Llynfi Textiles

Workshop Update

2012-02-01T12:03:00.001Z

It's February already!

Last Saturday we held our first 'Llynfi' workshop at Talgarth Mill. Up in the Granary space, under the eaves, it's a great little room and just right for half a dozen people to work in. Emily had been taken ill at the start of January so it was touch and go whether this day would happen; the posters didn't get put up, and extra promotion didn't happen, but four 'students' made it viable. And it turned out to be such a lovely day after the start to the year! Two sets of friends made for a great atmosphere. Measurements were taken and plotted, and points joined up on sheets of paper to make a simple sweater shape; we looked at design ideas and calculated stitches and rows.

I hadn't lead a 'class' for quite a few years and forgotten just how inspiring it can be, teaching others. We're looking forward to making some more days: the postponed skirt pattern cutting day will now happen at the end of March, and we'll run another basic knit design day probably in May. Colour and texture is another subject and this may take the form of a 'play day' for grown-ups! Let us know at info@llynfitextiles.co.uk if you would like to be kept updated with workshops.

Workshops!

2011-12-08T18:05:00.001Z

Email info@llynfitextiles.co.uk for further info! (if you haven't noticed our address on our website, Talgarth is near Brecon in Powys, Wales)

'Pop-Up' Shop Weekend

2011-12-06T09:49:00.001Z

Our first solo event was a huge success - many thanks to everyone who came along over the two days. Originally we had been looking for somewhere in Hay to stage a 'pop-up shop' but nowhere seemed available. Then it suddenly struck us that, of course, we have a perfect venue now in Talgarth - right on the doorstep - in Talgarth Mill. But would anyone come?

Talgarth has suffered from an unjustified negative reputation in its local area; this probably stems from the old Victorian asylum days and it's taken a very long time to subside. But over the last few years several local groups have been working very hard to reverse attitudes - the Festival Group started with organising a local annual festival some 16 years ago and from this also grew a Christmas Lights group and Talgarth has the best Christmas lights in the area, especially the coloured globes zig-zagging along over the little river. The Festival of the Black Mountains now takes place every August Bank Holiday and is a wonderful, old fashioned and traditional event rather like a vicarage garden party on a whole village scale. And it's free! Then a regeneration committee was set up, a monthly market was re-started and a project completed to renovate the old watermill. Slowly, Talgarth is finding it's place again. And rightly so because it is a pretty little place in a stunning location.

Anyway! Back to our weekend in the Mill - it turned out to have been absolutely the right decision and we are so glad to have chosen Talgarth as our first event. In fact - we are planning now on setting up regularly, say March, September and December on the first weekends in those months to coincide with the market. (June is tricky when you sell mostly wool....!) We'll also look at expanding what we sell to include organic Welsh wool yarns and maybe some fabrics from the Welsh weaving mills. If you'd like to be kept posted, sign up to the mailing list on our contact page on the website - you won't get bombarded, it's only done maybe once a month.

http://www.talgarthfestival.org.uk

http://www.talgarthmill.com/

http://www.talgarthcentre.org.uk

Comming Soon!

2011-11-28T15:53:00.003Z

Just wanted to share a quick photo of our new Tail Coat...

As seen (on it's very first outing!) at Compton Marbling Christmas Fair a couple of weeks ago, the new design is all ready to go -just got to get our models in for a bit of posing and then get it up on the website!
It is made in our favourite combination of Welsh flannel with organic, naturally dyed cotton lining. A-symmetrical, light weight and fairly close cut, it is designed to be worn as a top layer with a light shirt or dress. We will also be offering it in the lighter grey with green lining.

We will have some at our pop-up shop (Talgarth Mill, 3rd & 4th Dec) and at the Winter Gathering Craft Fayre and Art Sale with Arts Alive (The Old School, Crickhowell 9th Dec).

So, anyone wanting one in time for Christmas, do come along or get in touch as the order book is filling up!

Organic Textiles - how can you be certain?

2011-11-24T13:27:00.001Z

I've been trawling the internet for certified organic cotton, both yarns and fabrics. And time and again I think I've found something but when posing the question 'can you supply copies of your certification' the answer is 'we don't have any'.

In the States textiles come under the same ruling as food - they can't be described as 'organic' unless certification is in place up to the point of sale. In Europe, while this applies to food, there is no such ruling for textiles and clothing.

Currently, yarns and fabrics can be marketed as 'organic' by the very fact that they contain organically grown fibres. Many retailers buy certified organic fabric and yarn in bulk and then rewind and repackage it under their own label, describing it as organic. Of course, it still is what they say, but the traceability system has stopped at the point at which the company takes delivery. And a fabric and yarn can still be described as 'organic' simply because it is spun / woven with certified fibre. Under Organic Standards all processes are monitored and recorded and only permitted dyes and spinning oils and detergents are allowed. If a company is not signed up to the Standards, then there is no compunction to use only permitted substances or to keep records of traceability.

If you buy an item and it has the 'GOTS' symbol or similar on the label, then you can be sure of it's provenance. Does this matter to you? Or do you find the whole thing just a tad confusing?

Coming up...

2011-11-02T10:42:00.000Z

Tomorrow evening sees us showing some of our collection in the Hay on Wye fashion show at The Swan. This is a fund raising event for the old Butter Market in Hay, and features outfits from the lovely independent clothes shops in the town. 7pm start, £10 entry.

In two weeks time we'll be off down to the Wiltshire/Hampshire border for Compton Marbling's Autumn Fair. 18th - 19th Nov. We went for the first time last year - which was when the snow started - and had a lovely two days. (note to self: get some better tyres put on the car...just in case) http://www.comptonmarbling.co.uk

Two weeks after that, it's the first weekend in December, already! 3rd - 4th Dec, 10.30am - 4.30pm, we'll be setting up shop at Talgarth Mill; we'll have clothing and accessories, organic wool and throws, displays about wool and natural dyeing and hope to get some knitting activities going as well! On the Sunday it's also the Talgarth Christmas Fair, organised by Talgarth Markets Group, and of course, the lovely Mill cafe - The Baker's Table - will be open.

The following Friday, (9th) it's down to Crickhowell for the Art Alive! Winter Gathering, 3pm - 9pm. There'll be refreshments (and mulled wine and live music in the evening) and a small, but select, range of art and craft delights on sale. www.llynfitextiles.co.uk

Perceptions of Organic Dyeing

2011-09-08T14:39:00.001+01:00

The terms 'organically dyed' and 'dyed organically': what does this mean to you? Natural dyes or synthetic, or simply processed to organic standards? Does it matter?

We use 'natural' dyes for the yarns we use for making our knitwear; our process is certified by the Soil Association to Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). GOTS also allow dyeing using low impact synthetic dyes. This is necessary - it is economically and practically impossible, and probably unsustainable, to use natural dyes for everything.

But - very often, customers are taken aback when we talk to them about what we do and our colours, and learn that most organic textiles use synthetic dyes. There seems to be an assumption that organic wool, particularly, is coloured with plant dyes, and often disappointment on finding this may not be the case.

Of course, in the world of the chemist, the term organic is a little different to consumer understanding, too.

We describe our wool as 'dyed to organic textile standards'.

More Penpont Pics

2011-09-07T11:40:00.000+01:00

Penpont House, in common with most old country houses and estates, has a huge walled garden. Produce from this Soil Association certified garden is sold in the little shop at the back of the stables.

