About

Join us in a 3-day workshop where we will learn to dye and paint with natural dyes on wool yarn!

Natural dyes have a unique and rich history across many cultures, and we will be able to easily create beautiful colors from plants, insects and other natural and sustainable colorants.

The class will cover the entire natural dye process from mordanting through finishing using methods are mindful of water and energy use.

We will begin with an overview of  yarn preparation and mordanting, and then combine extracts to create compound shades and blend colors.  The results will be harmonious, yet unexpected!  Indigo will add an element of surprise to our color palette.

Each dye team will create 8 shades, resulting in a group effort of dyeing up to 48 different color blends. Recipes included.

The final day will cover working with the same extracts to paint and blend colors on participant-supplied skeins of yarn.

Materials: All sample fibers will be provided, and students will take home numerous yarn samples to make a small project. Each participant will receive information about each dye, plus recipes and procedures for naturally dyeing at home.

Botanical Colors natural dyes will be available for sale.  

Note:  the dyes used are mostly plant-based, but we are working with wool and some insect-based dyes. We regret that we will not be able to substitute fibers or colors.

Students should bring: 

• Comfortable clothing and shoes that you don't mind getting wet, muddy and/or blue.  We recommend sturdy shoes.  
• Protection from the weather: Most of our activities will be indoor, but you may need to venture outside briefly, so plan accordingly. A water bottle to keep you hydrated and happy is a great idea.  BARN has a lovely foyer and meeting space with chairs and tables as well as a kitchen for coffee and tea and refrigerator to store lunch.
• Gloves (the arm-length dishwashing type is good) for really getting into the dye pots and indigo vat.  If you have favorite indigo gloves, bring them.  We will supply thin gloves for painting.
• A selection of gallon-sized ziplock or plastic bags for taking any wet, dyed goods home.
• A selection of small containers with lids (like small yogurt cups) for taking home leftover thickened dyes.
• A Sharpie or permanent marker pen.
• A roll of masking or blue tape.
• Note book and pen.
• 2-liter bottles with tight-fitting lids, or mason jars if you would like to take home natural dye exhaust baths or experiment with making paints and pigments on your own. We will bring a funnel.
• A set of student or child’s paintbrushes – the cheap kind – for painting on yarn. No need to bring your fancy brushes.
• 2 skeins of white wool yarn, 50 or 100 grams each.  4 ounce skeins are also fine. Wool blends (wool/alpaca, wool/cashmere or wool/silk) are fine. Please, no cotton, linen, hemp or other plant fibers. We will prepare these for painting as a group. 

Note:  Kathy Hattori will be supplying all other sample skeins of yarn for our class as well as all dyes, mordants and other materials needed.  

Details:

• Please note for this class, cancellation requests received 14 days or less before the workshop start date will not be eligible for a refund or credit.
• Tuition assistance is available. Click here to apply.  
  
• Materials for the class are included in the cost of the workshop.
  
• Skill Level:  Universal
• Ages 14+ Welcome.
• Bring a bag lunch. We have a microwave and a refrigerator to store your lunches and drinks!
  
  

Instructor Bio: Kathy Hattori is the founder and President of Botanical Colors and sells organically certified dyes to artisans and industrial clients seeking a more sustainable, natural color palette.

She is a recognized authority on natural dyes and pigments as well as commercial applications using natural dyes and has been a pioneer in the field since 2003.

In addition to consulting and advising companies on their natural dye implementation strategies, Kathy has worked with the largest natural dye houses in the U.S. Her international experience includes creating a natural dye program for the largest organically certified tannery in Europe and implementing large-scale natural dye programs.

She has also consulted and advised a number of major retail brands and was awarded a USDA VAPG grant in 2013 for natural dye research.
In 2016, Botanical Colors was named a Sustainability Leadership Award finalist by Sustainable Seattle and continues to grow working with major fashion brands worldwide.

She currently teaches and lectures about natural dyes and is sought after as a speaker about the status of natural dyes in global textile production as well as scaling natural color.