Nocturne is an independent art studio, which primarily focuses on hand-dyed yarn and merchandise inspired by folklore, myths, and has a dark cottage-core aesthetic.  

While on the website Nocturne is referred to as a “we”, behind the scenes I am just one person and creator. 

My name is Misha (they/them), and I am the dyer (& artist, administrator, social media marketer, mailman, customer service representative, and cat parent) responsible for the conception of Nocturne. I am based in Amsterdam, Netherlands where I live with my partner and our three cats. 

I’m neurodivergent (AuDHD) and identify as queer and non-binary. Nocturne is and always will be a safe, supportive space for everyone regardless of who they identify as, who they love, how they look, their heritage, their circumstances, or how much money they make. Standing up for equity, dignity, kindness, and freedom to live an authentic life is at the core of my principles and I strive to live up to them and to keep learning and getting better. 

I started dyeing yarn at Undercover Otter in October 2020; unbeknownst to me at the time, this “temporary” job helping out, until the suspension of pandemic embargos, would become an enormous part of my life and a creative passion that spiralled out of control. I’d been made part of Undercover Otter to assist and learn all the tools and tricks of this fantastic trade, and offer support at festivals and other projects. 

There are hardly words to describe how much I owe to Aiden, the creator and dyer of Undercover Otter, and how much impact they had and continue to have on my life. Suffice it to say that without having met them, as a person I would have been much poorer (in the metaphoric sense) and Nocturne would most certainly not come to exist. Everything I know about yarn and dyeing yarn I’ve learned from and by working with them (though I dare say after nearly five years, I have a couple of my own tricks up the sleeve). 

As a part of Undercover Otter, I have visited festivals and conventions like the Dutch Yarn Festival Breidagen and H+H Cologne, worked closely with retailers carrying UO yarns, and been part of projects such as Queerdo in collaboration with The Wee Yarn Company.

Nocturne yarn is available on our own website, shipping worldwide.

 

Sustainability and Animal Welfare

We’re dedicated to sustainability, slow fashion, and recycling the materials we use. We’re always striving to improve and finetune our work process to have as little negative impact on the environment as possible. Our studio is outfitted with mainly secondhand furniture pieces and appliances, we plan our dyeing sequence in a way that allows us to reuse at least 80% of all water for multiple dyebaths. 

The superwash treatment used on our yarns is overseen by our yarn suppliers and all processes comply with the strict laws enforced by the EU. Any by-products must be removed from the water before it is discharged into the water systems. Even though not all countries have the same regulations, we only use superwash wool which is from highly regulated treatment plants. 

We condemn the use of generative AI and vow to never engage with it for any purpose, and we do not wish to be associated with its use. We believe that artists, writers, translators, and in general all workers deserve fair pay for their labour and their time. Furthermore, the vastly negative environmental impact caused by AI, especially in light of the ongoing climate crisis, is indefensible and inexcusable. The usage of generative AI in its current form directly contradicts our ethical values. 

Nocturne strictly uses yarn from mulesing-free wool, and we care deeply about the wellbeing of animals. We believe that all creatures deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.