This workshop has been postponed to Sunday July 7th - click here to book your place.

Saturday 11th May - 10am-4pm - Bristol Textile Quarter

Join natural dyer and knitwear designer Ria Burns for a day of natural yarn dyeing and urban foraging in Bristol this Spring!

We will meet at Bristol Textile Quarter, then, after an introductory talk, we’ll walk to a nearby urban green space and forage for dye plants to use later in the day. Ria will also help identify other plants that can be used for dye at different times of the year.

At the venue we will use these plants plus natural dyes grown in Ria’s garden to create colour on a range of British wool yarns. Using a variety of yarns and breeds, ranging from super chunky to Ria’s bespoke 4ply weight yarn spun from local sheep, 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 naturally dyed yarn in a range of hues, suitable for knitting, crochet, or any other fibre craft.

Yarn, materials and handouts are provided but you may want to bring a notebook and pen. Please bring an apron or clothes you do not mind potentially getting dye liquids on. Rubber gloves are advised if you have sensitive skin.

As there is an outdoor walking element to the workshop, please dress appropriately for the weather and for walking on footpaths and grass. In the event of poor weather on the day, we will look at identifying a range of pre-foraged plants in the warm and dry venue.

This workshop will be held at Bristol Textile Quarter, 1a Barton Road, Bristol, BS2 0LF. The venue is situated close to Bristol Temple Meads station and major bus routes.

Cancellation policy: We will provide a full refund for cancellations who give at least 7 days notice. If shorter notice is given, a refund will be offered if a replacement can be found for your place. As the number of students on this workshop is intentionally small, we reserve the right to cancel this workshop if there are not enough attendees - we will ensure plenty of notice is given if this occurs.