Flowers are also grown and make a lovely splash of autumn colour

I love the combination of this echinacea with the agapanthus.............

Big Skill at Penpont House

2011-09-05T16:37:00.000+01:00

Another lovely weekend festival at this amazingly beautiful estate near Sennybridge in Powys. A lot more visitors than last year so we're hoping it will go from strength to strength - it's one of our favourite events. This photo was taken early in the morning from the little bridge over the River Usk; the main house is to the left in the background. Fly fishing was one of the activities on offer and what a lovely setting to try.

We were lucky to have a big space in the old stables, a building that has been restored and converted into a multi use facility while retaining all it's character. Traditional building materials give it a real charm and softens and we loved 'playing shop' with our area! A long bench gave seating for knitting and chatting and our old travelling trunk made an impromptu 'coffee table'. Wouldn't it be marvellous if this was really our shop?

News for the Autumn

2011-08-11T15:07:00.002+01:00

Yesterday we were at the Centre for Alternative Technology Summer Fair - many thanks to all of you who visited the stand we had in collaboration with Ystrad Organics.

We were really encouraged by the response to our plans to start running workshops on knit design - we're hoping to hold these at the newly restored and working Talgarth Mill (some of you may have seen it on BBC's Village SOS programme). The Mill is such a wonderful example of a community regeneration project, using local produce for the stunning cafe, and local wheat for grinding into flour. Anyway - we anticipate that a Saturday workshop will be around £40 plus lunch (we have to work that out with the cafe girls), and if wanted, we could also have a group tour of the mill.

The workshop will be starting at the beginning from taking accurate measurements through to why you should learn to love tension swatches and drawing up a basic block and schematic to use for your very own knitting pattern. If you would like further info or would like to be kept in touch about workshops, email sue@llynfitextiles.co.uk

Also coming up: The Big Skill at Penpont House, Sennybridge, Powys. This a new Craft Festival with a difference. Taking the idea of a music festival - you can come and camp - with lots of exhibitors and craftspeople willing to share their skills, instead of sharing the music. It's all about getting visitors to have a go.

You can pick and choose what to try your hand at from pole lathe turning to pottery. Woolcrafts feature of course, and we'll be running an all-day 'knit clinic' to try and help you with your knitty problems and queries! We'll also be holding an informal chat about natural dyeing, so if you've ever wanted to have a go at this but not quite known where to start, come along and join in. Or, if you are already a dyer - come and share your knowledge with others.
more info here: http://thebigskill.com/

And then! At the end of September it'll be time for the Llandovery Sheep Festival...http://www.llandoverysheepfestival.co.uk/index.html See you there too!

Talgarth Mill

2011-07-21T11:43:00.004+01:00

So, finally a day off... and with perfect timing the newly renovated Talgarth Mill opened it's cafe properly for the first time last weekend. The space is a perfect blend of old industrial and contemporary design; the rough stone walls and corrugated tin lend an honesty to the beautifully crafted and finished oak windows and globe lighting.
All the way down the length of the cafe the huge windows slide open, so while you are sat enjoying your James' Gourmet Coffee and home-made orange polenta cake, the stream burbles below you and the dippers, swallows and yellow wagtails carry on their merry way as if you were never there.
The small yet seasonal menu is made up from local ingredients and suppliers, including the Black Mountain Smokery, Georges of Talgarth and Primrose Farm just to mention a few.
So, if you are ever in the area, or need a further excuse to come and visit, here it is! I just cant wait until they get the wood fired pizza oven up and running!
To find out more about the Talgarth Mill project: http://www.talgarthmill.org.uk/

Next Event....

2011-06-22T12:22:00.000+01:00

Next week sees the 2nd Glanusk International Horse Trials and Country Fair at the glorious Glanusk Estate, nr Crickhowell here in Powys. It starts on Wednesday and runs for four days, so we're hoping for a bit of summer weather (even though we're selling wool) 'cos there's nothing like a bit of sunshine to cheer everyone up. For more info. see the website:

http://www.glanuskeventing.com/

We're working hard to make sure we have examples of all our designs in each size, ready for trying on and ordering. It's a big stand so there'll be plenty of space for a 'fitting room'. Making pieces to order means we only make what's required - saving time and wasted materials, so there's no 'fast fashion' here! We should also have some samples for Autumn designs - colour grown cotton for shirts and more local Wensleydale yarn for knitwear (yes, we know Wensleydale is in Yorkshire so not local to Powys - but we mean the flock of the Wensleydale breed of sheep kept by our friend in Carmarthenshire!)

Printing

2011-06-08T13:30:00.007+01:00

This morning I managed to grab a rare opportunity to do some printing. It seems like forever since my last session, and so of course the first few prints did not make the grade ...but perseverance pays off!
There is something so satisfying, almost alchemical, about peeling back the fabric to reveal the newly transferred image; the moment when one thing changes into something completely different. Magical :)
Hopefully these prints will become part of our new hemp dress design -I will keep you posted!

Busy, Busy!

2011-05-25T10:30:00.000+01:00

Well - here we are, a month on - no, more! - and rapidly speeding to our very first 'Open Studio' event this coming weekend. We've had a bit of a sort out, a good reason to find time to clear out all the bits and pieces that accumulate over time - the things that 'might be useful', or 'could be re-used' but deep down you know you never will use them.
Getting some examples of designs made up has been another challenge. We make to order, but, of course, need to have a range on show for those of you who may want to try on. An order from a new boutique in Helsinki came as a pleasant surprise, and the opportunity to send items down to the Old Truman Brewery in London as part of Nokia's E7 launch couldn't be missed, but all will be ready for the weekend.
On Monday we had two photographers come along, which caused some confusion as we were only expecting one! Fortunately, they didn't arrive at the same time.....However, here's the result of one :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwoodward/5752135553/in/set-72157626790561562/

Some we like, some we not so sure about! The Bearded Dragon is called Elvis; he belongs to another family member but lives in the entrance hall to the building we're in. The photographer was very taken with him.....and he co-ordinates with Emily rather well!

The Open Studio Weekend is organised by Crickhowell Tourist Information and there's lots of info here:

http://www.crickhowellinfo.org.uk/tourism/attractions/galleries/

Wonderwool photos

2011-04-14T15:51:00.008+01:00

Just in case you didn't make it to the show, here are a few photos of our stand, including some of Ystrad Organics' beautiful wensleydale yarn, carded bundles and sweetie bags of glossy curls...

Natural and Organic Awards

2011-04-14T10:47:00.000+01:00

We were delighted to have had our knitwear chosen as one of the three finalists for the Soil Association/Natural and Organic Awards Best Organic Textile. The winner was Organics for Kids who make a very lovely range of babywear.

Wonderwool Wales

2011-04-11T12:32:00.000+01:00

A quick posting just to say a big thankyou to the organisers of Wonderwool and all those who made it such a great weekend! We really enjoyed it, the sun made everyone happy and now we're ready for a day off (we wish!). A big thankyou too, to all those who visited our stand and left us feeling very much encouraged and inspired!
Having decided last Autumn to concentrate on clothing (our first love), and not continue with selling yarns etc., we weren't sure about exhibiting at Wonderwool - but you all proved us wrong in our doubting.

See you next year when, hopefully, we'll have a bigger stand.......and a proper mirror! In the meantime, don't forget our Open Studio event over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.

