Alltkemi is a venture founded by a chemical engineer and a physicist who joined forces to create vibrant colors together. The inspiration came from their desire to connect more with the surrounding nature. Based in the southern part of Sweden, close to the beautiful seaside, they aim to capture all the colors nature offers and infuse them into their yarns to inspire others.
This small business, based in Lund, Sweden, is led by two Brazilian friends, Natália Milas and Betina Ferreira. To learn more about the amazing work of these ladies, we had a chat with Natália and heard her inspiring story.
Let's start from the beginning
"It started back in 2019 because I was so bored of staying at home during the pandemic. I couldn't go anywhere, but I could explore nature! I started looking at plants and getting curious about their names and uses. I began dyeing small things with everything I found on the street, then started buying books and reading more about the subject. I took some online classes, and in 2021, I finally spent 4 days in Denmark learning loads of things at G-uld."
In essence, Alltkemi practices the art of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through natural dyeing. The use of pigments and dyeing techniques brings the principles of chemistry, which permeate our surroundings. As a clever wordplay, the name "Alltkemi" (everything is chemistry) connects with the Swedish term "Alkemi" (alchemy)! The company was born from experiments that the partners conducted together, “We have a dye garden from which we extract various test colors, nothing on a large scale, but it has taught us a lot about natural dyeing!” explains Natália.
Yarns, fibers, and products
The company works mainly with dyed wool threads. They import merino from Italy but also buy from other small farmers in Sweden and have it spun locally. "Our latest local yarn is made entirely of Swedish sheep's wool (Jämtland and Gotland), and it's delightful. In summer, we usually have some skeins with silk and merino, and this year we'll have one with linen and merino," Natália tells us.
Besides yarns, we can also find project bags, books on natural dyeing from G-uld, some of Milas' own patterns, and felted wool stitch markers. The duo sells everything online and delivers all over the European Union. "Our production is quite small, and we handle it all ourselves," explains the Alltkemi owner.
More about the knitter
Raised in Vitória (ES – Brazil), Natália was always creative and had a thirst for knowledge. Her crafting career began with cross-stitch and paper decorations for family birthday parties in her childhood. "When I entered Unicamp to study physics and during my Ph.D., I missed doing handicraft activities a lot. So, I teamed up with a friend to learn knitting and crocheting together," remembers Natalia.
With a brilliant amount of designs, she had her first pattern published by the German magazine Making Stories in issue 9 last year, and she already teases us by saying, "There's more to come!"
To feel a little closer to home, Natália tells us that she has a special knitting group that holds a place in her heart. "Knitting, for me, is about connection and friendship; it's a time for myself and self-care."
