dyeing – KDD & Co

Chevreul’s simultaneous contrast

The innovative yarn dyer who changed the world of colour

Mood Indigo

By: Kate Davies Designs August 26, 2019September 13, 2019

color, colour, History, textile history, textilescolor, colour, dye, dyeing, History, indigo, natural dyeing, textile history32 Comments

(top illustration: William Simpson, An Indigo Factory in Bengal (1863) I am currently completing a design project using yarn that has been dyed with natural indigo by my friends at Shilasdair. As I’ve knitted, I’ve often found myself thinking about the links between Scotland and natural indigo dye. Indigo isn’t, of course, a Scottish plant…

Making Milarrochy Tweed

We are all busy here behind the scenes – putting the finishing touches to the pattern collection that will be released as part of our forthcoming club, and awaiting the arrival of our new and much-anticipated yarn – Milarrochy Tweed. Milarrochy Tweed is produced for us by our friends at Donegal Yarns – a company…

Seven Scottish Shades

Its time to tell you about my yarn colours! I’ve created seven new shades for Buachaille, and all have been inspired by different aspects of the landscape in which I live and love to walk: its flora, its fauna, and of course its weather. Here’s what inspired Buchaille’s seven Scottish shades! 1. Highland Coo These…

jazz hands!

By: Kate Davies Designs January 15, 2015January 15, 2015

colour, design, yarncolour, colourwork, Debbie Orr, design, dyeing, exmoor blueface, Jazz Hands, Kate Davies, knitting, mittens, Skein Queen, yarn28 Comments

We have had quite a bit of weather here recently – mittens are definitely required! So I whipped up a pair. You may recall, in the comments on this post, Trish suggested that a pair of mittens in the Epistrophy pattern would suit the name Jazz Hands. Well, Trish, your wish is my command. Here…

Two days in Donegal

I am designing a few things at the moment with a yarn that is new to me. I really like this yarn – and surely the best way to find out some more about it was to visit the place where it is made? So, on Friday, Mel and I took a trip to Donegal.…

shade

Continuing the colour-related theme, here is a tank I made quite a while ago, as a sort of exercise in shading. At Woolfest last year, I bought four colours of some lovely Artisan Threads BFL. One was a soft rose, and the other three were slightly different shades of green/grey. As you can see, the…

at lilith’s

By: Kate Davies Designs May 31, 2009May 31, 2009

craft, Scotland, textiles, yarncraft, dye, dyeing, dyes, handcrafts, Old Maiden Aunt, Old Maiden Aunt Yarns, Scotland, West Kilbride, yarn15 Comments

Yesterday Mel and I had the pleasure of taking a dyeing workshop with Lilith of Old Maiden Aunt Yarns. Lilith’s studio is in West Kilbride, also known as Craft Town Scotland, because of its fantastic local initiative to house and support talented craftspeople in the town’s once-empty shops. Lilith’s studio is one of several great…