Old and new: life in the garden

2011-04-08T08:49:00.010+01:00

This time of year is always so exciting; seeing the world come back to life!
I wander around my little garden, musing over developments with my morning cup of tea. I love the anticipation; looking for much loved plants beginning to emerge after their sleepy winter, and equally the surprise of seeing something for the first time, especially having completely forgotten that I had planted it in the first place!
I had picked up this simple little primrose for 50p from the charity stall in the market last autumn, having no idea of the colour at all...!

My garden is now three years old, and I feel an enormous satisfaction seeing autumn plans come to life over the course of the following year.
However, one of my favourite happenings in the garden at the moment is a quite serendipitous combination of the bright new pulmonaria flowers and spotted leaves seen through the burnt, rusty coloured sedum heads, left from last year.

We are always inclined at the start of the new year in January to sign off on the last and start a fresh. And yet here in my garden is a beautiful demonstration of how the remnants of past seasons go on to inform the developing masterpiece; nothing is ever really over, or ever really forgotten.
As I sit and ponder this with my morning tea I feel happily comforted. Life is a collection of experiences, one informing the next, and still the most beautiful moments are always the ones that happen by accident.

Show dates 2011

2011-03-25T13:37:00.000Z

Spring:

9th - 10th April
Wonderwool Wales, Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys

We'll be sharing a stand with Ystrad Traditional Organics under the heading 'Organic Textiles Wales'. Llynfi clothes will be available, as well as a selection of horn and bone buttons, and some baskets of 'ends of runs' of naturally dyed organic wool yarns. Ystrad will have available natural and naturally dyed organic Wensleydale from the farm's flock - fleece, curls, carded and yarn. Also some rather lovely certified organic woven throws.

28th - 30th May
Studio Open Weekend, Talgarth, Brecon, Powys

We'll be holding open days as part of the Crickhowell Arts Trail around the Black Mountains. This is also the first weekend of Hay Literary Festival, so if you're going to the Festival come and visit Talgarth too - we're only 6 or so miles down the road.
The restored Talgarth Mill should be open by then too. This has been a major community undertaking, winning funding from the Lottery Save our Villages project. For more info see the Mill's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FelinTalgarthMill

The Yarn I've Been Dreaming of Has Arrived!

2011-03-18T09:10:00.000Z

Have just got my hands on some beee-a-uuu-tiful worsted Wensleydale in Chocolate (of the darkest bitterest sort), Grey (dark and silver at the same time) and white (soft and shimmery). Fully certified organic of course, and grown here in Wales. Cannot Wait to get making with it! It will be expensive I'm afraid - naturally coloured Wenselydale like this is quite rare, and worsted spinning in itself is a costly process. And add to that the fact that you don't get many metres to the kilo, so a small jacket will be quite heavy. But fabulous! Will ad some pics later.

Spring Developments

2011-03-10T13:32:00.005Z

...longer days and fewer layers; spring must be on its way!

Through the cold and dreary winter months we have been working on our staple collection.
We have tweaked some designs here and there as well as added some brand new ones!

At long last the collection is finalised and patterns almost all drafted.

So now, on to making and then photography!

A Can Of Silk Worms...

2011-02-04T18:00:00.004Z

‘Its a complex world like woven fabric, where we can not just pull one thread.’

Krishna Jha

At the Llynfi studio there is always something in the pipeline –whether it’s a nagging idea in the back of the mind or designs in progress…

This one has been brewing for quite some time, and has finally come to fruition –well, nearly!

Revered for centuries, the properties of silk are well known. In particular I have always loved spun silk; it’s intriguing character gives it an honesty and almost humbleness that appeals beyond the glamorous luxury of reeled silks.

However, finding some silk fabric that I was happy with on a sustainability level was not so simple, and the more I found out, the more complicated it got!

Most commercially produced silk involves heating the cocoons to kill the pupa inside before it hatches, thus allowing the unbroken cocoon to be reeled. Any left over bits would then be lumped together and spun, which is how most spun silk gets onto the textile market.

The alternative to this method is ahimsa or non-violent silk, so this is where I begun my research. These are marketed as being a vegan alternative to commercial silk, being produced without harming the pupae inside the cocoon by allowing it to hatch naturally. Because the cocoon is broken, it must be all spun rather than reeled.

Without having any first hand experience of silk rearing, I must admit that I had a rather idealised view of the whole ahimsa process. I pictured village communities wandering out into the forests to collect the spent cocoons from wild silk moths, then spinning and weaving the silk into magical lengths of shiny cloth… hmm.

When you stop and think about it, that’s just not very realistic. Not only would that method be impossibly time consuming, the cocoons would likely be far too damaged from the damp of the forest floor to spin a reasonable thread.

In reality, ALL silk comes from farmed moths, but there is still a distinction to be made; the small, rural silk growing initiatives are as different to the intensive commercial set ups of big companies as the comparison between free range chickens and battery farming.

It is true that some silk is even cultivated in a forest environment, but like all farming, the caterpillars are monitored in a controlled area so that they can be fed easily and gathered up efficiently once they have finished spinning their cocoons.

Next comes the more difficult bit…

A silk moth can lay up to 1000 eggs. If all the eggs hatch, grow, pupate and then mate, and each lays another 1000 eggs… that’s a lot more caterpillars! A lot of caterpillars need to eat an awful lot of leaves.

If a caterpillar does not find food within a day of hatching, it will die.

If the moths were released into the wild, the combined number would be so huge; their offspring would strip the forests bare.

So, if we want enough silk to supply demand, however it’s done, at some stage in the

cycle, caterpillars or pupa will die.

In general practice, only the number of moths needed to breed the next generation of caterpillars are allowed to hatch naturally and mate.

In NE India the other pupae are cut out of their cocoons and usually sold as food. The practise of eating pupae is an ancient tradition of many Indian tribes, particularly in these forest regions home to native silk moths.

Although my initial reaction to learning this was shock, I was quickly able to put it into perspective. In the western world the idea of eating insects is so far removed from our experience, it is hard to understand. However, can we really say that eating lamb and using the fleece is any different, or cows and leather, or geese and feathers… the list goes on. In fact, the families that farm silk moths in NE India (where many of the small ‘ahimsa’ enterprises are found) make easily as much money from selling the pupae as they do from the cocoons. Without a market for one, the other would not be sustainable.

So it turns out that not only is peace silk not free and wild, it is produced from farmed caterpillars, which still have to die. To say that I was disappointed puts it mildly. All the issues I uncovered can be reasoned out, but I still felt lied to and cheated. All these words like peace, non-violent and wild are simply marketing tools, much like the word tussah has been abused by the fashion industry to describe any un-even looking silk, rather that actually from the tussah (or tussar) silk moth.

Even companies claiming to sell ‘true ahimsa silk’ are producing it from the spent breeder cocoons brought from other farms. Yes those moths have hatched, but they only exist as part of the wider industry, and their offspring will suffer the same fate as every other. Does that make it peaceful?

Armed with my new found knowledge, I entered into a conversation with one of the Indian companies marketing this silk. I have to say I was delighted by their honest response. They accepted everything I had found to be true, but argued that their aim when starting the project was ‘to provide a better platform to these self employed traditional eri weavers’ (eri are the type of moth native to NE India).

The ahimsa project was begun in 2005 by Ms. Maneka Gandhi (MP in India) as a way of raising funds for 'People for Animals' and to develop an international platform for those traditional weavers in remote areas of India. The project has since been taken on by another group, focused on organising and marketing this unique product, whilst still supporting P.F.A. through its profits.

