Berry Fun Yarns

Home
How to Purchase Our Fruit?
Our Products
Plan Your Visit
Shop
- Canned GoodsFirefly Berries offers many varieties of jam and jelly, as well as 100% Concord grape juice, all canned to last at least a year in your cupboard, or up to two weeks in your refrigerator once opened. At this time, these products are only available for local pick up.
- Fresh ProduceFrom strawberries to grapes to herbs, if you’re looking for fresh produce that we grow on our farm, this is your place to look. All fresh produce is only available for Saturday morning curbside pick up. We do not ship fresh produce.
- PatternsNeed some inspiration for the beautiful yarn you have? Check out these patterns designed by Tonya.
- Yarn Berry Fun Yarns are dyed naturally, without the use of toxic chemicals. The colors are coaxed out of the beautiful plants and flowers (or even coffee that Grandpa drinks!) that fill the fields of Firefly Berries. We do purchase a small amount (less than 10%) of our dyestuff or natural extracts from trusted U.S. dyestuff companies, as there are a few colors that are we are unable to grow in Minnesota. Dyeing yarn naturally is different than using acid dyes in many ways, but the most striking to the dyer is that naturally dyed yarns are highly sensitive to the pH of the water used both in the dyeing and washing process. A slight change in the pH of the water can yield an entirely different color. Because of this, we recommend handwashing all Berry Fun Yarn in cool or tepid water with a pH neutral soap like Eucalan. Once we dye the yarn, we do wash every hank to assure the dye has both set and is easy for the customer to work with. We also recommend storing your yarn and finished products out of direct sunlight.
  - KitsLooking to make a fabulous winter hat with a beautiful faux fur pom pom? Or maybe a special project that has just the right amount of yarn needed for the project? If so, then these kits are for you!
  - Love is In the Air CollectionA new collection for February 2024, this collection features blues as the focus color with lots of accent colors.
  - LaceA superfine yarn that is great for lace work. Great for projects that wish to evoke an ethereal or floaty feeling. Laceweight mohair or silk is also wonderful when held double with another yarn to create extra warmth and texture. Most commonly used with size US 000-US 1 (1.5-2.25 mm) knitting needles or a 1.4-2.25 mm crochet hook.
  - FingeringFingering weight yarn is often used for baby items, socks, shawls, and other lightweight accessories and garments. It is approximately twice the weight of a lace yarn, and is typically knit using a US size 1-3 (2.25-3.25 mm) knitting needle or a size B-1 to E-3 (2.25-3.5 mm) crochet hook.
  - Mini SkeinsFor those who can’t decide on one color, or who are working on a multicolored or scrappy project, these smaller mini skeins are perfect. They come in either 10 or 20 gram sizes, as well as multiple bases.
  - Sport/DKSport is slightly heavier in weight than fingering and DK stands for double knitting weight. This category of yarn is a great middle of the road weight, perfect for all projects from hats and mittens to baby items and even garments. Most commonly used with size US 5-7 (3.75-4.5 mm) knitting needles or a size 7 to I9 (4.5-5.5 mm) crochet hook.
  - Worsted/AranWorsted/Aran are the two thickest yarn bases that I currently carry. Both weights fall into the medium weight “4” category as given by the Yarn Council and are great for a multitude of warmer projects from hats to mittens to garments and blankets. Gauge would generally be 16-20 stitches over 4 inches with the use of US 7-9 needles or a crochet hook size I-K.
  - Sock SetsLove to make socks with matching heels, toes and cuffs? These sets are perfect for you! Sets are available in multiple sizes for all the different size feet in your life!
  - Discontinued!Looking for a deal? The yarn in this category is either a retired base or colorway. Still perfectly wonderful in its own way, but limited in quantity.
- Yarn Tools & Accessories No knitting project is complete without the perfect set of needles and the right stitch markers or progress keepers to keep things organized. In our online store you find our favorite, ChiaoGoo premium knitting and crochet tools. ChiaoGoo offers a complete line of bamboo/wood and stainless steel knitting needles and crochet hooks, as well as organizers to keep everything at your fingertips. We currently carry a select portion of the ChiaoGoo line of products, but please feel free to reach out if you wish to purchase something not listed. And no project would be complete without beautiful stitch markers and progress keepers to keep things organized. The yarn jewelry listed in our online store is handmade here at Firefly Berries.
  - Accessories Looking for a way to keep your projects organized and beautiful? Whether it is with our own handmade themed yarn jewelry line of stitch markers and progress keepers or the classy ChiaoGoo needle organizers, all your yarny adventures are sure to bring you joy not only upon completion, but during the creation process as well.
    - Add onsItems in this category must be purchased with at least one skein of yarn. They are not available for purchase on their own.
    - Needle OrganizersKeeping needles/hooks organized makes every project go more smoothly!
    - Yarn and Needle CoziesThese hand sewn yarn cake cozies work great for keeping your yarn cake snug and cozy and without tangles! Made with stretchy knit fabric.
    - Yarn JewelryKeeping track of your project doesn’t have to be boring. Use these beautiful stitch markers and progress keepers to keep you on track and motivated!
  - Project Bags Beautiful handmade project bags, perfect for both your crafting projects and your essential notions and supplies.
    - Small Bags These bags are great for 1 skein projects, notions pouches, or holding anything from glasses or miscellaneous crafting supplies.
      - Notion PouchesX-small project bags and notion pouches, great for all your knitting accessories or mini skein projects.
      - Sock SacksMade with the sock knitter in mind, these bags are great for one skein on the go projects. Some have a zipper pouch divider in the middle for two at a time sock knitters, and others have a simple pocket that can also be used as a divider.
    - Medium ZipperA medium sized project bag, great for 2-3 skein projects.b
    - Tote BagsGreat for on the go, these bags not only have inside and outside pockets, but a drawstring top and nylon canvas handles. Great for all your projects, or simply an on the go bag.
  - Knitting Needles Well known for its premium knitting and crochet tools, ChiaoGoo offers a complete line of bamboo/wood and stainless steel knitting needles and crochet hooks, as well as organizers to keep everything at your fingertips. We currently carry a select portion of the ChiaoGoo line of products, but please feel free to reach out if you wish to purchase something not listed.
    - InterchangeablesVarious cords and needle tips to be used with the ChiaoGoo interchangeable needles.
    - Bamboo NeedlesChiaoGoo bamboo needles are made from Chinese Moso bamboo which is the largest and strongest bamboo out of over 1,000 different species. The smooth finish feels good to the hands and helps the yarn to glide easily through each stitch without being too slippery.
    - Stainless Steel Needles With needle tips made from surgical stainless steel and a cord that is flexible and strong, these durable ChiaoGoo needles will work for a multitude of projects.
      - 9 inchWith their small circumference, 9 inch (23cm) circular needles are perfect for socks, sleeves and anything tiny knitted in the round.
      - 24 inch24 inch (60 cm) fixed circular needles are ideal for so many projects- from hats to small garments or even knitting socks with two circulars.
      - 40 inchCircular needles are great for knitting in the round. The products listed in this section have a 40 inch (100 cm) cable, great for knitting garments or with the magic loop method.
Cart
Checkout
Outreach
Search for:

