Description

During the day we will cover:

• Preparation of wool fibre including scouring, rinsing, mordanting and wetting up.Preparation of dye vats including water types, pans, containment of dyestuffs, heating, stirring and pH adjustments.
• Processing of fleece including sorting, picking, carding, spinning and skeining with regard to the pros and cons of dyeing at each stage.
• Looking at the range and fastness of colours feasible from natural dyes plus growing, sustainable gathering, drying, further processing and storage of natural dyes.

We will spend the day outdoors (weather permitting) in a beautiful location very near the River Thames. If it rains we will be able to move into our dyehouse (roofed but open at the side) and marquee / workshop. Dye vats will be heated over a wood fire (weather permitting) and each participant will be able to take home small samples of dyed fleece and any wool spun and dyed during the day. We supply a kettle or urn of hot water, some nibbles and all the necessaries for making tea, coffee and hot drinks but please bring your own packed lunch.

In the morning we discuss and demonstrate the setting up of a mordanting vat and dye vats for all the primary colours (and pink), of these blue (Indigo or Woad) is the most complex. The amount of time we spend on the wool processing part of the day is dependent on the interests and experience of the group but we have found that it’s good to have something practical to do whilst the dye vats are heating up. We use wool because its possible to dye it a really bright range of colours with natural dyes, using a simple and non toxic mordanting method (the stage that helps the dye bond with the fibre) and also because we keep a flock of Organic Shetland sheep – so there is a direct connection to the land. We spend a variable amount of time grading and sometimes washing fleece and then carding and spinning pre mordanted wool samples to dye. There is also time to review the dye vats and see how they are developing and to ask questions. In the final part of the day everyone trials the dye vats with their small samples of spun wool and some mordanted fleece. We aim to share enough information and skills during the day to enable participants to leave with the ability to, at least have a go at, starting with a raw fleece and ending with spun naturally dyed wool yarn in a range of colours. It’s a lot to cover in one day and we recommend bringing a notebook (though we do have some handouts) but it does give a good basic introduction to the most effective natural dyes.

Participants will be limited to 10 to ensure individual attention.

The cost for the day is £100 (we are able to offer one concessionary significantly reduced price place for each workshop, (please Contact Us  about this)