Obtaining a better price for the silks being produced enables rural communities to earn a fair wage from age-old skills, which will now in turn be passed on to the next generation.

In the complicated world of textiles, there is always more to learn. As far as silk goes, I am certain that I have only scratched the surface. Without going to see for yourself how something is produced, and then following how that affects the local and then global economy, you can never really know that what you are using meets the standards you set.

For now, I know that buying this fabric supports small producers, utilizing an indigenous resource. It encourages the maintenance of the natural environment and promotes the traditional skills of the area. The profits feed into a sustainable industry, which caters for the employment of women, as well as the extremely poor, offering them independence and opportunity.

The pale straw-coloured fabric I have settled on is fairly substantial in weight compared to many dress silks. It has a beautiful, subtle herringbone weave that is picked up in the light. With an almost cotton-like softness yet the unmistakable gentle sheen of silk, this fabric should be warm and cosy and age comfortably into a drapey, cuddly favourite, with just a hint of something special.

Just one thing still irks me; with such valuable, fundamental social benefits and clear sustainability, why is this fabric still marketed under a false banner? It isn’t necessary, so why?

New Designs : Old Ideas

2011-01-20T14:41:00.014Z

January; a time for sorting, throwing things out, and starting fresh....but isn't it funny the things you find!?

I decided it was finally time to sort through all of my old college and uni work -you cant keep everything so time to be selective. Ah memory lane, all that work! and whats this? my old war project from my first year of college...

Some designs; some samples; a dress and a skirt ...that bears remarkable resemblance to the AW10 pleat skirt I designed!

I remember the original project began with a poem that my sister wrote. It was a reflective poem written from the perspective of a soldier having served through WW2. The pain, the horrors, and most of all the personal sacrifice. I wanted to communicate that juxtaposition of the defiant, hard, determined and austere front that was the national war effort, against the hearts and souls of real people; people that hurt, loved and lost. The real people underneath the shell.

I actually developed the pleat design by re-modeling a heavy, dowdy work skirt that I picked up in a charity shop. I re-fitted it, moved the pleats and darts and embellished the utilitarian fabric with tiny, delicate red silk roses.

Isn't it funny how some things remain in your subconscious. Even though I began at a different point when designing the pleat skirt for Llynfi, I somehow worked my way back toward a design that I loved back when I was 16.

...I wonder what else will resurface

New year, new plans, new label......

2011-01-10T10:21:00.000Z

New Year - new plans! As we have to order some more garment labels, we thought it a good opportunity to rethink the design.

The Llynfi logo was originally 'Llynfi Angora', referring to my little herd of angora bunnies and the yarn and items made from the fluff. That was over 10 years ago, so it was about time for a revamp. And we have to go to a different company for these labels - as anything going into a certified organic item has to meet Global Organic Textile Standards.

Anyway! This is what we came up with, although the colour reproduction here isn't quite right. But you get the idea:

It was quite a mission to find a company to produce a small quantity at a reasonable price, and I finally found one in Dublin. A bit of a shame, as there are 2 or 3 here in West Wales that I would have preferred to use, but they couldn't fill in the risk assessment form. All gets a bit too complicated sometimes, and much of the organic system is geared towards major manufacture, at least where textiles are concerned.

And it's Snowing....Again!

2010-12-18T18:01:00.000Z

Here we are all in the grip of the white stuff again. In Mydroilyn it was only possible to get out of the village in a 4-wheel drive - so glad I have a pick-up, even if it is a bit of a jalopy! The snow plough came through last night, so the road is usable with care, but there are steep hills out of the village on every route. And it's a very long walk to a shop!

Getting parcels out has been made more difficult by these problems, combined with the PO shut at unpredictable times - burst pipes, staff shortages, bocked roads - it's all been happening.

But the compensation is all the prettiness. And it is very pretty:

Left: This is the mill pond in it's winter outfit
Below: last summer's sedums disguised as giant mushrooms...

And snow clouds heading towards the village....

Drop-stitch-gorgeous!

2010-12-09T10:55:00.000Z

Our new mitts are proving very popular this Autumn. While the Hopscotch mitts go on and on, with their warm and practical double layer cuff and two tone colours, the 'DSGs' are perhaps a little more dressy. The scrunchy cuffs are warm and cosy and they still have the same thumb shaping which makes our mittens fit so well. A hit! I'll have to come up with a hat to go with them for next winter....maybe something a bit retro, bit 50's, rummage through my vintage books and patterns. Hmm. Paper and pencil time. Although.....maybe after Christmas!

http://www.llynfitextiles.co.uk/dsgmitts.html

Forms in Ice

2010-12-05T20:44:00.000Z

The continual dampness of a watermill comes into it's own when the temperatures plunge. It's been jolly cold indoors - we have yet to turn our attention to the kitchen here and its been 5c in there lately! But there's been enough of interest outside to keep my mind off it.

The water leaks out from the pond and goes through a pipe over the top of the waterwheel. It splashes down into an old barrel and overflows into the tail race - with freezing temperatures the water is transformed into magical forms.

At the end of the leat (where the water comes down to the mill) there is a water pipe that drains the surface water from the road and the field across the lane. With a drop of about 3 feet, splashing onto rocks and stones, the water again freezes into the most intriguing forms and coats everything around with a layer of ice.

Fairs and Exhibitions, Design and Development

2010-11-28T17:56:00.001Z

We have just got back from a lovely two days exhibiting at the Compton Marbling Autumn Fair, in Wiltshire. It was extremely cold, in a barn by an open door! But such a great atmosphere - created by both fellow stallholders and the visitors, who braved snow and ice to get there down country lanes. Many thanks to all! Driving home to West Wales, the temperature dropped to -13 C. Glad to have had a modern vehicle with a good heater.

One of the best things about such events is the feedback on our clothes and seeing them on a range of different people. Standard sizes are just an average and, of course, no-one is an average. When designing a piece we have to decide on the ease, line, style and figure type of the possible wearer. And the more people who try on a finished item, the clearer some decisions and directions become. Making an item in every variation to suit everyone is impossible unless we went down the made to measure route, but constructive comments and detailing issues are noted and taken into account for future developments and evolvement of a design.

We now have one more event in 2010 - at Penpont House , and then we'll be planning for 2011. Already in the pipeline is Wonderwool at Builth Wells in April, and we are considering the International Horse Trials at Glanusk at the end of June. If anyone has any ideas of a good event that they would like to see us at, let us know!

Computer age Dressing up Dolls

2010-11-18T10:30:00.000Z

Remember those paper dolls that you played with as a little girl? The ones that had cut out clothes so you could mix and match outfits. On the 'Vogue' website I found this link http://gb.looklet.com/create It's the new age version!

How Green is my Valley

2010-10-27T16:00:00.000+01:00

It's hard work walking here - whatever direction you take from the village the first thing you have to do is go up a steep hill, but the reward is fantastic views, and on a clear day these stretch as far as the Cambrian Mountains and on into the start of Snowdonia.

I think - I'm lucky to live in a place like this. But then, actually, it's the result of years of hard work and no holidays. But then - living here, why would you want to go away?

