The Original Eco-Friendly Yarn

July 31st, 2008 in other crafts, knitting

Tina Hilton, contributor

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Dede is a welcoming presence at the entrance of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands in Asheville, NC.

This antique wheel has been lovingly restored and is in perfect working order.

Hand spun yarn in rich hues of madder orange and red.

Dede is a welcoming presence at the entrance of the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands in Asheville, NC.

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Like many women in the Western Appalachians, spinning and dying yarn was learned at an early age. When Dede was a child she had a pet sheep and begged her Grandmother to teach her to spin its soft wool into her very own yarn. Grandmother was a master spinner and weaver and a member of the prestigious Southern Highlands Craft Guild who spun her wool on a 150 year old big wheel standing almost five feet high. It was a bit hard to handle as a youngster but Dede now prefers the antique big wheel to the small wheels commonly used by today’s spinners. Dede was accepted into the Craft Guild eight years ago after spending 40 years perfecting her outstanding natural dying techniques. She learned the ancient art of natural dying from a Guild member, Jim Liles who has written the quintessential natural dying how to book The Art and Craft of Natural Dying and natural dye pioneer Mary Frances Davidson author of The Dye Pot.

The most common natural dyes used are madder, indigo and cochineal. Madder comes from the root of a plant readily grown in North America which produces deep reds and oranges. Indigo is the plant grown in India which gives us our beloved denim blue. Cochineal comes from a South American insect and imparts bright fuchsia and pink colors. Combining these colors using age old recipes, Dede is able to dye her yarn in a rainbow of rich, warm colors. For more information about natural dying contact dede@skyrunner.net.

Resources
The Art and Craft of Natural Dying http://utpress.org/a/searchdetails.php?jobno=T00228.01.05
The Dye Pot http://www.amazon.com