August 2021 Newsletter

We are taking every opportunity to dye and weave this summer! We wove with the hand-painted warp chain from July and dyed with indigo at our summer party.

Natural Dyeing, Part 2: Summer Sunset Table Runner

Designed and woven by Sienna Bosch

Weaving with hand-dyed yarn makes for never-ending surprises—I never know what the next pick will bring, so the sense of ambiguity keeps me on my toes. Joining forces on a piece brings the same mystery and excitement. Caroline Worrell hand-dyed a gorgeous warp, which sparked our collaboration. This project brought these two worlds into one.

Much of my work combines natural dyes and weaving. This project, however, brought me out my comfort zone. It was an entirely different way of working with naturally dyed yarns, inspiring me to see where else this combination could take me. The dye painting process brings out color variations in a whole new way: you can see the transition between colors vividly. Each and every strand of yarn has its own character.

After Caroline dropped off the hand-dyed warp, I started experimenting for a table runner 14″ wide. I began playing with patterns to see what I was drawn to. But I noticed that the beautiful naturally dyed colors weren’t being highlighted, no matter what pattern I used. They were fading to the background as the warp and weft interlaced. It was time to change my sett. I re-threaded my reed going from 20 EPI to 40 EPI, which cut the weaving width in half. Suddenly the colors popped, and I knew I was headed in the right direction. I explored several patterns, but landed on plain weave. This simple structure accentuated the beauty of the naturally dyed warp. I added in a few picks of leno at each end of the runner to add interest.

Find the pattern here.

Tie-dyeing Away the Summertime Blues

by Deb Gerish

Schacht Spindle Company has discovered the best way to increase employee happiness while educating them in textile arts. It started with food—delicious company meals served at long tables. Then employee appreciation lunches morphed into something more. On one memorable day, people entered their handmade textiles, yarn, and woodworking designs in a contest with special guest judges and prizes. In the before-times, these occasions happened at least once every season. When COVID hit, these gatherings had to end. But they’re coming back, and they’ll be better than ever (even with masks and social distancing). This year, we’re adding indigo tie-dyeing to the mix!

Read about our adventures in indigo and tie-dyeing.

Learn to Dye & Weave

Our Dye & Weave Craft Kit is a great way to take your first dive into dyeing and weaving! Learn more about the course and kit in the video below!

Purchase the course and kit here.

Our Next Kit is…

We have a very special new kit and course combo coming soon. Here’s a little sneak peek. Can you guess what it is? Be on the lookout for this kit and course launch!

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