About

Welcome! My name is Julia de Boer, owner of deBoer Yarn Co. It's not really named for me, but for the family whose love of handwork fuelled my own life-long interest in making, and whose legacy of family-owned businesses gave me the gumption to try it for myself. I hope it honours my family and friends, those with the deBoer name and those without, who provide constant knowledge and encouragement in my knitterly and non-knitterly pursuits.

But Julia, you may ask, aren't there thousands of other yarn dyers? Yes, there are so many talented makers out there, whose work rightfully deserves attention. A rising tide floats all boats. I am not claiming to reinvent the wheel, but to perhaps offer interesting bases or colour palettes which will strike the fancy of people who see pattern, colour, and design in a similar way. I also hope to provide yarns locally, sourcing where possible from Ontario and Canada, paying attention to what the Canadian consumer cannot easily find online, or what they may be yearning to knit with. I want to provide yarns at various price points, to make quality wool yarn more accessible.

I also think about thrift, excess, and sustainability, as it relates to crafting and fashion. I was interviewed for a podcast, Critical Faith, where I talk about slow fashion and how it connects my faith, and to differents forms of resistance against consumerism, dubious corporations, and climate change. This is within the context of my Christian faith, and I hope I speak generously and openly. I acknowledge that my ideas emerge within a specific framework; if you have other ideas about how your religious practices, especially of other faiths, inform your crafting, I would love to hear from other perspectives. You can find my podcast episode on this topic here: https://criticalfaith.podbean.com/e/slow-fashion-and-creative-counter-activity-with-julia-de-boer/

*Special note* I pledge to monitor my online spaces, making them safe for LGBTQ+ people and people of colour.