Helen Reed of The Wool Kitchen is my super-fun sidekick this episode. Helen is a hand dyer based in Walthamstow in East London, although originally she's a Northern bird, albeit from the wrong side of the Pennines (Yorkshire).

She worked in retail prior to becoming a mum, and once her kiddies were going to school, she decided to start The Wool Kitchen as a business to indulge in her creative side.

A colour addict, you can expect wild and vivid skeins from Helen. Even the pared down colour ways are still bright and lively. The colours need to be released from her head onto the yarn, to allow her to be more colourful and be more creative.

Helen was encouraged into yarntrepreneurship by her evil accomplices at Knit Night and hasn't looked back. She loves to meet new people both in real life and virtually, so you'll find her hanging out most on Instagram (or by her brightly coloured yarn on her stall).

Helen has foolishly offered her Desert Island Skein up as a giveaway this week (let's hope she isn't shipwrecked anytime soon) and you can enter via the thread on Ravelry in the Shinybees group.

You can find Helen as @thewoolkitchen on Instagram and Ravelry as well as her shop on Etsy.

Show notes are at www.shinybees.com.

Music is courtesy of Adam and the Walter Boys with 'I Need a Drink'.