Plant dyes and wool
Mondays, July 7, 14, 21 from 8 am – 4 pm
 
July is perfect for dyeing wool - you'll have plenty of time to knit/crochet/weave/felt something for winter! Botanical dyes and protein fibers LOVE each other, producing rich and long-lasting color. In this session you’ll learn mordant and dye methods that minimize felting, plus solar dyeing for beautiful zero-energy color. We’ll also experiment with plants foraged in the woods and fields on my farm. Bring some roving to dye and we can do some felting too!
 
I’m lucky to have my daughter and her family here on the farm. They own Terra Sana Farm and, among other things, raise Navajo Churro Sheep. We’ll use some of their yarn and roving, and you’ll learn a bit about washing fleeces and carding. 
 
The mornings are for the dye garden. Depending upon the time of year, we might be planting, weeding, or harvesting. Time in the garden is great for getting to know the plants and their individual personalities, and the other beings that like to BEE in the garden. Knowing the plants gives you a connection that goes all the way to your finished dyed piece. 
 
There are countless aspects to botanical dyeing. Here and there, we’ll talk about cultivating dye plants, mordants, science, history and more to give you a well-rounded feel for working with plant dyes. You will take home your dyed wool, samples, and handouts that correlate with the workshop activities.
 
Details 
 
You are welcome to bring any number of garments/textiles/yarn/roving under a total weight of three pounds (1,350 g) per session. 
For the Shibori, Inks & Paints, and Ecoprinting sessions, fabric must be either white or natural cellulose (cotton, rayon, hemp, bamboo, etc.). If your textiles are not new items, please scour them before coming to the workshop. (See https://www.fiberartsy.com/how-to-scour-fabric/ for instructions on scouring.) If they are new, please machine wash in hot water. 
For the Plant Dyes & Wool session, please bring white or cream wool yarn and/or roving. If you have wool scarves or sweaters (etc.), you can dye those too.  
Please bring a sack lunch, hat, water bottle, sunscreen, and garden-friendly shoes. We will provide refreshments and snacks.