Our first online talk of the academic year will be from Ria Burns. Bristol based knitwear designer,  natural dyer and author will be joining us to talk about her work, her book ‘Dyeing Yarn Naturally’ and her passion for making garments that are sourced as locally as possible.

‘Dyeing Yarn Naturally’ is the debut book by Ria Burns, published in April by The Crowood Press. It’s a step-by-step guide to dyeing yarn from start to finish, aimed to be accessible, informative but also inspirational. It’s the culmination of years of research and creative experimentation into natural dye plants and their wide spectrum of colours that Ria has undertaken in order to create bright, long lasting shades for her knitwear brand.

As well as talking through her book Ria will give an insight into her wider practice and explain why and how she has chosen to work in a hyper local way, sourcing wool from a local farm and growing the majority of the dye plants in her back garden. Ria works in fashion, but follows a plant-led, rather than trend-led approach to design.

If you’re interested in making in a sustainable way or wanting to know about the natural dye process or even starting your own dye garden, this talk is going to be a wealth of information. We look forward to seeing you in the audience online.

Book your ticket here: https://theloomshed.com/calendar-event/ria-burns-dyeing-yarn-naturally/

Ria is delivering a natural yarn dyeing workshop at the online Knitting and Crochet Guild Un-Convention this year.

This pre-recorded workshop will be available via the Knitting and Crochet Guild website at 1pm on Sunday 12th September. For more information, visit the Guild website: https://kcguild.org.uk/unconvention/

An introduction to the world of natural yarn dyeing with British Wool. Ria will discuss yarn preparation, mordanting, and an overview of the dyes that are available, ranging from the humble onion skin to homegrown madder root.

Ria will then demonstrate dyeing a selection of seven British wool yarns, including the bespoke Shetland-Romney lambswool Ria uses to create her knitwear. This will show you the ways in which yarn type and breed of sheep behave differently in the dye bath.

Ria has been invited to be the guest speaker at the West of England Herb Group’s July meeting.

Held online, Ria will be giving a talk on botanical dyes, discussing how she grows a variety of natural dye plants, and how they can be applied to wool to create a spectrum of colours.

Tickets are £4 for non-members.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/botanical-dyes-with-ria-burns-tickets-155754651355

An online yarn festival.

https://www.facebook.com/yorkshireyarnfest/

https://www.instagram.com/yorkshireyarnfest/

The Frome Independent’s third online market of 2021. Ria will be offering a 10% discount code - use FROMEMAY during the market day only to receive the discount.

https://thefromeindependent.org.uk/the-market/

Check out their Instagram stories on market day for exclusive offers from participating traders.

The Frome Independent’s second online market of 2021. Ria will be offering a 10% discount code - use FROMEAPR during the market day only to receive the discount.

https://thefromeindependent.org.uk/the-market/

Check out their Instagram stories on market day for exclusive offers from participating traders.

Every day in February the team at Make More Stuff are bringing you the best arty bargains from 100 of our favourite makers. Keep your eyes peeled for exclusive discount codes and offers at each stall.

https://makemorestuff.com/be-more-thrifty

Ria is offering 20% all accessories for the month of February - click here to be taken to the sale.