Country Living magazine

2010-10-17T14:42:00.000+01:00

November's issue of Country Living magazine has a feature on wool to coincide with the Campaign for Wool. Turning the pages I was surprised to see a photo of the tea- and egg-cosies I make for Damson and Slate in Narberth! Damson and Slate is a small shop selling a range of knitted and woven and felted woolly lovelies, several of which are in the feature. Do look out for it.

http://www.campaignforwool.org/

http://www.damsonandslate.co.uk/

Colours with Madder

2010-10-15T17:47:00.000+01:00

A year ago now I did some experimenting with Madder, and so it's about time I posted something about it! I was interested to see what effect different water qualities would have. Whenever we are at a show, we get comments about the lovely bright reds we get - commonly people seem to get 'tomato soup orange'. My dyeing 'bibles' are three old books: and one thing shines through in these - water quality. The old dye-houses were in areas where water produced the best results. Madder does best in hard water, but Talgarth is in a valley of old red sandstone (not that I'm a geologist or anything - that's what is always mentioned when local agents are selling a farm....).

Using Madder extract at 10% weight of goods, I dyed samples on various shades of Shetland wool, using water from three sources, using observations around the water source as a guide to the sort of quality to expect:

1. Our spring at Pontithel, just along the road from Talgarth. This used to feed a pond for the Victorian lime kilns and charcoal ovens, now demolished to foundations, and for years was left to run through a pipe in the wall from where it drained through the ground and down to a stream. The end of the pipe had a great limey crust, so I wondered if this meant the water would produce even better reds.

2. The water running from an underground pipe at our mill near Newquay, Ceredigion. The deposits accumulating around this pipe are very rust coloured, and the soil is on the acid side of neutral. The stone in the buildings often has rust-red colouring, and wherever water runs (and being an old water-mill there's quite a lot!) it leaves orange stains.

3. Tap water from Talgarth. This is what we usually use, and what I would use for a 'cold' dyeing and dyeing at different temperatures.

The wool was all mordanted with Alum at 8% and Cream of Tartar at 7% (Cream of Tartar can also affect Madder, some people prefer not to use it)

Pontithel: the slightly darker/duller sets have had iron added towards the end of dyeing. the photo doesn't do the colour justice - the reds are very full and a beautiful colour. This means that I am going to have to have large conatiners to fill from the spring every time I want to dye with Madder...

Felin: You can see the difference though, especially in the lighter red in this set of samples (below). Adding iron made the wool a little harsh - probably because of iron already present in the water. On fawn and grey yarns, the Madder produced some lovely terracottas. So - now there's 24 shades!

Different temperatures also affect Madder. The best reds are gained by controlling the temperature at 60%. For this set, I used a precision temperature controller and dyed each of the yarn samples at the temperature indicated for 45 minutes, adding iron as before to get the darker colours. Another 6 shades!

Finally, how much colour can you get just by soaking at room temperature? This last set were left at intervals as on the cards. The dye pot was stirred up daily and left in the dark. I wound some of the yarn afterwards onto a second set of cards and left them in the west facing window. I was pleasantly surprised to find little difference in intensity of colour after 2 months. I really must do some simple washing tests though as well.
This test was interesting - Madder takes time and patience to get a really good colour, lots of attention and slow raisin of temperature. Leaving it cold to it's own devices gave an even colour and left me time to do other things!

My old books have several other recipes and notes for madder, so I'm not quite done yet.....

Dilemmas on using Colour

2010-10-04T17:13:00.000+01:00

It had been on my mind that I needed to order more cochineal. It's a very economical dye to use, although expensive to buy in the first instance; after obtaining deep red or magenta colours, the same dye-bath will give deep pink on a second batch of wool, then paler pink and, with luck, a fourth shade. The shades obtained, including all varieties of purple and lilacs when a touch of iron is added, are among the most popular we do.

Imagine, then, my dismay to find that our dye supplier has not only sold out, but there appears to be a world-wide shortage that won't be rectified until next year's harvest. And then I discovered that cochineal may be put on a 'red list' by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards organisation) and may be disallowed as a dye because of it's environmental impact, although need to find out more about this.
It raises all sorts of questions again about the whole sustainable / organic / ethical etc etc movements. Not just textiles, but anything that needs to use colour to sell a product.

As humans, we are addicted to colour - there's not much that we use that doesn't have colour added. And it has to come from somewhere. But whether it's from 'natural' sources or the laboratory, as consumers we think little of it's application. All dyeing is a chemical process and involves additional chemical input if the end product is to meet with modern requirements and expectations.

Maybe it's time to put much more value on colour? When planning our collection, we try to use an equal amount of dyed colours to natural shades, at least with the knits. I think it makes the colours stand out more and reduces our use of dyes and mordants. It's not so easy with fabrics. Knits are created from scratch by us, from undyed yarns. Fabrics are dyed 'in the piece' or woven in a larger quantity from already dyed yarns - one day we may be big enough to commission our own fabrics! In the meantime, we have to choose from the best options available.

Just because something is 'environmentally friendly' or 'sustainable', it doesn't mean we can carry on using it at will. What we really need is better quality, longer lasting items that make good use of limited resources, and to vastly reduce our have it all, throw away culture. But where would that leave our economies? Is there an answer or have we gone just too far?

Autumn Knits

2010-10-01T17:53:00.001+01:00

Oliver agreed to do some modeling for us - makes a real change to have a male model!

Here's our Pwll y Wrach pullover - in English this means 'Witch's Pool'. The water tumbles down from the Black Mountains above Talgarth, falling into a pool at the top of the woods before rushing on down through the trees in the valley. The whole of the wooded valley is a nature reserve - home to dormice, rare plants and much beauty.

As the sun shines through it creates splashes of brightness and dappled shade, reflected in the colour sequences in the patterning on the front of this pullover. The greens and yellowy golds come from weld, coreopsis, oak, and goldenrod.

Late Summer Colour

2010-08-31T09:41:00.006+01:00

After all the wind and rain it's lovely to have August ending on a high. The sun was warm yesterday and the wind had droppped, bringing out a mass of butterflies into the garden to enjoy the last flowers on the Buddleias.

We have four varieties - Lochinch, Empire Blue, Royal Red and Pink Delight. I love the warm scent of them, filling the garden on a still afternoon and the flowers follow on perfectly from the June roses. And of course, they are a magnet for butterflies, bees and hoverflies.

As someone who works with colour, I have to say the marmalade shades of the butterflies are rather prettier on the bluer flowers!

There is a purple fennel self seeded amongst Lochinch and it's lacy acid yellow flowers look lovely with the pale lavender blue. And those huge berries on Arum italicum Pictum light up the black leaves of Viola Labradorica.

Yarn Windings

2010-08-05T19:14:00.005+01:00

Our yarn offer in 'Country Living' magazine has been very well received, but more importantly how enjoyable to speak to and deal with so many lovely people! Unfortunately, the issue coincided with some of the wettest weather this summer here in Ceredigion - the rain and damp making it so difficult to get wool dry after dyeing and delaying getting orders out. And so many more orders than we had anticipated meant we ran out of yarn and have to had start a 'waiting list' until more to comes back from the spinners. But that's the nature of such small scale production which, hopefully, people understand.

With all the dyeing and winding and packing though - I have started to miss my knitting terribly, I can't wait to get back to my needles and my trustee old machine. Mittens and cardies here I come!

