Solar Dyeing – How to Get Started
Simple Tips for Beautiful Natural Colours Solar dyeing is one of the easiest and most relaxing ways to discover the magic of natural dyes. With just a glass jar, sunshine and a few carefully chosen … read more ›
Author: Caroline Bawn
Studio Visit Day & Natural Dye Experience
Discover the Colours of Nature when you visit Cornwall Welcome to my working studio and explore the fascinating world of natural dyes. This relaxed and inspiring experience offers a behind-the-scenes look at how I create … read more ›
Yarn Shows in 2026
I am only doing 4 yarn shows in 2026 and then I’m ‘retiring’ from doing the big shows. I find it exhausting to drive much further than Bristol, then set up a big stand, exhibit … read more ›
The Yutori Kimono
I am a member of the online guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and in August I completed my Certificate of Achievement in natural Dyeing with Distinction from the guild. The certificate of achievement is … read more ›
Slow Fashion Through Stitches; Reviving your wardrobe with wool.
What is Slow Fashion? In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, the idea of slow fashion offers a refreshing alternative. Slow fashion and yarn craft go hand in hand. For knitters and crocheters, … read more ›
The Art of Colour
Colour with confidence – blending, contrasting and using colour in your knit and crochet projects Introduction to Colour Colour is more than just visual – it’s emotional, symbolic and deeply personal. When you’re choosing yarn … read more ›
What’s Superwash yarn?
I have recently been thinking about superwash and whether it’s an environmentally safe treatment for yarn. I contacted my main yarn supplier and asked the question, and this is what they told me…. “Superwash is … read more ›
Caring for your hand knits- how to rinse wool items.
How to Rinse Wool Items Properly. Wool is a luxurious, versatile fabric known for its warmth and moisture-wicking properties. However, Caring for wool requires specific care, especially when it comes to rinsing. Whether you’ve just … read more ›
Natural Dyes – Creating the dye colours
Once you have prepared your yarns, fibre or fabric, you need to prepare the natural dye colours themselves. There are lots of really good books available which explain the techniques in more detail than I … read more ›
Natural Dyes – Preparing to Dye
Introduction to Natural Dyes I enjoy learning about and using natural dyes to dye yarn, and latterly, wool and silk fabrics. There are many natural dye books available which give you techniques and methods to … read more ›
The Dye Garden in March
In the dye garden this month, not much is happening that you can see, but lots is happening underground! Planting I have planted a variety of seeds including dyer’s chamomile, calendula, woad, weld and coreopsis. … read more ›
January in the Dye Garden
January in the dye garden has been a quiet month. The weather has been really cold and frosty so far after weeks of endless rain. The ground is saturated and now frozen. I haven’t had … read more ›
January Stash busting!
January detox If you are like me, you will have a stash of yarns from years of careful collecting and curating; Yarns from shows that you couldn’t resist, from the mill you visited, from your … read more ›
Why British Wool Matters
Photo by Martin Schmidli Its British Wool month in October and I thought I’d give a personal view of why wool matters. Have a look at this You Tube video too…. In 2018 there were … read more ›
Alpacas in Cornwall
Alpacas, tell me more! Last month I paid a visit to Sandra on her small holding near Praze-and-Beeble, just up the road from me in Helston. Sandra runs https://www.alpacasofcornwall.co.uk/ and has a small herd of … read more ›
Cochineal – an interesting source of red
What is Cochineal? Cochineal is a fascinating natural dye stuff. It is believed to have been discovered for world wide use by Conquistador Hernan Cortes on his exploration of southern America in the early 1500s … read more ›