When the Rain Returned, So Did the Colour

After nearly four weeks without a drop, our rain barrels are full again—and the dye pots are humming.

Jeanne and Tristan oxidizing indigo dyed European Linen

It’s always humbling how much the rhythm of this studio depends on weather. At AppleOak, we rely on rainwater for all our dyeing, and this past month was a reminder that natural practice often means patient practice. But now, with indigo back in flow and weld and more blooming in the garden, we’ve been able to return to one of our favourite projects: dyeing textiles using nothing, but what we grow here.

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No airmiles. No imported dyes. Just deep colour, born of the land.

This year, we are aiming for a collection of just local colour. All the colour for our sock and yarn collections this autumn will be locally grown, as part of our commitment to low-impact, soil-to-studio practice. It’s ambitious—but it feels right and it will be extremely interesting to see what we can work out. Especially when you see the depth of colour that’s possible using our own indigo, weld, madder (though not for another couple of years) and more. 

Persicaria plants in the nursery

If you’re nearby, we’re open to the public on Wednesdays this month, and we’ll have dye plants available for sale for the next two Wednesdays. Whether you're building your own garden palette or just curious, you're warmly invited to stop by. >>Directions

INDIGO MONTH OF BLUE SCHEDULE

And if you’re learning from afar, we’re also deeply involved with the Natural Dyers & Growers Academy this month—sharing what we know inside the Indigo Month of Blue live sessions and welcoming new learners through Malú Colorín’s joyful, family-friendly course.

Finding Joy in botanical Colours ~ Course talk by Malú at the Natural Dyers & Growers Academy

Here’s to working with the weather, growing what we use, and creating colour that starts in the soil. ~ Jennifer