Hedgehog Fibres was born out of disappointment – and from Beata Jezek's inability to sit still. When the Slovak emigrant lost her job in Ireland in 2008, she knitted her first sock – gigantic, with Aran yarn, without any knowledge of gauge. But the more confident she became, the more frustrated she was with the available yarns: scratchy acrylic that was unworthy of her dedication. So she started googling, researching, and eventually dyeing herself – with turmeric, which made the whole house smell like curry for a week. For years, she perfected her technique in the bathtub and on the kitchen stove.
Her knitting group loved their yarns and wanted to buy them. With a 500-euro loan from her friend (which she promptly repaid instead of giving him shares), she started. "Jezek" means hedgehog in Slovak – thus Hedgehog Fibres was born. Never advertised, only grown through word of mouth, today a team of mothers and young creatives, all from her original knitting group. With rigorous triple quality control and the promise: "We make the best yarn in the world." Every skein is traceable, every color a piece of her soul – from earthy tones to crazy neon colors, depending on her mood, but always colors she cannot live without.
