For one of our Fall Skill-building Challenges, we encouraged you to learn about rare breed sheep. Many sheep producers in our area raise mixed breed sheep, crossing different breeds to encourage different characteristics for meat production or temperament. Some farmers,…
Have you ever wondered about getting a custom yarn made for your textile endeavours? Hand-processing sheep fleece is a lot of work. In fact, as one spinning teacher used to say, “The Industrial Revolution happened for a reason!” Victoria-based weaver…
Continuing on from our Summer 2024 challenges of sewing and working with raw fibre, we now have some final challenges for Fall. We’d love you to take on these challenges to learn new skills and become more comfortable sourcing your…
Courtenay-based fibre artist and mushroom forager Amy Crook brings us another great tutorial on dyeing with materials we can find in our Fibreshed region. This time, she explores lobster mushrooms and generoulsly shares some tips and tricks for getting good…
Did you know that a common ornamental tree can be used both as a dye and as a scouring agent? VIF member Bobbie Williams has been experimenting with using materials she finds on her daily walks. Read about horse chestnuts…
While I do love the natural whites, greys, and browns of undyed fibre, sometimes I like to add some colour. In this piece, Amy Crook gives us an overview of how to dye fibre with a common roadside weed –…
On June 2, 2024, VIF and IISBA (Inter Island Sheep Breeders Association) offered a workshop for sheep producers. Thirty-two attendees came from all over the area, from Campbell River to Sooke and from a number of Gulf Islands. Most raise…
Continuing on from our Spring 2024 challenges of sewing and working with raw fibre, we now have some new challenges for Summer. We’d love you to take on these challenges to learn new skills and become more comfortable sourcing your…
No part of a sheep’s fleece needs to be waste. The dirty bits when it’s first sheared make great garden mulch. Then you can comb or card the best parts for spinning into yarn. And then, if you are Bobbie,…
I hope you enjoy this essay from textile artist Yarrow Koontz on her explorations with indigo dyeing with plants she has grown on Gabriola. She’s now experimenting with the Sukomo method for using Persicaria tinctoria (Japanese Indigo) – a method…