Me in the studio, July 2023.

Hi, I’m Ria.

I am currently taking a break from making knitwear until Summer 2024 at the earliest.

During this time I will be concentrating on growing natural dyes, facilitating workshops and research projects. My online shop will remain open with remaining ready-made knitwear, dye supplies and yarns.

I am very open to natural dye collaborations and commissions in 2024 - please get in touch to discuss ideas!

I design and make sustainable knitwear.

I make small batch clothing and accessories from local, traceable wool. I hand dye my garments with homegrown and foraged native plants, handmaking each piece to create a locally made, long-lasting, and unique product that works with, not against, the environment.

My knitwear is designed for longevity and made to be cherished, looked after, and passed on. I take pride in showcasing the natural hues and qualities of British wool – a soft, warm, and durable textile.

Everything that Ria Burns Knitwear produces is made by me in Bristol. It’s local, and it’s traceable.

What Ria Burns Knitwear is all about

Ria Burns Knitwear is an antidote to fast fashion.

I’m committed to regenerative agricultural practices that go beyond sustainability. For me, it’s all about local, climate beneficial, slow fashion.

Almost everything in my supply chain can be fully traced (except the mordant I use to make sure the colours last). Everything is sourced as close to Bristol as I can get it, and my pieces are 100% made in the UK.

I follow the Fibreshed approach of creating soil-to-soil textiles – meaning my knitwear is made from natural fibres and totally biodegradable. At the end of its life as a garment, the wool can be composted, returning nutrients to the soil.

I’m always thinking about how I can have the lowest environmental impact, from sourcing the raw materials and making the knitwear, to zero waste manufacturing processes and plastic-free packaging. Everything counts – my yarn ends get used to attach my swing tags, and the tiny scraps go into the compost which feeds next years' dye plants.

Where my products come from

The Yarn

The yarn I use is a bespoke Shetland-Romney lambswool. It’s from a single flock reared and sheared by Jen and Andy at Fernhill Farm in the Mendips in Somerset - 15 miles down the road from my little Bristol-based studio. Fernhill wool is certified regenerative, and Jen and Andy were the Farmer’s Weekly sheep farmers of the year in 2022. (I recommend visiting them on their bi-annual open day).

The farm sends the raw fleece (in bulk) to Halifax to be scoured. It then goes to Roger the spinner in Wales, who turns the cleaned wool into a bouncy, woollen-spun yarn which arrives on cones.

The yarn is woollen spun from the lamb’s first ever clip. This means the yarn is soft and bouncy. It’s also hard-wearing.

I have two colours of yarn - one is a natural, unbleached white with beautiful heathery tones running throughout, the other is a natural grey made from a special blend of white and dark brown fleece. Sometimes, I let the colour of the wool speak for itself, and other garments are given vibrant flashes of colour using the dye plants that I grow.

(Images courtesy of Fernhill Farm)

 

The Plants

I always use dyes derived from plants. I grow most of the plants I use for dyeing in my tiny Bristol back garden, choosing plants that are hardy to the British climate and that don’t need much watering or additional feeding.

I supplement these homegrown plants by foraging in the local area, picking plants that are in season and plentiful. I’ve tested all the dye plants I use for their longevity to light and washing, so you get a comfy, cosy piece of knitwear with colour that lasts.

My partner and I have also recently taken on an allotment where I have some space allocated to growing dyes, which means I am almost completely self-sufficient. I no longer need to purchase any from external suppliers.

Learn more about growing natural dyes
 

The Design & Knitting Process

Once the wool has been grown, sheared, sorted, scoured, spun, and dyed, it ends up on my knitting machine, which is completely hand-powered – no electricity needed.

People often assume that machine knitting is automatic. It actually requires a lot of highly skilled handwork. I go through a labour-intensive process so that I can make knitwear that works to restore the health of the ecosystem.

My design process is also relatively analogue. I’ve used software in the past, but I prefer designing colourwork using pen, paper, and punch cards.

My debut book - available to buy now!

A bit more about me and my brand

I have a first in BA Fashion Design from Batley School of Art and an MA in Textile Design from Bath Spa University. I researched and developed my brand of botanically dyed, British wool knitwear during my MA and launched the brand in September 2018 via a Crowdfunder campaign. This enabled me to raise the funds to build my dye garden, move into a studio, and invest in my first batch of local wool.

Since then I have built my business and brand to be multi-faceted. Alongside making knitwear and growing the dye plants, I teach workshops and providing freelance dyeing services and consultancy to brands and artists.

In 2023 I achieved a Level 2 Qualification in Practical Horticulture (RHS), and I became a published author! My book Dyeing Yarn Naturally is available to buy now from my shop or all good booksellers.

If you want to see what I get up to day-to-day, follow me on Instagram. Or if you’re interested in growing natural dye plants, consider becoming a Patron.

I’m currently working on a research project funded by South West England Fibreshed, of which I am a member.

I love creating bespoke commissions using my yarn or your own, so if you have an idea for a piece of knitwear you’d like me to make, drop me a line.

Other things I do:

I am always up for sharing ideas and collaboration with other craftspeople and textile innovators. – get in touch and let’s talk!

All images on this page by Jo Hounsome Photography, unless otherwise stated.