Cardigan Bay

2010-07-27T19:29:00.009+01:00

On Sunday I had an afternoon off and went for a stroll along the Cardigan Bay Coastal Path. Well - it was going to be a stroll, but we forgot the map. Having decided not to go back for it - after all, this path is well promoted and therefore bound to be well signed - we carried on into Newquay. Fortunately, we had a hunch where the access point is to the path as there wasn't much signage going on. Once above the little town, there is a fantastic view back towards Aberaeron, and to Snowdonia on a clear day.

The path is quite steep in places, but very well maintained. There's a mass of wild flowers and butterflies, and the willowherb against the blue sky was quite stunning. Further on around a corner, the bay stretches off towards Cardigan with a beautiful coastline of cliffs and coves.

We had planned a short walk, but got completely distracted by a half hidden path appearing to lead down to a little cove. Of course, we had to investigate. It was quite a steep descent, and involved much growling at my Cocker spaniel to not rush on at the end of her long lead! I wasn't going to let her off - anyone who knows spaniels will know how they can disappear when they get a scent of adventure.....so just had to hope for the best.

Fortunately the tide was well out so we had lots of time to explore the rocks - and the geology is fascinating (not that I know anything about it, but I just love the patterns and evidence of all that upheaval; some of it seems quite violent!) the area at the base of the cliffs is smooth rounded pebbles, quite large, but not a patch on the rocks a few yards further on - massive boulders. Rock pools abound with baby lobsters trying to be threatening if you looked at them. And where streams form waterfalls down the cliff face and filter into the pools, rusty deposits colour the pebbles. Beautiful colours here! Just as we like at Llynfi - all those natural shades with sparks of rusts and acid yellows and greeny- olivey- greys.

So if you ever venture along the Coast Path - take a map! The path is signed, the exit points across the fields are a bit hit and miss. Our 2 1/2 mile walk ended up at over 5. Not that we minded. And it tired the dog out. No mean feat with a Spaniel...

Show Dates

2010-07-15T10:33:00.006+01:00

Our next event will be Ludlow Green Fair on August Bank Holiday Sunday. We had a great time last year - the market place is choc full of stalls selling everything from veggie seeds to excellent coffee, t-shirts to recycled clothing, cycling to looking after churchyards - all with fair-trade and / or organic credentials. For more info see

http://www.greenfestival.co.uk

Then in September, 17th - 19th, it's the Big Skill at the Penpont Estate, nr Brecon. It's the first year for this and it's going to be held over 3 days, with camping, music, comedy and a whole range of rural skills talks and workshops, plus exhibits by rural businesses. As well as our show stand with a selection of Llynfi knit and sewn clothing and accessories, we're going to be taking along one or two of our Angora rabbits, and will be holding a 'show and tell' about keeping them and using their lovely soft wool. The Penpont Estate is a lovely place down by the River Usk. Find out more:

http://www.workingruralwales.org/

and have a peep at the Penpont website too:

http://www.penpont.com/

The Importance of a Garden

2010-07-09T08:48:00.008+01:00

Knitting, apparently, is one of the less wise occupations to follow when you have a bit of a crooked back. The osteopath wags a finger and reiterates " no more than 20 minutes sitting at a time!". In practice it depends on what's being knitted ( I find). Hand knitting isn't so bad - a good seat that supports one's position, and concentrating on relaxing, rather than tensing every muscle in order to get the job done - and an hour can pass quite happily. Knitting at the machine is a different kettle of fish. It rather depends on the item. Small things, like mittens, aren't too bad, but get a wider piece on there and the trouble starts. You'd think it would be good exercise - all that side to side, waist whittling movement. But no...even the 20 minutes allowed seems too long. And that's where my garden comes in.

The garden is up a flight of steps, curving among ferns, primrose and London Pride, shaded by a sycamore tree. So that's the first bit of exercise, the first change of movement. Then a short slope continuing upwards, past the mill pond and through an old gateway. And into the garden proper. A brisk walk around soon puts things in order - but then......what a time waster! How hard to get back to the machine when William Lobb beckons with seductive shades of magenta and lilac and grey?

And Cornelia and Penelope vie for attention with their distinctive perfumes? And is that little day lily open yet? And you can't help but look into the huge poppy that has just unfolded, with still crinkled skirts round the frills of it's centre.

There's been some rain - poor Smarty, drooping in the damp like little hankies hung out to dry, hiding amongst the blue campanulas. But what a sweet scent, filling the air.

And then there's the beans to check - have they been safe from the slugs? - and the necessary Japanese Knotweed patrol. Our current approach is to not let it have any leaves, but it takes diligence! The slugs seem to like to graze on it, an unexpected observation, and it means we have to have a love/hate relationship with them, forgiving the ravaging of some more favoured plants.

Where was I? Oh - the knitting. See what a distraction the garden is??

New beginnings, sorting out and catching up

2010-07-06T11:39:00.006+01:00

Well - here we are. After two years of planning and and weekend works and a winter of builders, half of the Llynfi team is now moved into Felin, Mydroilyn. Felin = mill in Welsh. Corn mill to be precise. And this is just plain 'Felin'. No qualification of Old or Upper or Lower or statement of place. Just 'Mill'. The situation is just right for us, being just on the edge of a pretty little village in a valley, 5 miles from Newquay. The Mill building still has all its machinery, and the water wheel is still attached to the side. But - it's all a long, long way from running again.

The Llynfi knit studio will eventually be contained in part of the old dairy attached to the side of the house. However, this still needs some glass in the windows, a proper floor putting down, and maybe some plaster on the walls would be nice. So in the meantime, I am working from the small parlour room. But it's so lovely to have a garden again, to wander in and see the seasons change.

Moving house is always a bit traumatic. All those boxes...and all those boxes from previous moves, stashed in the attic until a place is found for those precious belongings. Memories, attachments, things that make you who you are. Add in a studio move and lo! there's even more boxes of stuff. Projects and samples that never quite worked out. Experiments and ends of batches of yarns. Odd colours and blends. A mystery tool, some odd knitting needles. Time to be bold methinks! But then again....

2010-04-29T09:27:00.004+01:00

So. Here we are in 2010 and it's nearly a whole year since posting anything on this blog! Not that we haven't been busy - quite the contrary. And there is a Facebook page for Llynfi - Llynfi Textiles - that has photos and news on it too.

The madder experiments were really interesting and I have a beautiful range of real reds, russets, chestnut browns and pinks to draw on. Will post photos on here just as soon as there's a chance!

Meantime - last weekend was Wonderwool Wales and we exhibited with our friend Juliet Morris, who farms at Ystrad in Carmarthenshire. She produces lovely wool from her flock of white and rare black Wensleydales, and Hill Radnors. It was fun weekend and to cap it all we got awarded '2nd' rosette for our stand. Which was especially lovely as we didn't know there was any judging going on. Here it is:

Madder Project

2009-06-29T17:07:00.005+01:00

We love Madder. It has an ancient history, and the colour red itself has many associations in so many cultures. It takes time and patience to produce good reds however, and is one of the more expensive dyes.
As part of the 'Real Colour Show' exhibition that we are taking part in, in October, we are working on a Madder project. We hope to try various old recipes, cold dyeing, controlled heat, experiment with mordanting and seeing what effects, if any, our three water sources have on the colour. We are not scientists however so this is a craft experiment, with controls as good as we can make them!
Our three water sources are the tap water here in our Talgarth studio, spring water from our land 3 miles down the road, and water from our watermill in Ceredigion. The latter will be water that leaches from the mill pond and filters a short way through the ground. We know that we can get great reds from our Talgarth tap water; the soil at the mill verges on acid so that may be interesting, and I don't know what to expect from the spring water.
Heat affects madder a great deal. Above about 60 C the reds start to turn brown, so we shall try 60, 80, and 100 C, and maybe slightly above 100C. The cold dyeing will also involve time - leaving 7 skeins to soak and removing them 0ne by one at intervals.
There's a huge amount one could do, but this has to be fitted in with all the other things there are to do round here - including keeping customers happy! - so we shall confine ourselves to using our Madder extract for the most part. If there's time, we'll try using some Madder roots, too. Experimenting like this also takes up rather a large amount of material.......

