Black Beans or Black Turtle Beans ~ known generally to the cooking world, this bean makes a wonderful food dye. Not necessarily very colourfast, it matures into a beautiful ceramic colour - silver grey with a touch of blue. Because you are only using the soaking water, you can use the beans for cooking afterwards, making it a very 'no waste' food dye.

NOTE: Ph sensitive, not wash and light fast

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Basic Recipe:

100% Dried Black Beans

100g Cream of Tartar

Fibre/Fabric

After you have soaked the beans in cold water overnight - remember we want the soaking liquid so don't drain it away!

Fill a big pot with fresh water
Stir the beans to extract as much colour as possible. 
Take a sieve and drain the liquid into the pot.
Put the beans back into the pot and fill with water again, stir than drain into pot.
add 100g of Cream of tartar to the dyebath.
add the table cloth bring to 80 degrees for 1 hour. 
Leave overnight or 12 hours.

Rinse and dry.

EUROPEAN MERINO WOOL ~ Small farm production, Europe only productions, dyed to high oekotext standards in Switzerland.

This European Merino Wool 27 micron wool roving is available in 60 trendy colours including 10 trendy mixed colours.This wool is dyed with synthetic dye from Switzerland according to the standards of Oeko-Tex 100 and EU Ecolabel for textile products.

Responsibly Produced

This soft wool is produced in Europe, closer to home than your regular merino wool! The wool is produced on small farms in Europe and is mulesing free. 

Perfect for Felting, Spinning and Knitting

This European Merino Wool roving is a soft, voluminous and affordable all-round wool. It is great for wet felting as well as for needle felting, spinning and of course for XXL chunky knitting. All fibers align in the same direction and the roving has a regular thickness, making it an easy wool to knit with.

How long is this roving?

Wool is usually sold per weight. But sometimes you want to know how long the wool roving is. We have calculated the roving length of the different packages below:

• 50 grams = approx. 2 meters
• 250 grams = about 10 meters
• 1 kilo = about 40 meters
• Bump of 4.5 kilos = approx. 180 meters

Please note that this is an approximation. The length can vary per type of wool, per colour or per production. And the harder you pull, the longer the roving becomes.

Would you want to make sure you get the wool roving in one piece?

We try our best to deliver the roving in one piece. But please count in that even when we try our best we don’t always succeed. Sometimes we have no choice but to deliver the desired quantity in two or more pieces.

COTTLECOT ~ 100% Cotton, vegan friendly

Cottlecot is our newest addition to our plant fibre yarn range. It was hard to find a plant based yarn that is pleasant to knit with. After much back and forth, we settled on this one. Though we could have gone for a cheaper cotton or an organic cotton, at this time, Cottlecot was the best. Why? It is soft and doesn't split while knitting. It will not hurt your fingers, something I have been recently told, is very often the case with cotton yarns. It is a fantastic yarn for the classroom, beginners and perfect for crochet.

The yarn is produced in South America and spun into a 3ply yarn in Italy. 

Vegan friendly: Naturally dye includes insect based dyes, which is not something every vegan conscience person is aware of. We make a point of keeping our Cottlecot yarn range vegan friendly and only using plant dyes, organic and/or homegrown whenever possible.

Natural Dyes: Cottlecot isn't an easy yarn to dye naturally, especially evenly. Due to the thick and 3 ply nature of the yarn, the natural dye finds it hard to penetrate through to the core. Therefore, most of the coloured yarn will fall into the category of semi solid.

Patterns: Criostal Cardigan by Knitwear designer Albina McLaughlin 

In a nutshell:

Fibre: 100% Cotton
Yardage/Meterage: 182yrds/167m
Weight: suggested Aran knitting weight ~ 100g
Origin: Grown in South America
Spun in Italy
Needle size: 3-5mm

Suggested handwash or up to 60C degrees in gentle cycle.

Another well seasoned indigo dyed oversized linen (280cm). Dyed last year with organic indigo for a project, but in the end it wasn't dark enough for the designer's requirements. The fabric is a light to medium linen and has a smooth slightly textured feel to it. Dyed over 2 weeks, the indigo colour is deep and varies from lighter to darker areas. It looks almost blue black in a darker indoor setting. Outside in the sun it shows its depth and complexity like a blue diamond. Original in every way.

This Linen is suitable for:

Clothing:
Clothing, skirts, dresses, Blouses, Shirts, trousers, hats

Homeware and Crafts:
Bedding, Patchwork, Quilting, home accessories and embroidery.