When Tonya dislocated several ribs in July of 2016, she was not able to do field work for several months. And because of this, she turned to her other love… yarn and knitting. After attending a class for dyeing with Kool-Aid, she began reading books on natural dyeing and experimenting with dyeing wool and wool blend yarns with the plants that grow on our farm. Natural dyeing quickly became a new addiction, and out of that came our product line, Berry Fun Yarns.

Berry Fun Yarns are dyed naturally, without the use of chemicals. The colors are coaxed out of the beautiful plants and flowers that fill the fields of Firefly Berries, as well as several natural dye extracts we purchased from trusted U.S. dyestuff companies.

Dyeing yarn naturally is different than using acid dyes in many ways. The most obvious difference being that naturally dyed yarns are highly sensitive to the pH of the water used both in the dyeing and washing process. A slight change in the pH of the water can yield an entirely different color. Because of this, we recommend handwashing all Berry Fun Yarn in cool or tepid water with a pH neutral soap like Eucalan. Once we dye the yarn, we wash every hank to assure the dye has properly set. We also recommend storing your yarn and finished projects out of direct sunlight*

Another unique quality of dyeing yarn naturally is that it is often difficult to repeat the exact same color, even when care is made to use the same water, mordant and modifiers. Why? Very simply, nature is every changing. As farmers we find this in our fruit every year. A year of little rain will cause berries to be sweeter, as the sugar is more concentrated in the fruit. A year of too much rain can cause fruit to taste a bit more water logged. Since our dye colors come from plants, they too can be affected by rain amounts and soil quality. We will always do our best to repeat loved colorways with careful notes, but it is likely each batch will be unique and may have slight differences in color. Keeping this in mind, please be sure to order all the yarn you need for a specific project at the same time. If you need to place a special order for a larger, project, we are happy to work with you… just let us know!

Finally… just like fruit is seasonal, and we do not have fresh strawberries in December, so too will the colors offered through Berry Fun Yarns be seasonal. We will do our best to dry and freeze dyestuff as is possible, but some lovely colors may just not be available in the dead of winter. We hope that this will not frustrate you, but rather inspire you to appreciate the beauty that is available each season.

As always, we welcome your feedback, questions and suggestions. We want you to be 100% satisfied! You can contact us via phone at (507) 252-1309 or through the contact form on our homepage.

Can’t wait to see what we have to offer?? Check out the yarn that is available for purchase right now in our online shop. Or, stop by the Rochester Farmers Market on Saturdays from May through October. We try to be set up most weekends.

*If for some reason you find that even after caring for your yarn in this fashion, you are unhappy with the colorfastness of the product, please contact us first. Do NOT try to set the dye with a citric acid soak or vinegar. These work great with acid dyes, but because of the pH change, this process could very likely change the color of your yarn or finished project.

Interested in special offers and up to date Berry Fun Yarns info? Join our newsletter list today!