Llynfi is featured seller on Coriandr

2009-06-24T12:58:00.001+01:00

We are this week's featured seller on the Coriandr blog - see the article here http://blog.coriandr.com/

Natural Dye Exytracts

2009-06-22T17:55:00.005+01:00

We have added our natural dye extracts to our Coriandr shop - see left for the link. These are very high quality dyes produced in France and are certified under Global Organic Textile standards; these are the same dyes that we use for our own Soil Association certified dyeing.

Knitting in Colour

2009-06-17T12:10:00.009+01:00

I've always loved knitting Fairisle type patterns. There's much debate over the name - probably better to describe it as stranded 2 colour knitting. The label 'Fairisle' should really only be used by Fairisle knitters, but it has come to be used as a generic term for this technique. There are many cultures around the world with traditional patterns knitted by stranding 2 colours in a row, and what we recognise as traditional Fairisle is just one.

Following my principle of using mostly undyed yarns, I've been working on some colour schemes for pullovers. In choosing the colours from our natural dyes, I aim to use those ones together that will still be defined after the colour has mellowed. This presents a challenge, as often the ideal combinations may not work in this way, and so compromises have to be made. But by using the undyed shades as a base for dying, the range is not as restricted as you may think. It just takes time to get it right when one has to go back to the dye pots!

The photo at top should, of course, be horizontal - just got to figure out why it insists on being vertical......the colours here are natural grey and brown with cochineal purple, cochineal and brazilwood pink, with a bit of oak and coreopsis for greeny colours.

The one below, faded hydrangeas, has white with oak, light cochineal on brown wool, and coreopsis for the gold.

St Fagan's Open Air Museum

2009-06-17T10:41:00.011+01:00

We decided we deserved a day out - well, an inspirational day out at least, so we could still justify it...
St Fagan's, just outside Cardiff fitted the bill perfectly: buildings of historical interest re-erected amongst trees and fields, the Castle and gardens, and indoor galleries containing all manner of items relating to past ways of life, including a costume gallery. And being part of the Museum of Wales, it's all free!

The guide book reckons that most visitors take between 2-4 hours to go around - we got there at noon and by 5pm had only seen half; we didn't make it to the Castle and gardens, or all the houses, but we did 'do' the costume gallery. Standing inside the old farmhouses, cool and dark on such a bright sunny day, was strangely calming. The simple furniture and lack of adornment makes you realise how busy our modern lives are with trivia. 400 hundred years ago, life was undoubtedly harder than now, but I can't help feeling that we have lost something along the way.
Anyway - do visit if you get the chance, and do take longer than a couple of hours to really absorb the atmosphere of the buildings. http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/stfagans/

The photos here are of some details and textures, especially the undersides of roofs. Old buildings didn't have the underfelting and insulation that we have today of course, and it's really interesting to be able to see the construction.

layers of stone in a wall

Wattle on a barn

Underside of thatched roof

contrasts against the blue sky

Flowery hedges

2009-05-20T17:47:00.004+01:00

All the recent rain has at least resulted in lots of green everywhere. I took the dog for a wander round the lanes yesterday, in between the showers, and could have stood and stared at this hedgebank all afternoon. This particular hedgerow is managed for conservation and it's so beautiful at this time of year. There's Sweet Woodruff, Bluebells, Red Campion, Yellow Archangel, Cow Parsley, Ferns, Dandelions, Wild Strawberries, Avens, Buttercups, Stitchwort and more, with Foxgloves and Meadowsweet to follow. Earlier there was Broomrape and Primroses, and carpets of lesser celandine to brighten the gloom.
At the Garden Show at the weekend I bought some more lovely plants for my garden, including pink cowparsley - can't wait for that to fill some spaces!

See our 'shop' on Coriandr (yes - coriandr with no 'e'

2009-05-20T17:32:00.004+01:00

We've discovered a British alternative to 'Etsy' for selling handmade lovelies and should have our things for sale - in UK pounds! - by the weekend. Marvellous! There will be a link through to the shop on the Wardrobe page, so keep your eyes open......

Spring Already!

2009-04-22T09:18:00.003+01:00

I can't believe how quickly the time goes - I think it's a feature of growing older.
December disappeared as usual in a rush of orders for Christmas, not to mention our own family preparations; January is a month for reflection and planning, and February onwards has been busy producing stock for shows and shops, coming up with new designs and planning for an exhibition in the Autumn.

Some shows we will be at:
16th - 17th May: (Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, Powys). Green Horizons - an event at the Smallholder Show showcasing sustainability. http://www.rwas.co.uk/en/garden-festival/

21st - 31st May: Look out for a collection of our clothing at 'The Great English Outdoors' in Hay during the Hay Festival. www.greatenglish.co.uk/

30th August: Ludlow Green Fair www.ludlow21.org.uk

14th - 15th November: Weald and Downland Museum Christmas Fair, Singleton, West Sussex www.wealddown.co.uk/

(1st weekend in December, tbc) Castle Green Christmas Fair, Hereford

The exhibition in October is 'The Real Colour Show' at the Minerva Arts Centre, Llanidloes, Powys. It is being masterminded by Jim and Di Gaffney of Textile Techniques and will be all about colour from natural dyes, including talks, demonstrations and workshops. www.textiletechniques.co.uk/shows.asp

In the Woods

2008-11-28T10:56:00.015Z

No apologies for some more about our woods! Walking in our local woods, or on the hillsides, has to be one of the great privileges of living in such a beautiful area of Britain as this is. And being able to do so without having to get in a car to get there just adds to the experience.

The way the woods are managed for wildlife means that there is always uncleared timber and wild areas; decaying stumps covered in mosses and lichens; ferns and fungi pushing up among the old leaves.

The little river at Pwll y Wrach makes a constantly damp environment, keeping the woods lush and overgrown, in contrast to Park Wood on the other side of the hill. Park Wood is drier and crisp to walk through in the Autumn when all the leaves have fallen.

To Dye or Not to Dye

2008-11-27T10:19:00.005Z

I work with organic wool. It is produced with minimal environmental impact and many must think that to add another process, such as dyeing, can only be detrimental. We have become very used to having colour applied to anything and everything, in whatever shade or tone we care to dictate. We want it to last forever even though we may discard the item immediately. Our textiles mustn't fade, but we change our interiors and wardrobes at will and send unwanted items to landfill.

I am not a chemist; I am a craft dyer, hopefully in the full sense of the word. These are my thoughts and ponderings from that perspective and I do not claim to have a full working knowledge of all the dyeing processes. But I am fascinated by the stories of colour and its development and use by the human race. As I look around this room, everything - from paper to ceramics, chairs, plastic, walls, everything - is coloured artificially.

