2019 NY State Sheep and Wool Festival

The natural world provides some fantastic colors, mostly from plants, but in some cases insects.  Dyers for centuries have been extracting color from plants found just outside their door.  This workshop will introduce participants to common dye stuffs found in nature and to some of the more traditional materials that have been used throughout history.  The use of mordants will enable the color palette to be expanded and techinques will explore collection and identification, storage, and extractions required to obtain some truly amazing colors.

"Madder root has been prized for centuries for it's red and orange pigments.  This workshop celebrates Madder Root by adding some chemistry to the dyepot.  By shifting our mordants and modifiers, we will end up with at least 20 different shades from one dye.  Lots of dyeing, lots of fun!
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Don't compost those kitchen scraps!  Make dye from them!  This fun workshop uses only dyes found in the kitchen.  Black beans, avocado, cabbage, pomegranate....All the scraps!  We will dye mini skeins of yarn, and each student will leave with a full set.  

The woodlands around us contain a trove of natural dye materials.  Typically thought of by foragers as edibles, Mushrooms can produce amazing colors.  When Lichens are collected as dye stuffs,  the color palette expands, containing some phenomenal colors.  Dye pots will be filled with an assortment of mushrooms and lichens, the colors provided by these woodland denizens are subtle yet rich.  Basic mushroom and lichen biology and ID will be shared, hunting techniques and storage means will be covered.  Information on the preparation of dye materials, the use of basic mordants and an understanding of basic natural dye techniques, including those specific to Lichens and Mushrooms will provide participants with the necessary tools, enabling them to successfully produce color from some little understood members of the plant world.

"Naturally dye colorful sock yarn with an industrious pair of color-obsessed instructors.

Learn the basics of natural dyeing
Explore several self-striping and variegated techniques
Two color and four color stripes, unlimited color variegations
Learn the easiest way to skein yarn for striping
Cheat with us as we create matching variegated sock yarn sets without ever touching the dye pot.

You will walk away with:
Wool/nylon sock yarn you made yourself – enough to make two pairs of matching knee-high colorful socks (or four pairs of ankle socks)
Hooks to make skeins
A pamphlet describing all of the techniques we will cover.

We will also bring a vintage Legare sock machine that folks can try out to see how socks were made as a cottage industry endeavor from the late 1800s to WWI.

Bonus: Class will be peppered with horrible 80s song-related puns such as “I Will Dye for You”, and “Live and Let Dye.”
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Natural Dyeing 101.  This workshop will cover all the basics of natural dyeing, including fiber prep, mordanting, wild foraging, dye prep and finishing.  A little of everything!  We will dye 15 colors, every shade of the rainbow using fresh plant material, dried plants and flowers, nuts, bark, sawdust...you name it!  Students will leave with a full set of mini skeins, enough for a small project.

In this Natural Dyeing with Indigo workshop, Nica Rabinowitz of Fiberhouse Collective, will share the ancient process of dyeing with indigo, a blue pigment derived from a plant. Participants will learn how to set up a henna indigo vat and explore shibori resist dyeing techniques. Participants may bring their own fabric/fiber to dip as well, although small samples of silk and wool will be provided.

In this Natural Dyeing with Indigo workshop, Nica Rabinowitz of Fiberhouse Collective, will share the ancient process of dyeing with indigo, a blue pigment derived from a plant. Participants will learn how to set up a henna indigo vat and explore shibori resist dyeing techniques. Participants may bring their own fabric/fiber to dip as well, although small samples of silk and wool will be provided.

"Gorgeous gradients are everywhere! Want to try your hand at creating your own? In this class, you will spend the session with Amy Rooney, the master dyer behind Vivid Fiber Arts gradient yarns. You will learn the basics of applying and setting dyes on wool yarn, including safe materials handling and wool care. You will dye yarn in blank form into a beautiful ombré gradient (light to dark) using professional acid dyes.  There is no experience required for this class, and there is no complicated math involved. No dye powders or toxic mordants/chemicals are used.  Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting “unintentionally colorful”.  

This class will feature a bit of standing time, but alternate arrangements can be made for students upon registration. All dyes and chemicals are generally regarded as safe if used with appropriate precautions and protective equipment. If you have extreme skin sensitivity or a history of allergic skin reactions, please contact instructor to discuss before class. This class will be held outdoors in a heated tent. Dressing in layers is advised as later October weather is extremely variable. This class features an online learning component for pre-class welcome orientation and post-class yarn care instructions. You will receive your online class login a few weeks before class. There is no pre-work for this class."

"Develop an appreciation for often overlooked local flora in this two-hour natural dyeing workshop. Using found and foraged flowers we will create natural flower prints by imprinting petals, roots, and herbs onto silk and/or cotton second-hand garments and fabric swatches. This Sprouting Color workshop will also cover the Hapa Zome art of smashing flowers onto fabric. Each attendee will walk away with a flower dyed garment and peice of cloth, along with the Sprouting Color workbook.

Participants will explore the wonderful world of flower dyeing. All materials will be provided along with a cup of blended herbal tea (using some of the same ingredients as our flower prints). The goal of this workshop is to create, in an intimate and collaborative space, cloth that heals."