The Coquitlam Guild gave me a chance to speak last Thursday about natural dyes and natural fibres, and while I did talk about my experiments with natural dyeing over the past few years, including starting up the Supernatural SweetGeorgia collection of naturally dyed yarns, I think I ended up talking about dyeing and craft and burnout. How do we renew and regenerate ourselves after burnout? Do we even come back to the craft which took us down in the first place? I related this to principles and values that I learned in the completely unrelated activity of surfing and talked about how it gave me back the balance, simplicity and focus, and the appreciation to even attempt to dye things again. I’m not sure my “surfing as metaphor for life” goes over in weaving and knitting circles, but it’s the honest truth about what I believe.
I talked about changing my dye practice from very sharply variegated colourways, requiring a shameful amount of plastic waste, and moving towards a more water- and energy-efficient workflow. That is the reason I have moved more towards kettle-dyeing, semi-solid shade colourways and multiple colour overdyes… so that I could better take advantage of the low-impact benefits of acid dyeing.
Also, I related to the guild members how natural dyeing is not a benefit to the environment for larger scale operations and noted how Lorna’s Laces Green Line ended up being dyed with conventional synthetic dyes.
Regardless of natural vs. synthetic dye sources, I’ve also tried to implement the colour principles that I learned from Michele Whipplinger including the idea of chromatic neutrals. That is, I’m trying to dye more complex browns and greys as opposed to colours that are so obviously… colourful. Colours that are slightly desaturated and more rich in depth.
I’m also working with a new 50/50 silk and merino laceweight base yarn. It’s a slightly heavier laceweight, but so glossy and gorgeous. It’s 765 yards in a 100 g skein and I’m looking forward to knitting up something like a Swallowtail Shawl in it. It has been, so far, taking the colour so well and I’ll be adding it to the online shop soon too.
There are so many things to learn and so many things to explore. I’m happy that I’ll be spending the summer dyeing more of these deeper, richer colours in preparation for the autumn.
Firstly, Riptide is gorgeous.
As a knitter, I’ve been thinking about how the colourways that are most beautiful and appealing as yarn are often the most difficult to work with. Semisolids are lovely in a quieter way than the attention-grabbing variegated colourways, and much, much more versatile.
Which is to say, I guess, that I look forward to seeing more of your semisolids. (And, especially, greys!)
Firstly, Riptide is gorgeous.
As a knitter, I’ve been thinking about how the colourways that are most beautiful and appealing as yarn are often the most difficult to work with. Semisolids are lovely in a quieter way than the attention-grabbing variegated colourways, and much, much more versatile.
Which is to say, I guess, that I look forward to seeing more of your semisolids. (And, especially, greys!)
Very nice post. I am a huge fan of the deeply saturated semi-solid colorways.
I’d love to learn more about the natural dyeing and environmental impact. Thanks for the link.
Very nice post. I am a huge fan of the deeply saturated semi-solid colorways.
I’d love to learn more about the natural dyeing and environmental impact. Thanks for the link.
wow – all those colors are really beautiful. I love the semisolid nature of them.
wow – all those colors are really beautiful. I love the semisolid nature of them.
oooh, I love that riptide sock yarn, can’t wait to find it up on your site
oooh, I love that riptide sock yarn, can’t wait to find it up on your site
I love the idea of chromatic neutrals. It’s just so beautiful and sophisticated.
I love the idea of chromatic neutrals. It’s just so beautiful and sophisticated.
This sounds like a great new direction. I do find the semisolids much easier to use with a variety patterns, and your neutrals are gorgeous. (Hope you won’t forget about the obviously colourful though – I LOVE those :0)
This sounds like a great new direction. I do find the semisolids much easier to use with a variety patterns, and your neutrals are gorgeous. (Hope you won’t forget about the obviously colourful though – I LOVE those :0)
What gorgeous yarn colors!
What gorgeous yarn colors!
