Introducing Woolgathering: our sister yarn shop in Sofia, Bulgaria!

"Usually I start with a color idea from something that I have seen and liked, but when the process starts all is going spontaneously and I just mix and add colors until I like the result. I like the magic of the unexpected results."

-Daria Gutnik, LYS owner and indie yarn dyer

I (Rose, above left) travel to Bulgaria about once a year to visit my best friend Mina (who is also my writing partner, you may have seen our books for sale here at the Sow's Ear over the years). I first met Daria (above right) in 2021, when I walked into Woolgathering knowing nothing about her, her shop, or her hand-dyed yarn. The moment I stepped over the threshold and saw what she was working on I said (In English) "Is that a Stephen West shawl??" and she replied (also in English, to my delight) "Yes it is!" 

We ended up talking nonstop about yarn for about an hour while Mina (below in the floral mask and with the dog), who is not a knitter, stood there gobsmacked; she'd never seen such a talkative side of me before!

Follow Daria on instagram, it's a delight to see the projects she shares - and she has what is possibly the world's cutest dog!

We've visited many times over the years, and two things remain constant - we are always joyfully greeted by her sweet dog Freya, and I always leave with far more yarn than I'd intended to buy.

It is always fun to discover yarn brands that I've never seen in the States before, but even more fun to see what kind of new and beautiful colors she has come up with since my last visit. Because Daria is not only a yarn shop proprietor, she is a hand-dyer par excellence! Every time I bring home some of her yarn to gift (or just show off) to my fiber-loving friends, the reaction is always instant love.

Earlier this year, I visited Daria with a proposition on behalf of the Sow's Ear: We love supporting awesome indie dyers. You are an awesome indie dyer. I am going to be travelling home with an extra suitcase...any chance I could come by your shop and buy as much as I can carry home, to host a Five Yarns trunk show in Verona WI?

Lucky for us, her answer was YES!

But it's actually even more special than that: I happened to catch her at a moment when her in-stock inventory was low, so instead of just letting me buy what was on her shelves she actually set out to dye a whole bunch of brand-new colorways just for us!

We spent some time talking about you all, our fabulous Sow's Ear customers, the kinds of yarn you like, the kinds of colors that speak to you, and then a few weeks later I came back to the shop to see the results and oh. my. goodness. I was about ready to buy a whole other big suitcase to bring every single skein home with me. Holding myself to the limit of what I could carry was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.

(Want to see what's still available at the Sow at time of posting? Photos and descriptions are at the end of this post.)

What sparks creativity? What keeps you going?

These are two of the questions that I love to ask creative people, and especially small business owners. (In fact I have a whole series of articles interviewing local entrepreneurs.) When I asked Daria about her inspiration, she had some really beautiful responses that I'd like to share with you all:

 
I Went to Amsterdam and bought some skeins. Later started buying skeins online but somehow they were very different from one another and were not compatible. So I decided to try making my own. I started watching videos on YouTube and bought some books on the subject. The rest is history.

What are your favorite kinds of things to knit, and what role does knitting, dyeing, and creating with yarn play in your life?

Favorite things to make are definitely sweaters and shawls but also everything I find intriguing.

My knitting life is my escape from reality, which often has been quite harsh. It’s a meditation, a therapy session, a comforting hug. I knit every single day, I knit mostly for myself, sometimes for my family and rarely for friends. It is a very personal experience which I would like to keep for myself and enjoy for as long as I like to.

Dyeing is something I share with people. I love seeing the joy my colors bring in other people and sharing the creative process of choosing yarn and color for a project. My business exists only to support and share my passion for knitting.

Daria, we are so glad that you chose to share your love of knitting and beautiful yarns with us! From Verona, Wisconsin to Sofia, Bulgaria, we are sending you hugs and so much gratitude, your yarn has brought us a lot of joy! With love, the friends and family of The Sow's Ear

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Come and get it!

We hope you make time to come and admire this beautifully curated collection of skeins from Five Yarns! At time of posting on 6/2/2025, this is what's still available!

Above Left: Merino Silk. 75% superwash extra fine Merino (19.5 microns), 25% silk. 437 yards/100 grams.

These were the only yarns I picked off her shelf, I could not resist these luscious colors paired with the silky-soft feel, and I'm really hoping somebody picks up all four to make the ultimate luxury springtime shawl.

Above Right: Merino Tweed DK. 75% superwash Merino (19.5 microns), 15% nylon, 10% nep yarn. 246 yards/100 grams.

I wish I could have brought home sweater lots in all these colors! As it is, these are crying out to be paired with a solid color for a colorwork yoke sweater, or to make a gorgeous hat and cowl set.

Above and below: Baby Suri Brushed. 63% brushed baby suri alpaca, 7% fine Merino wool, 3-% polyamide. 100% Dreamy. 520 yards/50 grams.

This yarn speaks for itself...and it's saying, 'I'm so fabulous I don't know what to do with myself!' Luckily, we know what to do with it, right?? Take it home, treasure it, maybe make a Musselburgh hat or two, hold it with a solid yarn to make the most incredible marled sweater, add it to a Go Go Dynamo shawl and live your best life.

(Someone needs to save me from myself. If that grey/brown/purple colorway below is still there next time I go to the Sow...well, let's just say it won't be there for long.)

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A final note: Daria gifted me this Шевеца ('shevitsa'), a miniature tapestry woven in - I hope I'm remembering this correctly - the region of the East Rodopy Mountains. It's a symbol for a happy home, and I think it looks pretty happy there hanging out with my sheep painting from Jarka.