Tanya Hynes is the indie yarn dyer behind Cornbread & Honey. For Local Yarn Store Day 2025, Tanya has dyed custom colorways just for The Endless Skein customers! We will be carrying her hand-dyed yarn in a range of colors in our store.

We enjoyed chatting with Tanya about her life and her adventures in yarn dyeing. Read on!

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a mom of six! Three are adults and three are still little. I live in northeastern Ohio, about 40 minutes from downtown Cleveland. Guardians fan! We have a great dane named Penny..like Penny from the Big Bang Theory, which I also love. I love iced coffee, Pepsi, pretzels, and peanut butter M&Ms.

How did you get started dyeing yarn?

I had a dog named Basil and she was a very sick dog. Towards the end of her young life (only 5 years), I decided I needed a distraction because I knew she'd be gone. I saw some yarn on Etsy and I thought, "I could do that." At the time, no one was giving up "trade secrets," so I got some bare yarn and taught myself.

What tends to inspire your colorways?

Nature, TV shows, my kids' clothes, I love Pinterest, and I got the Color Cube from my son last year for Christmas.

How do you work with customers to develop custom colorways?

When I work with customers to develop custom colors, I ask if they have an inspirational photo they like that will capture what they are looking for, and if not, I ask them to describe what they "see." From there, I ask lots of questions: tonal, variegated, speckles/no speckles, etc. I dye something and I send photos to get approval. Sometimes I get it right the first try, and sometimes I have to tweak it a little.

What do you love most about dyeing yarn?

Being creative. I failed color theory in high school, so this is far from my wheelhouse. I also love the flexibility it gives me with 3 small kids still at home. I love bringing others people's visions to life.

What has surprised you about your career in the fiber arts?

This wasn't supposed to be a career, lol. I went to school to be a detective to catch bad guys, and I play with colors instead. Seriously though, everything dyes differently.....all the weights and fiber contents. Each gives you a little something different. I love how each skein is a little different and how beautiful a cake of yarn looks even though you knew it was gorgeous before. I am incredibly grateful to be in my 10th year dyeing. It's really been a dream come true to be a part of this large community.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I do have a brick and mortar shop! After my divorce (and getting to keep my business), I wanted a change and I wanted my house back. Everything I do was in our house set up like a yarn shop, so why not open one? Lol. I provide a community meeting place for knitters and crocheters and crafters alike. I love being in the community I live in, and giving everyone a safe place to be themselves. When I walk in and see all the colors, it just makes me happy and my days better!

Be sure to follow Cornbread & Honey on Instagram @cornbreadandhoney, Facebook @cornbreadandhoneycrochet, and BlueSky @cornbreadandhoney!