In a nutshell:

Material: 100% Italian Linen
Width approx.: 280cm
Colour: Indigo blue - naturally dyed in Ireland
Weight: 116g/m2
Wash: it can be washed like other linen up to 60 degrees. No dry cleaning.

Environment:
Linen can be expensive, but it is also much better for the environment. Flax plants are very resilient, they can grow in poor soil, and require very little water. What’s more, every single part of the flax plant is then used in making all types of products, from linen clothing to varnishes.

Health:
Similar to silk, 100% linen is wonderful for people with sensitive skin and those prone to allergic reactions like "prickly heat" in hot weather. For women who suffer from "hot flushes", 100% linen is the most comfortable answer in warm environments.

Care:
Linen can't and shouldn't be ironed. The creasing is part of the natural allure. The creasing also molds the garment, and in practice the more creasing there is, the less evident it becomes as the whole garment softens.
Linen loves being washed and dries much quicker than Cotton. The more it is worn and washed the softer the fabric becomes. It also lasts much longer than cotton, as it is harder wearing and a much stronger material.

EUROPEAN MERINO WOOL ~ Small farm production, Europe only productions, dyed to high oekotext standards in Switzerland.

This European Merino Wool 27 micron wool roving is available in 60 trendy colours including 10 trendy mixed colours.This wool is dyed with synthetic dye from Switzerland according to the standards of Oeko-Tex 100 and EU Ecolabel for textile products.

Responsibly Produced

This soft wool is produced in Europe, closer to home than your regular merino wool! The wool is produced on small farms in Europe and is mulesing free. 

Perfect for Felting, Spinning and Knitting

This European Merino Wool roving is a soft, voluminous and affordable all-round wool. It is great for wet felting as well as for needle felting, spinning and of course for XXL chunky knitting. All fibers align in the same direction and the roving has a regular thickness, making it an easy wool to knit with.

 How long is this roving?

Wool is usually sold per weight. But sometimes you want to know how long the wool roving is. We have calculated the roving length of the different packages below:

• 50 grams = approx. 2 meters
• 250 grams = about 10 meters
• 1 kilo = about 40 meters
• Bump of 4.5 kilos = approx. 180 meters

Please note that this is an approximation. The length can vary per type of wool, per colour or per production. And the harder you pull, the longer the roving becomes.

Would you want to make sure you get the wool roving in one piece?

We try our best to deliver the roving in one piece. But please count in that even when we try our best we don’t always succeed. Sometimes we have no choice but to deliver the desired quantity in two or more pieces.

EUROPEAN MERINO WOOL ~ Small farm production, Europe only productions, dyed to high oekotext standards in Switzerland.

This European Merino Wool 27 micron wool roving is available in 60 trendy colours including 10 trendy mixed colours.This wool is dyed with synthetic dye from Switzerland according to the standards of Oeko-Tex 100 and EU Ecolabel for textile products.

Responsibly Produced

This soft wool is produced in Europe, closer to home than your regular merino wool! The wool is produced on small farms in Europe and is mulesing free. 

Perfect for Felting, Spinning and Knitting

This European Merino Wool roving is a soft, voluminous and affordable all-round wool. It is great for wet felting as well as for needle felting, spinning and of course for XXL chunky knitting. All fibers align in the same direction and the roving has a regular thickness, making it an easy wool to knit with.

 How long is this roving?

Wool is usually sold per weight. But sometimes you want to know how long the wool roving is. We have calculated the roving length of the different packages below:

• 50 grams = approx. 2 meters
• 250 grams = about 10 meters
• 1 kilo = about 40 meters
• Bump of 4.5 kilos = approx. 180 meters

Please note that this is an approximation. The length can vary per type of wool, per colour or per production. And the harder you pull, the longer the roving becomes.

Would you want to make sure you get the wool roving in one piece?

We try our best to deliver the roving in one piece. But please count in that even when we try our best we don’t always succeed. Sometimes we have no choice but to deliver the desired quantity in two or more pieces.

A stunningly soft wool fleece, extremely soft yet thick and well wearing. it is not as thick and fluffy as our organic merino Wool fleece, but it makes a good cheaper alternative.

Wool Fleece is suitable for:

High quality Italian fabric, this lovely organic wool fabric is perfect for the colder months of the year. Beautifully warm, like any felted wool fabric, the cut edges don't fray, no seams necessary.

Warm, but breathable, this would make a lovely cardigan, dress, waist coat, cape, jumper, skirt, coat, jacket, poncho, shawl, leg or hand warmers, children's clothing and even cushion covers or blankets. Also sleeping bags for babies or hot water bottle covers can be made from this fabric.

