THE SECRET GARDEN, 20 MINUTES SOUTH OF NORWICH

SATURDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 10AM -4PM

Before the advent of chemical dyes, all colour came from natural sources. Today natural dyes are enjoying a renaissance as people rediscover how to create these vibrant shades in a sustainable way.   In this exclusive one day workshop I will share my knowledge and skills with you and show you how to use safe, non toxic materials and methods to get beautiful colour from plant sources, many of which can be found growing locally.

We will work with fabrics and yarn to create a collection of beautiful colours to use in your future textiles projects.

Workshop fee £105* includes all materials, refreshments and a delicious lunch made from local ingredients.

The workshop will be held outdoors with large undercover alternative spaces (to allow safe social distancing) available in case of inclement weather.

Limited places available for this special day.

*I will be donating a percentage of my workshop fee to help some of my artisan friends in Morocco who are unable to work due to Covid19 pandemic.

Living colour from natural sources. Inspired by a ‘slow’ ethos that celebrates artisan skill and local provenance.

I have been working closely with local designer Gianna Bertelli Knowles, developing a range of plant dyed yarns for use with her Knorfolknots knitting patterns. Many of the designs use 100g skeins of my 4 ply Blue Faced Leicester yarns and we have also introduced the very popular 50g skeins for some of her new creations. The 20g skeins are ideal for colour work and stitch projects.

Colour stories inspired by the city, coast and countryside of Norfolk. A collection of British wool yarns dyed with historic dyes like madder, weld and woad - some grown locally in Norfolk - and exotic colour from foreign shores. Hand painted art yarns add vibrant contrasts.

You can find the patterns and the full range of Colour Stories™ yarns at Knorfolknots

We are also at the Holt Outdoor Makers Market every Sunday in August and at Fresh Artisan & Makers Market at The Shoe Factory Social Club on Bank Holiday Monday August 31.

I spent most of last week in the gorgeous sunshine with my dyepots creating a range of new summer shades from plant dyes in my ‘stash’

Among the precious cargo in my battered tin trunk (aka my dye safe!) was a bag of turmeric I had brought back from Morocco, freshly ground by Abderrahim in his tiny spice shop in the medina of Essaouira, the smell and colour transported me back to happy times and I mixed up a batch to dye some 4 ply Blue Faced Leicester (grab some while it’s still here)

I love the idea of ‘cooking with colour’ and apply my zero-waste ethos to the kitchen as well when preparing food. I have been reading Retreat - The Joy of Conscious Eating by Daniel Jardim, a South African chef and food writer and came across his recipe for Parsnip Marmelade. This inspired my interpretation of a ‘sunshine chutney’ using a few straggly looking veg left in the drawer of the fridge (HALF A PARSNIP, HALF A SWEDE AND HALF A SWEET POTATO WITH A THUMB OF GINGER) that needed to be used up before my next visit to my local greengrocers. So here is the recipe, slightly adapted from the original.

ZERO-WASTE SUNSHINE CHUTNEY

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil then add:
1 Tblsp pickling spice mix (coriander seeds, mustard seeds, crushed red chillies, ginger, bay leaves, allspice, black peppercorns, cassia )
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 star anise

Stir on medium heat until spices begin to brown then add:
1 cup of grated sweet potato
1/2 cup of grated parsnip
1/2 cup of grated swede
finely sliced rind of 1 orange (save juice for later)
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

stir for one minute
combine juice of 1 orange with water to make up to 1 cup of liquid and add to mixture with:
30ml apple cider vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

SImmer uncovered for 40 minutes until thick and glossy

Pour into pre-sterilised jars and enjoy with your next curry or some cheese and crackers!

Enjoy!