Meet the Maker:

Hello, I’m Clíodhna, the dyer behind Blue Irish Bay

My journey to here began quite simply—with a crochet book. For a few years I dipped in and out of it, making the odd small project, never imagining it would lead me here. Then one day, I had something important to make. A close friend was expecting her first baby, and at the same time, she had just lost her grandmother. I couldn’t knit the way her grandmother once could, but I could crochet. So, I made baby hats and socks, tiny cardigans, blankets, and even a friendly little snake.

While making these pieces, I started paying attention not just to the stitches, but to the yarn itself. Most of what I used was acrylic or polyester—accessible, bright, easy to find—but I wasn’t fully happy with it. Then wool came into my hands and everything changed. I realised it could be soft, warm, breathable, colourful, and meaningful. With my love of gardening and baking, it felt like a natural step to start exploring natural dyes. 

A Brand Rooted in Home

Blue Irish Bay is inspired by the sea—specifically the Irish coastline of Cushendall, where my heart will always be. When I walk the shoreline, childhood memories come back to me, especially those of my Grandparents. For now, my Granny is still here to knit with me.

The name Blue Irish Bay is drawn from the song “The Green Glens of Antrim”, written under the pseudonym Kenneth North. The line that describes the moon turning “the blue Irish bay to a silver lagoon” inspired this name. My countless night-time wanderings around this “fairy land” have shown this to be so true and magical.

I gather some of my dyestuff on daytime walks, some from my own garden, and the rest from trusted natural dye suppliers. Each colour I create is shaped by the land, weather, and place I love most. 

Crafting Colour With Care

I currently dye primarily on non-superwash Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) wool—a lustrous UK native breed.

The fibre is sourced across the UK, spun in England, and then hand-dyed by me in Cushendall, Northern Ireland.

BFL takes natural dye beautifully. One of my favourite dyes is madder root. I receive the most compliments on it, and I think it’s because the colours it produces—burnt orange, red, coral—feel deeply connected to where I live. They remind me of the sandstone around the coast road, the salmon fish and Red Bay Arch.

By adjusting the pH of the dye bath, or overdyeing with other natural or plant dyes, I can shift madder into deeper reds, rich maroons, and purples. Sometimes a batch takes nearly a week from start to finish, and then days more to dry, but I love it. Hearing the trickle of water as I lift yarn from the pot, and stepping outside to stars and sounds of the sea on a still night. Those moments are a lilt in every skein. 

From Crochet to Knitting—and Onward

I began this journey with crochet, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with knitting too.

Both crafts, along with dyeing, have become a kind of meditation—a way to slow down, to connect with nature, honour tradition, and create something meaningful. 

Blue Irish Bay is more than yarn.

It is a song of music, myth, and memories.