(I have interned with MW of Earthues and do only natural dyeing)
I think natural dyeing can be very eco friendly on a large scale, but not for some colors- chromatics are a good use of natural dyes because you do not necessarily need to do a lot of dye baths to get the color or waste a lot of excess dye.
Depending on the importance of color matching you can reuse a lot of the water. Use alum dye baths repeatedly, reuse rinse water, and use dye baths multiple times (a really strong cochineal dye bath will also make lighter colors for pastel shades or for overdyeing).
Not to say that some aspects of acid or natural dyeing both aren’t eco friendly. Both have their downsides, in the same way that some synthetic fibers can be better for some applications than natural fibers.
(I have interned with MW of Earthues and do only natural dyeing)
I think natural dyeing can be very eco friendly on a large scale, but not for some colors- chromatics are a good use of natural dyes because you do not necessarily need to do a lot of dye baths to get the color or waste a lot of excess dye.
Depending on the importance of color matching you can reuse a lot of the water. Use alum dye baths repeatedly, reuse rinse water, and use dye baths multiple times (a really strong cochineal dye bath will also make lighter colors for pastel shades or for overdyeing).
Not to say that some aspects of acid or natural dyeing both aren’t eco friendly. Both have their downsides, in the same way that some synthetic fibers can be better for some applications than natural fibers.
@Jenn Earthues is fantastic, isn’t it? Yes, I totally agree that both acid and natural dyeing have their upsides and downsides. And definitely, you can reuse water for both processes. I am thinking more along the lines of dyeing strong, deep colours (of which I am so fond)… I don’t typically dye a lot of pale pastels for whatever reason. But yes, overdyeing is a good way to exhaust natural dye pots.
Another change that I have adopted is using the extracts that Earthues provides as opposed to the raw woodchips and saw dust. There’s a lot less rinsing required to get all that particulate matter out of the yarn.
It’s good to have options. :)
@Jenn Earthues is fantastic, isn’t it? Yes, I totally agree that both acid and natural dyeing have their upsides and downsides. And definitely, you can reuse water for both processes. I am thinking more along the lines of dyeing strong, deep colours (of which I am so fond)… I don’t typically dye a lot of pale pastels for whatever reason. But yes, overdyeing is a good way to exhaust natural dye pots.
Another change that I have adopted is using the extracts that Earthues provides as opposed to the raw woodchips and saw dust. There’s a lot less rinsing required to get all that particulate matter out of the yarn.
It’s good to have options. :)
The plastics are driving me crazy too. I’m still trying to think my way through this problem, although I love the semi-solids you’ve been dyeing. My lines are not as clean as yours are anyway, so sometimes I wonder about the hand-paints. I enjoy the surprises involved with kettle dyeing and am starting to think of a color way recipe as something more like x amount of green x amount blue poured in stripes rather than 3 stripes of x, 2″ wide and so on.
The plastics are driving me crazy too. I’m still trying to think my way through this problem, although I love the semi-solids you’ve been dyeing. My lines are not as clean as yours are anyway, so sometimes I wonder about the hand-paints. I enjoy the surprises involved with kettle dyeing and am starting to think of a color way recipe as something more like x amount of green x amount blue poured in stripes rather than 3 stripes of x, 2″ wide and so on.
What an interesting post. Your semi/solid colours are beautiful.
What an interesting post. Your semi/solid colours are beautiful.
If there was an agree button on your blog, I’d use it for Aislin’s post. Rip tide is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see it available on your site!
If there was an agree button on your blog, I’d use it for Aislin’s post. Rip tide is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see it available on your site!
as always so so lovely Felicia!
as always so so lovely Felicia!
And if you had an “Agree” button, I would agree with Felicity! I love the semi solids and monochromes and there is a lot to be said for the deeper more rich tones! I love them!
And if you had an “Agree” button, I would agree with Felicity! I love the semi solids and monochromes and there is a lot to be said for the deeper more rich tones! I love them!