We’ll be one of the 10 instructors at this amazing week-long fiber retreat and festival June 24th to July 3rd, put on by the fabulous Dotty Widmann and The Net Loft in Cordova, Alaska called the Cordova Gansey Project. Join us as we journey outdoors to harvest and dye with a variety of local plants in and around Cordova and discover what colors they produce. The class, “The Colors of Cordova-Harvesting natural Dyes for Wool and Fibers,” include searching windfall, common flowers, ferns and cones – the list goes on! Responsible gathering will be discussed and encouraged. In addition, we will experiment with the ancient traditional dyes such as cochineal insects, madder root, osage sawdust and walnut hulls to complete our color wheel.
On the second day, we will dip our dyed fibers into indigo and experience over-dyeing to create even more beautiful colors. Students will receive information about common dye plants plus recipes and procedures for naturally dyeing at home and setting up and using an indigo vat. All yarns (typically a sportweight commercial wool yarn) will be provided and are enough for a small project.
We’ll also have a class on “Indigo Blues: The Fisherman’s Fisherman’s Colorway.” Indigo refers both to the blue pigment used as a dye and to indigo plants of the genus Indigofera. Indigo dye has been used for thousands of years by civilizations all over the world to dye fabric blue. It has been the most famous and most widely used natural dye throughout history. This workshop will explore the basic principles of Indigo Dyeing. (build a vat, balance, dip)
Go here for more information and to sign up asap for lots of other amazing classes that will change your world. Spaces are filling faster than expected so do this sooner than later!