The world’s first Indigo dyed knitwear collection was conceived, designed and manufactured by the British brand Original Blues, which took its name from the original concept of authentic Indigo dyeing.

History

Indigo is one of the world’s oldest dyestuffs, manufactured from the leaves of Indigofera, a tropical plant. A natural, eco-friendly dye, it has been identified in ancient cave paintings and has been attributed with religious, spiritual and superstitious significance for tribal civilisations, who have used it to adorn their bodies for decoration and as war paint. Over 4000 years ago man first experimented with Indigo for dyeing wool. But it was not until the mid-1980’s that Indigo yarn was used for knitting - the Indigo yarn previously available was only used for weaving; it was not possible to knit with it, due to the high twist in the yarn.

Characteristics and Uses

This is the only yarn that features the distinctive quality of ‘living colour’ - highly attractive and unique flecking – a kind of two-tone effect, but with the blue the more dominant hue, which is characteristic of genuine Indigo yarn. Over time, with wear and washing, the subtle toning gradually changes, hence ‘living colour’ and actually improves as it fades gracefully, gaining character as it ages.

A wide range of versatile clothing and accessories can be knitted with Indigo yarn, from casual sportswear to chunky sweaters, bags, wraps and scarves – all pieces sharing the same distinguishing features of inimitable living colour, softness, comfort and durability. We also use Indigo yarn for trimmings and design details such as knitted collars, elasticated ribbing, draw-cords, bindings, webbing, zips and even sewing threads – all will fade, bleach, stone wash or enzyme wash to match the rest of the garment.

The Dyeing Process

Indigo yarn is dyed as a rope – known as ‘rope dyeing’, which is believed to be the best possible Indigo dyeing method because the short dyeing time does not allow the dye to penetrate fully into the fibres, thereby creating a yarn that fades more effectively than fully dyed yarn. The yarns are twisted into a rope that is quickly dipped repetitively into baths of Indigo dye. The more frequent the dipping, the stronger the Indigo shade. So the dye only reaches the surface of the yarn and leaves the inside or ‘core’ white. It is this process which is fundamental to the successful achievement of the unique colour and contrast effect. This is the same method used in the production of the best quality denim yarns. Original Blues Indigo yarns boast identical characteristics and properties as yarns manufactured for the best denim jeans. Shades are even, yarns are strong, yet soft and comfortable and every type of finish used for a woven denim item can be achieved with our Indigo yarns.

Original Blues

We specialise in designing and creating beautiful knitted clothing and accessories  using Indigo dyed yarn, as opposed to denim, a woven fabric; a new interpretation on the most universal item of clothing, the jean. Original Blues is a British

company; our collections are manufactured in our own factory in West London Original Blues’ Indigo yarn was the first Indigo dyed yarn created and manufactured for use in the knitting industry. Original Blues – derived from

the ‘Original Blue’.