Keenan Hand Dyed Yarn started as Fangirl Hand Dyed Yarn in May 2018. My original plan was to dye yarn for myself and maybe a few friends. However, after playing around and developing my first color, Early Morning, I was hooked. I started selling at a local farmer’s market on a folding table with eight colorways.
Starting a business is pretty stressful and there’s a lot of stuff to learn. I didn’t have a lot of creativity left when I had to come up with yarn names. Color 1, Color 2, and so on seemed pretty boring. One day, while I was in the car - by myself - inspiration struck. I decided to name those first colors after songs by the band a-ha, best known for their 1985 hit “Take on Me”. Over the years, I've branched out and used names other than a-ha songs, but they still make it in there.
In September 2022, Fangirl re-branded to Keenan Hand Dyed Yarn. Keenan is a family name, and in particular, the name of our stillborn daughter. The decision to re-brand was tough and can be risky. My mom suggested Keenan immediately, but I didn’t want to do it. For a week my family threw out different names, but nothing fit. After a week of not finding the right name, my husband said, “What about Keenan?” We had a family meeting with our boys and asked them if they thought it was okay. They loved the idea. And so, Fangirl changed to Keenan.
My amazing niece, Maeve designed my adorable logo girl and named her Felice.
The Girl behind Keenan Hand Dyed Yarn
I’m Deirdre Darr, a Chicago native and reluctant Yooper (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Color drives the Keenan palette and the long Upper Peninsula winters of endless snow inspires the exploration of color. Knitting has been my go-to hobby for over 25 years. When I'm not dyeing yarn or knitting, you'll probably find me doing laundry or cooking dinner (ooooo, how exotic!) and generally taking care of the main people in my life: my hubby, Ben, and my boys, Quinn and Eoghan - oh, and Happy the Dog (Director of Human Resources). FYI - I'm the only one who gets to use the a-ha mug!
Yarn Store Owner
Want to sell Keenan Hand Dyed Yarn? Yes, I sell wholesale. Please get in touch with me so we can discuss specifics. hi@keenanyarn.com
Knitwear Designer
I love collaborating with knitwear designers! Please get in touch with me and tell me all about your ideas and projects.