Pre-Rhinebeck Untangling: Bad Sheep Yarn

This is the first in a series of blog posts featuring the fabulous sponsors of Indie Untangled, taking place on October 17, 2025, in person in Saugerties, NY, and online. Tickets are available and selling fast!

After every Indie Untangled, I send out a survey to attendees. One of the questions I ask is whether there’s a dyer or maker they’d love to see at the show the following year (while I know a lot of dyers, I’m certainly not familiar with all of them 😉). Last year, several people recommended Bad Sheep Yarn.

Marcie started dyeing yarn TEN years ago, and about a year and a half ago she and her family made a big move from their hometown of North Pole, Alaska, to Pensacola, Florida. The new location also meant a big expansion into a large warehouse space. Being less remote has allowed Bad Sheep to start doing more events, and I’m so glad that Marcie and her team will be joining us for this year’s Rhinebeck kickoff!

Tell me about how you got started dyeing yarn.

I started by chance! Randomly, Chandi of Expression Fiber Arts went to my knit night and she ended up hiring me to dye yarn. She introduced me to the craft in a lovely way and I will forever be grateful to her for opening that door for me. To this day, she is endlessly encouraging to me.

What inspires your colorways?

Everything. I like things that are soft, bright, and grungy. I dig into words, feelings, nature, and jokes. I’ve also created entire sets based off of inside jokes from our Facebook community group, colorways from dye-covered paper towels, and The Muppets. Currently I’m inspired by anything moody or magical and Charlotte Brontë.

Do you have a favorite color or colors, and have they changed since you became a dyer?

Most definitely. Now my favorite yarns are the most chaotic ones. And my favorite color has always been red. Followed by blues and then grungy greens and blacks.

When I started dyeing yarn, I only liked neutrals (other than red). I think dyeing colors I didn’t like for myself taught me to like them all. They all have their time to shine!

What are some of your most popular colorways?

Hands down our colorway Wild Blueberry. We make it almost every day and it is a beautiful blue/purple yarn. I see why people love it.

Then Autumn Brew, which is a really difficult color to dye, but it is really very pretty.

What types of yarns do you carry and what is your favorite?

We carry Superwash Merino/nylon blends, 100% Superwash Merino, some Suri alpaca lace, some mulberry silk, and some non-Superwash Merino.

I love our lace Suri alpaca. It makes the best sweaters and I love holding it double with Merino.

How did you come up with the name Bad Sheep Yarn?

This is not as glamorous a story as it might seem. 🙂 My husband and I were tossing around names with my mother-in-law and someone suggested Bad Sheep Yarn. We liked it and it rolled off the tongue and the domain was available. So we took it! At first, I didn’t love the name. But it’s been a while and it’s grown on me quite a bit.

Can you share some of your plans for Indie Untangled?

We are pretty new to events, so I’m really expecting to just be along for the ride and hope I have enough yarn! I am planning on bringing an array of our more autumnal colorways and to do the best we can to have a lovely shopping experience for everyone.

How did you learn to knit?

One of my mom’s friends taught me as a child. She was a traveling nurse and YouTube wasn’t a thing yet. So I had one or two in person lessons and a couple phone calls before I was making everyone I knew a scarf. I had a few people that passed through my life that taught me things. But other than that, I just read patterns and figured it out.

I always wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, and knitting and sewing were my closest avenues to living that dream.

What are some of your favorite FOs you or your customers have made with your yarn?

There are many that our customers have made that have stuck with me. We have had people make wedding dresses, baby gifts for their children and grandchildren, dresses for their hot dates, and things that just really stretched them as makers that were absolutely beautiful. People’s creations are so special to them and my staff and I are always touched when they share.

My favorite FO is my first sweater that I made for myself. It’s unraveling at the sleeves and is very worn. But it’s so loved and fit me perfectly.

What’s currently on your needles?

Twenty different things. I’m currently working on a Leah’s Lace Shawl by Wool & Wyrd, some socks for a test knit coming out, a self-designed hat for my husband, and the April Cardigan by Petite Knit.

I’ve got more I’m working on but I’m tying to finish these first before I even glimpse at new patterns.