Ria will be at Fernhill Farm’s next Fibre Experince, hosting a natural dye plant walk and workshop on September 21st. They will also have a pop-up shop selling their naturally dyed knitwear, book, dried natural dyes and seeds.

1:30-2:30pm Natural Dye Plant Walk and Talk (free to attend, please pre-book your space)

A short walk across the farm, identifying and foraging for wild dye plants along the way. Back at the saloon we will talk more about my work with wild dye plants and show the range of colours that can be achieved with the plants found during the walk.

2:30 - 4pm Natural Dye Workshop (£40 per person)

I will also be running a workshop where you can learn how to create natural colour on wool. We’ll use natural dye plants gathered on the farm, plus fresh flowers from my Bristol garden to dye Fernhill wool yarns and scarves in a range of vibrant colours, using a variety of different natural dye techniques.

The workshop price includes either 50g of yarn to dye (in the form of 5 10g mini skeins), or a knitted scarf to dye which can be taken home to enjoy at the end of the workshop.

For more information and to book your place, visit Fernhill Farm’s website: https://fernhillfibre.co.uk/shop/ffibre-experience-workshops-21st-september-2024

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 is taking her dye pots on the road for a natural yarn dyeing workshop at The Workshop, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge.

An introduction to the techniques and methods of natural yarn dyeing, and the vibrant colours that can be achieved through dyeing with responsibly foraged or home grown plants and food waste.

Using a variety of weights of British wool yarn, ranging from super chunky to Ria’s bespoke 4ply weight yarn spun from a single flock in Somerset, we will look at the different ways natural dyes can be applied to yarn to create striking effects.

You will leave with a variety of mini skeins of yarn naturally coloured with a range of hues, suitable for knitting, crochet, weaving or any other fibre craft.

Yarn, materials and handouts are provided but please bring an apron, rubber gloves and a notebook.

Refreshments included.

Secure your place here: https://www.whitehallstudio.co.uk/workshops-1/ria

Ria will be giving a talk on sustainable knitwear design, and also teaching a half day natural yarn dyeing workshop at Stitch Fest South West this year.

For more information and to book tickets, visit their website!

An introduction to the techniques and methods of natural dyeing, and the vibrant colours that can be achieved through dyeing with responsibly foraged plants and food waste.

After an introductory talk, Ria will lead a walk around the farm learning about common dye plants, gathering some for the dye pot.
Then we will use these plus food waste such as avocado skins to dye cotton and silk cloth a variety of colours, using simple shibori folding techniques to create a pattern on the fabric. We will also bundle dye with petals and leaves to produce a unique and colourful print on silk.

You will leave with a variety of colourful swatches that could be used for craft projects such as a patchwork cushion cover or for handkerchiefs.
All fabric, materials and handouts are provided but please bring an apron, gloves and a notebook.

£40 per person, all materials provided and any profit goes back into supporting Bath City Farm. Book a space by emailing info@bathcityfarm.org.uk