Kristine Vejar & Adrienne Rodriguez

Discover the beautiful ways in which plants can be used to dye wool yarn. Using the book, The Modern Natural Dyer, as reference, Kristine and Adrienne will teach you the process of natural dyeing and how to create long-lasting color in a wide spectrum of colors. Natural dyeing is the act of drawing color from a natural material, and applying that color to cloth. Dye can be found in roots, leaves, bark, and even an insect, cochineal. Until 1857, when color was synthesized, natural dyes were the only type of dye available. The natural dyeing process is similar to cooking. By understanding the ingredients, and learning a few techniques, there are hundreds, even thousands of ways to create color and colors to create. The possibilities make it an endlessly inspiring process to study and practice. In this class, we will create a series of dyebaths from grown and gathered plants as well as from highly concentrated powders derived from plants called natural dyeing extracts. You will leave this class with a practical foundation to start your own natural dyeing practice using The Modern Natural Dyer. We will discuss the following dyes: madder, cochineal, weld, indigo, and logwood. You will learn: + the vocabulary associated with natural dyeing + helpful tools to have during the natural dyeing process + the difference between fiber types and how these differences play a role in the natural dyeing process + how to create lightfast and colorfast naturally-dyed fabric and yarn + to prepare the fabric for dyeing: labeling, scouring, and mordanting + which natural dyes create the most long-lasting color + the intricacies of the different dyes + the spectrum of color created using natural dyeing extracts + to use natural dyeing extracts, petals, and leaves + an introduction to dyeing with indigo + to plan for projects + to understand your results + washing and caring for your naturally-dyed goods