In history, colour was precious. The best, fastest and brightest were the preserve of the Church and the rich. It wasn't all good news with these colours - arsenic, lead and mercury were just some of the natural ingredients used, with inevitable consequences for the dyers and sometimes the customer.

Humans love to be awash with colour. A walk down any High Street will show that. But do we really see it in such a cacophony? Many years ago I spent a couple of months in Romania, before the overthrow of the Communist government. The first thing to strike me on our return to Heathrow was the colourfulness - adverts, signage, clothing, cars - everything. It shouted! And it was quite overwhelming. It took me very much by surprise as I really hadn't noticed any lack of colour during our stay in a rural Romanian town.

But to get that amount of colour into everything we use demands additional and, quite often, toxic processes. Apparently, European dye manufacturers are having to move their production from Europe to countries where Health and Safety and environmental regulation isn't so expensive to apply - maybe because it is not so strict? It can be extremely difficult for the average consumer to find out what goes into the production of their textiles - but do many actually care enough? Have we ever thought about it enough?

Low impact, water based synthetic dyes are now available. Easy to apply and they leave the dye-vat exhausted (the fibre takes up all the colour). But still derived from oil? Do they still need to be tested on animals?

We decided to use plant based dyes. We enjoy the challenge of working with them, developing the skills, and the links with the past as much as the colours we obtain. But they need a mordant - a metal salt - to affix the colour to fibre. Organic standards allow Alum and a small percent of iron. And what about the land taken up by growing crops for dyeing? Shouldn't it be used for food? The demands on land now are for fuel crops and fibre producing plants too; dye plants are just one more. But the waste from the plants can be composted. And some plants grow on land unsuitable for food. The colours may not be quite as fast as synthetic dyes but they do not disappear at the first hint of a wash or a sunbeam. And they always attract attention for their subtlety, their gentleness and depth.

There is a place for both types of dye according to the end use of the product it is applied to. Maybe what we should be doing is minimising our use of colour, using small touches with all the undyed and natural shades wherever possible.

As far as textiles go - I aim to do just that. Wool and other protein (animal) fibres are available in many natural shades from white and cream through to almost black. Small details in dyed colours, carefully placed, can really shine out. I heard of someone who decorated her house very plainly but lit it by occasional brightly coloured textiles and painting, causing them to have a maximum impact.

Colour is special. Good colour is expensive and precious.

Not the Blues

2008-11-26T22:58:00.005Z

I'm sometimes asked if I have any blue wool - not often, people don't seem to notice, or they don't say. A friend of mine breeds Wensleydale sheep and I dye the yarn for her; she is a 'blue' person so I set up an indigo vat to explain. The photo below is the surface of the fermentation vat, which I think is so pretty - much prettier than the blue wool!

Anyway, by using indigo (or woad) you get a completely different set of colours to the other mordant dyes. And they just don't go together - well, I don't think so, and my friend agreed. Overdye using indigo on weld for greens for example, and you get emeralds and spring grass colours - quite bright - instead of olives and bronzy greens. So she is going to have to learn to do her own blues! And as I am not a 'blue' person, it was easy to make a decision not to include the blues. Some of the greys you can obtain have a bue-ish tint, especially when next to certain other colours.

All the other colours seem to reflect the environment we live in - obvious really I suppose!

Hay on Wye is twinned withTimbuktu and earlier this year some Mali - an leaders were in town and they were just so stunning in their Indigo robes and white headress with such dark skin - amazing!

That's where indigo belongs.

Pwll y Wrach

2008-10-09T14:56:00.007+01:00

Pwll y Wrach - Witches Pool - is a wooded nature reserve on the edge of Talgarth at the foot of the Black Mountains; and it's in walking distance. It is a tree lined valley with a little river at the bottom and a voluminous waterfall higher up the river, falling into the Witches Pool. In the spring there are carpets of anemones and ransomes, bluebells and sweet woodruff, and of course, all those amazing ferns. It's always green and cool and shady and damp in summer, and changing leaves and intriguing fungi in autumn. There are high rocky outcrops and fallen trees, left for the wildlife.
It has struck me though, that its very easy to miss the detail. The countryside can be quite monotone - varying shades of greens or browns, but punctuated by bright glimpses and short-lived sweeps of contrast. In the spring I started to think there may be an idea to explore here. Historically, colours were far more valued than now and carefully used. Using colours, especially the more precious ones such as Madder, in small quantities with undyed yarns may even make them stand out more........And the textures are there - in barks and plantlife, and rocks and stone - but easily overlooked

Violets are typical examples of overlooked detail - their tiny short stemmed flowers hidden among the dead leaves in spring.

Design Wales Trends Seminar - and a Dilemma

2008-10-09T14:39:00.001+01:00

Today I went to the Trend Seminar put on by Design Wales for anyone involved in design in Wales. This was in Cardiff, they also hold similar ones in the north of Wales. It's a free event so nothing to lose by going, and a free lunch into the bargain. www.designwales.org

The first presentation was by Design Wales about intellectual property in design (copyright, trade marks etc) and was really interesting. Some things I was aware of, others not, and the whole issue seems a potential minefield. It was suggested that one keeps all research and design work relating to a project for example, not just the finished design, as proof if a conflict arises. (Will have to dig some bits of paper back out the rubbish then!) www.ipo.gov.uk has loads of info.

The second item was an overview of 2009/10 trends by the CEO of a company called Mudpie Ltd. (they have a website but you have to subscribe to it to get any information) I hadn't been to anything like this before and was Totally Unprepared for my reactions! As she was running through the trends and pages and photos of the categories, I started to feel quite overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all and the marketing language of getting the consumer to buy, buy, buy. The pictures of young children on catwalks, beautifully dressed in miniature fashions, had me feeling rather uneasy. The idea of fashion changing in shops every 6 weeks and the waste that must generate, the total reliance on the consumer consuming......Have I been spending too much time in my rural idyll? I had a real conflict as we were discussing the day on the way home (I went with my daughter Emily, who is trying to make her way designing and making clothing in hemp and locally woven wool and such like). Are we not part of this world too, wanting people to buy what we do? Is this something I want to be part of? I'd expected to come away with ideas and inspiration and feeling like I may have a direction, not considering dropping the whole idea and hiding in the hills.

At lunch time the Soil Association representative, Lee Holdstock, had arrived as he was doing the first afternoon presentation on what constitutes organic textiles. Lee had been my main contact when I was considering certification and helped get the dyes approved, so it was encouraging to be able to have a chat to him. His presentation was based on cotton production, using the Aral Sea destruction as an illustration. I read about this area a number of years ago - it was one of the first things to get me thinking about textiles and how we produce and use them. He also said how the market sector for organic textiles was growing - up from 1/2% to 1% - so here we are, a many times micro set-up in a micro sector! No wonder it's so uphill!

At shows we have people coming to talk to us about their travels in far flung places - Nepal, Tibet, India, Africa, - and the textile crafts people they have met. Last Sunday a man shared some of his experiences in health and safety teaching in India, where he had seen people die in Indigo vats. But he had also met Bedouin tribesmen who refused to use synthetic indigo as it was too fast; natural indigo would rub off onto their skin, so their garments became a part of them. I wonder sometimes, have we lost something in our quests for more and cheaper, and the consistent perfection of colour and fibre and weave and twist?

Anyway - enough of all that! I'll try to get some more photos uploaded, maybe even some of my bunnies.