An introductory session for people curious about dyeing with plants.

This is a practical workshop where people work in pairs to dye skeins of wool. You'll be dyeing mordanted mini skeins of superwash merino fingering and participants will take home six 20g skeins.

We will use a variety of dye sources, including fresh and dried plants, and high quality natural dye extracts. The exact dyes will be decided nearer the time, but may include madder, weld, logwood, onion skins, Saxon Blue, tansy, dock leaves, walnut.

The key elements of the workshop include:

• overview of natural dyeing process
• safety considerations
• choosing & preparing yarn
• the dyeing process
• extending the colour range using modifiers, exhaust baths & over dyeing
• keeping dyeing records
• useful resources
• getting started - the evolution of my dyeing practice
• specific recipes for the dyes used in the workshop

Please wear old clothes and bring rubber gloves and six plastic bags, so you can take home your six damp skeins.

You may also want to bring an apron. Dyeing isn’t any messier than cooking, so if you are a messy cook bring an apron to be on the safe side, as some of the dye stuffs stain very easily.

Suitable for all abilities.