Endless opportunities and even off cuts can be used for decorations.

~ Please allow 7-10 days for fabric orders fulfillment in case we don't have enough in stock, due to limited storage space. We will get in touch, should that be the case. ~ 

Material:
80% organic wool 20% organic cotton
Width: 150cm/59.05inches
Weight: 260g/sqm 
fibre dyed

Produced in Italy

Care: Brush or air out during the night, if needed wash by hand using an organic wool laundry detergent.

Please get in touch for different or bigger quantities!

Let’s celebrate the humble nettle! Doolin can also be used for all softwool patterns.

Doolin is made from 80%wool and 20% Ramie and the bigger brother of our 4ply Turin, made from a similar blend but including Silk as well. Ramie is a bast fibre, made from the inner phloem of the nettle. Ramie not only gives the yarn a gentle sheen, but also provides strength and stability needed for the heel and toe areas making it a great alternative to nylon rich yarns. Ramie doesn’t absorb dye the same way as wool does, giving this yarn a unique two-toned mottled effect.

Doolin and Turin are 'all rounder' yarns suitable for any project you set your mind too.

Like with all hand knitted items, a gentle handwash is best, however, this yarn has been washing machine tested by us and can be wool washed if preferred.

We also have some stunning patterns available for this yarn in our pattern section, designed by LBhandknits for AppleOak FibreWorks. 

Patterns shown: 
Ascophylia hat pattern
Sleeping in the Garden sock pattern
Rochelle Sock pattern

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
80% wool & 20% Ramie
weight Sport
100gr/ 3.5oz
300m/ 328yards
2-3mm needles
Dyed in Ireland naturally using fresh organic Woad plants.
Origins: Wool USA, Ramie China, spun in the Czech Republic

Let’s celebrate the humble nettle! Doolin can also be used for all softwool patterns.

Doolin is made from 80%wool and 20% Ramie and the bigger brother of our 4ply Turin, made from a similar blend but including Silk as well. Ramie is a bast fibre, made from the inner phloem of the nettle. Ramie not only gives the yarn a gentle sheen, but also provides strength and stability needed for the heel and toe areas making it a great alternative to nylon rich yarns. Ramie doesn’t absorb dye the same way as wool does, giving this yarn a unique two-toned mottled effect.

Doolin and Turin are 'all rounder' yarns suitable for any project you set your mind too.

Like with all hand knitted items, a gentle handwash is best, however, this yarn has been washing machine tested by us and can be wool washed if preferred.

We also have some stunning patterns available for this yarn in our pattern section, designed by LBhandknits for AppleOak FibreWorks. 

Patterns shown: 
Ascophylia hat pattern
Sleeping in the Garden sock pattern
Rochelle Sock pattern

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
80% wool & 20% Ramie
weight Sport
100gr/ 3.5oz
300m/ 328yards
2-3mm needles
Dyed in Ireland naturally using fresh organic Woad plants.
Origins: Wool USA, Ramie China, spun in the Czech Republic

Let’s celebrate the humble nettle! Doolin can also be used for all softwool patterns.

Doolin is made from 80%wool and 20% Ramie and the bigger brother of our 4ply Turin, made from a similar blend but including Silk as well. Ramie is a bast fibre, made from the inner phloem of the nettle. Ramie not only gives the yarn a gentle sheen, but also provides strength and stability needed for the heel and toe areas making it a great alternative to nylon rich yarns. Ramie doesn’t absorb dye the same way as wool does, giving this yarn a unique two-toned mottled effect.

Doolin and Turin are 'all rounder' yarns suitable for any project you set your mind too.

Like with all hand knitted items, a gentle handwash is best, however, this yarn has been washing machine tested by us and can be wool washed if preferred.

We also have some stunning patterns available for this yarn in our pattern section, designed by LBhandknits for AppleOak FibreWorks. 

Patterns shown: 
Ascophylia hat pattern
Sleeping in the Garden sock pattern
Rochelle Sock pattern

In a nutshell for 1 skein:
80% wool & 20% Ramie
weight Sport
100gr/ 3.5oz
300m/ 328yards
2-3mm needles
Dyed in Ireland naturally using fresh organic Woad plants.
Origins: Wool USA, Ramie China, spun in the Czech Republic

Dyer's Broom cut

Traditionally used for dyeing yellow and green. The green will be more on the tan side.

