Why Gradual Heat Matters for Protein Fibers

Protein fibers—wool, silk, alpaca—are living structures. Their bonds remember how they are treated. Sudden heat shocks them. Gradual heat preserves them.

Most commercial dyeing favors speed: heat raised fast, large volumes processed at once. But protein fibers don’t respond to force. Their keratin bonds weaken if rushed, leading to felting, uneven dye uptake, and a harsher hand.

In our studio, heat is introduced step by step. This gives fibers time to adapt, cuticles to open evenly, and color to settle with depth and softness. The difference is a skein that feels resilient, looks alive, and holds its character wash after wash.

Why Standard Cabinets Fall Short:
Foodservice heating cabinets—common in restaurants and hotels—are designed for holding cooked food, not guiding fibers. They offer:

· Basic on/off or fixed thermostats

· Crude preset temperature jumps

· No way to program time vs. temperature curves

For yarn, this is blunt force. We became our own engineers, shaping the tools to serve the fiber rather than the other way around.

Curator’s Note:

· Catalog No.: FN-01

· Method: Gradual heat profile for protein fibers

· Observation: Even uptake, preserved softness, reduced stress