My name’s Marina, and I’m a yarn dyer and hand-knit designer based in a small village in Wiltshire in the South-West of England. I started dyeing wool yarn as a hobby in 2015 and was immediately obsessed. After a couple of years fitting my dyeing and knitting around my full-time work in publishing, in 2017 I quit the day job to focus fully on Marina Skua. It was completely obvious to me then that I needed to be creative in my work and create products I genuinely care about.

Create knitwear you can live in

All my hand-dyed yarn has character – whether it’s a matte, grippy wool that’s ideal for knitting up colourwork projects or a soft, delicate alpaca with luminous drape. I dye colours and design knitting patterns that I enjoy and wear myself. From rich, semi-solid jewel tones through muted, delicate pastels and unusual variegations, I love to play with colour. Although. while I enjoy bright colours, I do try to avoid the garish. I create beautiful hand-dyed yarns and knitwear designs that fit smoothly into a wardrobe; garments and accessories that can be worn in daily life – not just when we want to sling on a hand-knit to show off at a yarn show. 

Sustainability and provenance

Over these years I’ve honed my processes and product offering to align with a strong set of values. I believe that as knitters, craftspeople and human beings, we should care about the provenance of the materials we use. 

1.  Supporting local. The yarn I offer is all made from locally sourced fibre, grown by happy, well-treated animals on farms I’ve visited numerous times - and often relatively local to where I am in Wiltshire - plus each skein of my hand-dyed yarn is spun at a small mill in the UK. My aim is to reduce ‘yarn miles’ wherever I can so I always use British wool and spinning fibre. 
2. Considerate dye practices. When dyeing my yarn in small batches, use non-toxic dyes and ancillaries, reuse the dye water as many times as possible, and ensure that no materials are wasted. Residual water from dye pots is disposed of in the garden, where the slight acidity benefits certain plants. 
3. Biodegradable packaging. All orders are sent out in unbleached and undyed paper and card packaging, which can be safely composted at home or recycled. 

Marina Skua Podcast

I create a monthly video podcast in which I discuss and document some of my creative work, including the process of hand dyeing some of the yarns you’ll see in the online shop, the process of creating many of my knitwear designs, as well as promoting the longevity of clothes and hand-made items, and other seasonal making. You can watch the videos on YouTube. There are additional (often more detailed) videos and written content on Patreon, which is the subscription platform I use to help fund the creation of the podcast. 

You are welcome here

People of all races, orientations, abilities, sizes and cultures are welcome here. Craft and creativity are empowering, and there is no place for exclusionary barriers around them. I will not tolerate discriminatory or harmful behaviour in any of the spaces I control (physical and online). 

If you have any questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to contact me.