Basic recipe:

100% Broom
10% Alum
3% Iron as green option

Mordant as required, extract broom in 85C degrees Celsius for 1h. Remove dye, switch off pot and add your item and leave overnight. Treat with iron as an after mordant. Rinse, wash.

Colour fastness: medium

EUROPEAN MERINO WOOL ~ Small farm production, Europe only productions, dyed to high oekotext standards in Switzerland.

This European Merino Wool 27 micron wool roving is available in 60 trendy colours including 10 trendy mixed colours.This wool is dyed with synthetic dye from Switzerland according to the standards of Oeko-Tex 100 and EU Ecolabel for textile products.

Responsibly Produced

This soft wool is produced in Europe, closer to home than your regular merino wool! The wool is produced on small farms in Europe and is mulesing free. 

Perfect for Felting, Spinning and Knitting

This European Merino Wool roving is a soft, voluminous and affordable all-round wool. It is great for wet felting as well as for needle felting, spinning and of course for XXL chunky knitting. All fibers align in the same direction and the roving has a regular thickness, making it an easy wool to knit with.

How long is this roving?

Wool is usually sold per weight. But sometimes you want to know how long the wool roving is. We have calculated the roving length of the different packages below:

• 50 grams = approx. 2 meters
• 250 grams = about 10 meters
• 1 kilo = about 40 meters
• Bump of 4.5 kilos = approx. 180 meters

Please note that this is an approximation. The length can vary per type of wool, per colour or per production. And the harder you pull, the longer the roving becomes.

Would you want to make sure you get the wool roving in one piece?

We try our best to deliver the roving in one piece. But please count in that even when we try our best we don’t always succeed. Sometimes we have no choice but to deliver the desired quantity in two or more pieces.

LOGWOOD ~ Available Cut or ground and as extract* 

(Bois de Campeche, Campeachy Wood) 

*Collected in the Wild (foraged) in Haiti

Logwood is a natural dye wood from Central America, used for producing blues and purples on wool, black on cotton and wool, and black and violet on silk.  

Logwood is PH sensitive.  

It is called by old dyers one of the Lesser Dyes because the colour was said to lose all its brightness when exposed to the air.

 Colourfastness: poor

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Basic Recipe: 

65g bark, soaked in water for 2 days.

100g mordanted yarn/fibre (Alum 10g)

Bring pot with dye to simmer For 2h.

Strain through cloth, add yarn/fibre and dye bag to dye bath for 1h.

Rinse.

The logwood chips should be put in a bag and boiled for 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour, just before using or soak overnight, bring to the boil in the morning for 1h, strain and bind into bag.

* When using extract you only need to use 5-10% of the weight of your dry fabric. Logwood is one of the more excessive dyes - a little goes a long way - especially when using extract.

The Magic of Maya Blue ~ a turquoise pigment made from indigo and praised for its resistance to aging. First discovered and extensively used by the pre-Columbian Mayan and Aztec People the recipe and even the knowledge of this fantastic brilliant turquoise colour was lost for many centuries. When the colour was re discovered on archaeological digs, the puzzling question on how to create this pigment was finally solved by Michel Garcia, who created a recipe that could be made in the studio.

Maya Blue ~ made with organic Indigo, is a turquoise blue pigment that can be used for printing and painting on paper or fabric. It is not suitable for dyeing. Mayan Blue pigment is extremely light and age resistant and therefore suitable for paintings and wall hangings.

Mixed with a binder it can be applied to fabrics, canvas or strong paper.

How to?

First make your own Soya Milk

(much richer in enzymes than store bought)

25g dry soya beans

500ml water + extra to soak the beans overnight

• Soak the beans overnight.
• Strain and rinse well.
• Add the beans to a blender and blend with 500ml of cold water for about 5-7min. Strain and squeeze out through a muslin cloth. 

Fresh Soya milk will only last 2-3days in the fridge.

Application

• Brush your canvas with soya milk - Let dry flat or on the line, you don't want any cracks. Make sure you apply the pigment within a week while the enzyme are still fresh.
• Combine the pigment with a little soya milk: 1part pigment 3 parts soya milk
• Add stones or marbles to the jar and stir vigorously, crushing the pigment into smaller pieces and hydrating it evenly throughout.
• Remove marbles.
• You can add guar gum to thicken it, but it is optional.
• Apply the lovely pigment with a brush, stencil, roller or however you want to work it.

Allow the pigment to dry for 1-2weeks. Now rinse gently to remove any excess Pigment and soya milk. This is a surface application and vigorous washing may remove more pigment than desired. 

Have fun!