/Gauge: 17–20 sts per 10 cm (4 in)
Needle size: 4.5–5.5mm (US 7–9)
Care: Hand wash gently in cool water, keeping colors separate. Natural plant-based dyes may cause slight color transfer when handled with warm or moist hands. Always wash items separately and test color interaction using your swatch.
Made in: Italy

The palette

What plants are used for dyeing

Herb & Hue’s rich palette is the result of a unique proprietary process that transforms natural materials—such as logwood bark, indigofera shrub leaves, weld flowers, and madder roots—into deeply saturated, colorfast hues that surpass traditional plant-dyed yarns in both vibrancy and durability.

The blend

What fibres we use and why

We’ve chosen pure, 100% premium extra-fine Merino wool for its exceptional softness, strength, and warmth. Merino fibres are naturally fine, but this extra-fine grade takes comfort to another level—providing outstanding warmth with luxurious softness against the skin.

Merino wool’s natural protein structure creates an ideal foundation for plant-based dyes, allowing the botanical colors to penetrate deeply and develop rich, lasting hues that showcase the full beauty of nature’s palette.

The origin story

Where does the yarn come from?

Herb & Hue is made in the renowned Biella region of northern Italy, where generations of textile expertise meet cutting-edge innovation. At the heart of this production lies a plant-based dye-house that combines ancient dyeing traditions with modern, eco-conscious technology—reviving natural methods that were largely lost to petroleum-based chemicals.

The process

How is the yarn made?

From farm to finished skein, our mill uses natural fibres and proprietary techniques to ensure exceptional quality and sustainability at every step.

1. Sourcing and preparing

Our wool is sourced from certified farms in South America, each committed to high standards of animal welfare, land stewardship, and ethical labor. After shearing, the Merino fleece is transported to the mill, where it’s washed, dried, and combed into smooth, clean fibre known as ‘tops’.

2. Dyeing

The unspun tops are dyed using a 100% natural method, with dried botanicals like logwood bark, indigofera leaves, weld flowers, and madder root—completely free from synthetic chemicals, additives, or petroleum-derived dyes. After years of research, the dye-house has revived ancient dyeing techniques using modern technology to create self-fixing dyes that bond permanently to the fibre without synthetic mordants or chemical intervention.

3. Spinning

Once dyed, the fibre is worsted spun to create a fine two-ply yarn, which is then twisted together seven times to create a balanced, rounded yarn. Worsted spinning aligns the fibres and removes shorter strands, producing a yarn that is exceptionally smooth and durable. Finally, the yarn is steamed and finished into hanks.

The process

Ethics of production

Environmental responsibility guides every step of production. Waste plant materials become agricultural fertilizer, while cultivating dye plants absorbs atmospheric carbon—creating a regenerative cycle with significantly lower CO₂ emissions than synthetic dyeing processes.

Knitting with Herb & Hue

The knitting experience

On the needles: Smooth, consistent tension with a pleasantly rounded strand.

Stitch definition: Crisp initially, with textured stitches and cables that open beautifully after blocking.

Blocking behavior: Relaxes and blooms to reveal stitch patterns while maintaining garment integrity.

Wearability: True next-to-skin comfort with no irritation, even for sensitive skin.

Did you know

Synthetic yarns shed microplastics during washing, contributing to 35% of ocean microplastic pollution.

Did you know

Natural fibres are a renewable resource, regrown every year by sheep, alpacas, goats, and plants—unlike petroleum-based synthetic fibres.

Did you know

Natural fibres regulate body temperature, keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer—unlike many synthetic yarns, which can trap heat and moisture.

The vision, ideal projects and more

Find out more about what makes Herb & Hue an extraordinary yarn choice for making.

The vision

Over a decade ago at Pitti Filati in Florence, we discovered a dye-house that uses groundbreaking plant-based dye technology. Their mastery of botanical dyeing at scale captured our imagination immediately, sparking a vision for a yarn that would honor both fibre excellence and environmental responsibility. After years of development, that vision has finally materialized in Herb & Hue.

The color story

Through years of dedicated research and development, the dye-house has rediscovered and refined ancient dyeing techniques that were largely abandoned when petroleum-based chemicals became industry standard. Their breakthrough lies in creating self-fixing dyes—botanical colors that bond permanently to fibre without synthetic mordants or chemical interventions. This proprietary process transforms plant materials into deeply saturated, colorfast hues that suprass traditional plant-dyed yarns in vibrancy and durability.

Each shade name in the Herb & Hue collection is inspired by historic geographical regions associated with the dye plant, paired with descriptive words that evoke the color, texture, or natural essence of the shade itself.

Natural Coloration Technology

Herb & Hue's breakthrough lies in the dye-house’s revolutionary "Naturale" process—the world's first yarn dyeing process using plants to earn Woolmark's prestigious Natural Coloration Technology certificate. This groundbreaking method harnesses the pure power of dried herbs, tree bark, leaves, and roots to create rich, lasting colors that rival any synthetic dye.

What makes this extraordinary? Zero synthetic chemicals. Zero heavy metals. Zero petroleum-derived substances. Just nature's own pigments, carefully extracted and applied using cutting-edge technology that preserves both fibre integrity and environmental purity. The result is color that doesn't just look beautiful—it embodies a cleaner, more sustainable future for textiles.

How it feels in hand

When you hold Herb & Hue in your hands, you'll immediately notice its cloud-like softness—the hallmark of premium extra-fine Merino with fibres under 19.5 microns in diameter. To put this in perspective, human hair measures around 60–100 microns across, making these Merino fibres exceptionally fine and smooth against the skin. This extra-fine diameter gives the yarn its signature luxurious feel, creating garments with incredible comfort while maintaining beautiful structure and remarkable versatility.

Ideal project types

This premium extra-fine yarn is ideal for cables, lace, and textured patterns that demand clarity and precision. Its multi-fold construction creates a rounded yarn structure that provides exceptional stitch definition while ensuring your finished pieces will maintain their beauty through years of wear.

Herb & Hue’s signature softness makes it ideal for luxurious hats, cozy wraps, next-to-skin sweaters, and heirloom accessories. It’s a fibre choice that prioritizes comfort, elegance, and long-lasting beauty.

Care and blocking

Thanks to the research-driven Naturale process and Woolmark's rigorous Natural Coloration Technology standards, Herb & Hue achieves the durability and color retention that rivals any synthetic dye—far beyond what home plant-dyeing can accomplish.

This commercial-grade botanical dyeing process creates colors that are built to last. However, as with all premium fibres, thoughtful care will preserve the beauty and integrity of your finished pieces for years to come.

Care instructions: Gently hand wash in cool water using a delicate wool wash. While our colors are engineered for lasting vibrancy, some natural dyestuffs can occasionally transfer when fibres are handled with warm or moist hands, so wash colors separately as a precaution. When blocking, lay your piece flat on a clean towel and shape to size, avoiding aggressive agitation or prolonged soaking.

YARN FOR PROJECTS YOU'RE PROUD OF

Why choose natural fibre yarns?

Choosing our premium natural fibre yarns not only supports eco-conscious craftsmanship but also offers exceptional durability, breathability, and softness, resulting in timeless projects that feel luxurious and are made to last.