About

Natural dyes have a unique and rich history and in modern times we are fortunate to be able to easily create beautiful colors that were once only permitted in the wardrobes of royalty and the ruling classes. 

We will create a rainbow of natural colors using concentrated dye extracts of madder, osage, logwood, weld, and cutch.  Participants will work with wool or wool-blend knitting yarns and learn how to achieve the rich, beautiful color that results from each dye extract. All yarns (typically a sportweight commercial wool yarn) will be provided.  Each participant will receive a folio with information about each dye plant plus recipes and procedures for naturally dyeing at home.  Natural dyes will be available for sale.

Materials for the class are included in the cost of the workshop.

Instructor: 
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.