“Dyeing to Spin & Knit” Book Launch & Giveaway

It’s finally, finally time! It’s been over 18 months since I started on this journey towards becoming an author and it’s been an incredible joy to finally see this book, Dyeing to Spin & Knit, come to to life. Now, it’s time to celebrate, enjoy, and thank all the wonderful knitters and spinners who participated and to share this with all of you too! (scroll down for details about our upcoming launch party at the studio!)

What is “Dyeing to Spin & Knit”

This book is designed to inspire, ignite, and unleash an unapologetic passion for handcrafted color with clear, comprehensive guidance on how to create and work with hand-dyed knitting yarns and spinning fibers.

Inspired by both intuitive dyers (like Lynne Vogel and her book Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook) as well as detail-oriented precision dyers (like Deb Menz and Sara Lamb), I wanted to create a book that would share the fundamentals of handcrafted colour. Using acid dyes to dye yarns and spinning fibres to create your own colourways is very intriguing and tempting, but I know the process can seem intimidating. My aim in this book is to illustrate many of the dyeing, spinning, and knitting techniques for working with colour that I’ve explored over the years in a way that will inspire even more people to begin their own creative journeys.

Inside “Dyeing to Spin & Knit”

One of the greatest privileges of writing this book was to also be given the opportunity to shoot my own photographs. And so I feel like I was really able to take you inside my dye studio and home where I do all my dyeing, spinning, and knitting and show you what it looks like to do what I do. Some of the photos (drum carding, for instance) were shot in my garage but hopefully you’d never guess that from the gorgeous soft light that is on those drum carder shots! Up until just a few weeks ago, I was only allowed to share with you the photo on cover of the book and now I’m excited to be able to show you some of the photos inside the pages! So here are some of my favourite photos from the book, broken down into four main chapters:

Chapter 1 // Understanding Colour

This first chapter is designed to build your confidence in working with color. It includes everything from a basic understanding of what color is, how it works, and how it combines with other colors, to how color affects everything from our appetites to our decision-making processes.

Chapter 2 // Creating Colour

Dyeing your own yarn, fiber, or fabrics gives you ultimate control over your finished product and your craft. There are as many ways to dye as there are personalities in this world, and you can make your own dyeing process as complex and scientific or easy and intuitive as you choose.

Chapter 3 // Spinning Colour

We look at how the different characteristics of hand-dyed fibre affect the appearance of handspun yarn and how we can take advantage of those nuances. Spinners can learn to subdue bright or vibrant colourways, or maximize the effect of more subtle hand-dyed colours.

Chapter 4 // Knitting Colour

We explore how hand-dyed yarns will knit up in different conditions, from the thickness of the yarn to the length of the colour repeats. Knitters can also learn to avoid or enhance the effects of pooling colours in variegated yarns.

Plus there are ten different knitting patterns that use either hand-dyed or handspun yarns in different ways that feature the unique nature of hand-dyed yarns. See all the patterns in the collection here on Ravelry »

My deepest, deepest thanks to all the amazing knitters and spinners who helped me out with making many of the finished items in the book: Anita Lee, Ashley White, Barb Yamazaki, Betty Tang, Charlotte Lee, Deborah Dar Woon, Denise Parks, Judy Garren, Katrina Stewart, Leah Churchley, Rachel Smith, Suzie Thomas, Teresa Mock, Tina Chau, and Vanessa Neuman. And thank you to Greta Cornejo, Sarah Liang, Rachel Smith, and Teresa Mock for allowing me to photograph you for the book.

Where to buy “Dyeing to Spin & Knit”

If you are looking for a copy of Dyeing to Spin & Knit, you can find it here on our website in the shop, on Amazon.com, on Amazon.ca, or on the Interweave Press website as a print book or digital e-book too.

If you are a yarn shop looking to bring copies of Dyeing to Spin & Knit into your store, please drop us a line at the studio and we can send you the contact names for the FW Media distributors in the US, Canada, and the UK.

Book Giveaway

If you are thinking about learning how to dye your own yarn or fibre, or interested in learning how to work with hand-dyed yarn or spinning fibre, I encourage you to enter our giveaway for a copy of Dyeing to Spin & Knit. The deadline for entries will be Thursday, March 9, 2017 and then draw a winner after that date. Simply enter your info below and we’ll enter you in the giveaway and also subscribe you to our SweetGeorgia updates, so you won’t miss a thing!

Draw is now closed! Thanks!

Book Launch Party at the SweetGeorgia Studio

It is with great excitement and elation that I am preparing to host a little book launch party at SweetGeorgia, and I hope you will join us. And if you haven’t been to the SweetGeorgia Studio lately, I’d love for you to come visit! We will have the books on-hand at the studio and host a book signing along with some light refreshments and snacks. We will also have a trunk show of all the pieces from the book so you can see them up close and in person. Here are the details:

Friday, March 10, 2017 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm
at SweetGeorgia (109-408 East Kent Avenue South, Vancouver)
Please RSVP here via Eventbrite »

I sincerely hope this book provides inspiration and joy to all those that want to join this journey into colour!