Have I got a treat for you! A giveaway – a chance to win the sensational new book The Modern Natural Dyer and a natural dyeing KIT of your choice to go along with it!!
I’ve been patiently waiting for this book to come out. Kristine Vejar is such a wonderful warm sharing person – I knew her book would be the natural dyeing book we all want. She’s been studying natural dyeing for years, since she was first bitten by the bug while studying in India years ago. Passionate and curious about the art, she’s got endless interesting stories to tell. In 2007 Kristine started A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland California, a gorgeous retail shop with with indoor and outdoor studio workshop spaces and her garden for growing dye plants. Destination!!! It’s where she conducted the research for this book.
The book is fantastic. Of course it is. The pictures are so gorgeous, you really don’t need any interest at all in dyeing to want the book. The first two chapters introduce us to different dyes derived from nature, followed by a look at various fibers and how and why they react to dyestuffs. Chapter three, Dyeing 101, is one you’ll refer to over and over again in your future dyeing projects, because …. once bitten you won’t want to stop!
After that the book is broken down into 4 sections, dyeing with whole dyestuffs, dyeing with extracts, dyeing with indigo, and surface design.
The subjects themselves are project based, which at first I wasn’t sure about. I thought … oh right … publishers always insist on projects…. I found myself being like one of those people I complain about who say “but I don’t want a red sweater” when they look at a pattern, oblivious to the fact that it could be knit in a different color. But reading through the projects, I realized that it is a perfect way to introduce the topics covered, instead of a lonely generic way. Take the first project dyeing a 100% cotton onesie (43g) with tea… ok I have no babies (wait my nephew has two – count ’em 2 new ones!)… but you don’t have to dye a onesie, you could take any cotton of similar weight, and follow the same recipe. At the end of each project Kristine has a little TRY section with ways you can further explore the technique covered, in this case, your pantry.
Kristine generously supplied me with not only a book but a kit. I chose the Northwoods Hat Kit with madder as the dyestuff, which means I would be following the Dyeing With Extracts section. This section has my favorite four pages of the whole book, the shade cards for protein based-fibers and cellulose-based fibers….dream of the possibilities!!!
The Northwoods Hat Kit comes in 3 colors red (madder), yellow (weld), and purple (logwood). I love madder. I love the idea of madder. I want to take a madder-adventure traveling to where madder grows wild! Cloth dyed with madder was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, it has been cultivated in Central Asia since 1500 BC – the Vikings used it!
Because I am me, I had to try and get two colors with my madder. I wound my yarn into one large skein and one small skein. The small one being about 8 yards…from right shoulder to left finger tips is about a yard – that’s how I measure.
Then I went through the steps in the book.
Scouring (1 ½ hours)
Mordanting (1 ½ hours)
…and finally dyeing…for me 3 hours because I wanted two colors. I deviated from the instructions here. Looking at the shade card, I decided I wanted the small skein to be a light pink, so I only used an eighth of a teaspoon of madder extract. I felt like a mad scientist measuring it out. Then I followed the directions, using both skeins, heating slowly and stirring as long as called for and I got the most delicious pink…coral…salmon? An amazing color and an amazing feeling – energizing! I helped madder make that color! I took out the small skein and cooled it, rinsed it and set it to dry. Then I added the rest of the vial of madder to the dyepot with the large skein still in it. It immediately sucked up the new dye! I processed it as before, only now I was having a hard time keeping a low enough temperature on my wee stove top. To my dismay after I let my mind wander, I found the dyebath simmering! Ghastly! So beware – my yarn was slightly felted in a couple of places.
When the yarn was dried I quickly knit up the Northwoods hat. I shortened the ribbing by an inch and inserted a small simple fair isle pattern (#75 in my 200 Fair Isle Motifs book). I also made the body an inch longer before I started to decrease. I have enough yarn left over to make a big pompom if I wanted. I only wish I’d used a more solid fair isle pattern because I like the pink so much. I think if I filled the pattern, instead of just the outline of diamonds…I’m tempted to rip it out…but hey…I could always get a kit and make another!
The color in real life is more like the image of just the yarn – not the silly selfie.
So dear readers…you’ve got the chance to win The Modern Natural Dyer and your choice of a natural dyeing kit.
Clockwise from top left:
Flowers At My Fingertips : Dyeing with Whole Dyestuffs – you dye both cotton and wool fabric directly with flower blossoms, and then sew the fabric into a sewing kit. Includes seeds to grow your own dye plants.
Northwoods Hat Kit : Extract Dyeing Protein-based fibers – you dye Quince & Co Puffin wool yarn which you knit into a hat.
Sock Hop Kit : Extract Dyeing Cellulose-based fibers – you dye ready made organic cotton socks.
Waves Bandana Indigo Kit : Indigo Dyeing – you dye two white cotton bandanas, trying bound resist dying to create a pattern.
Click on the links to read more about each kit.
If you’d like to be in the running for this fantastic prize, comment below which kit you’d like and why. In a week, Friday November 6th, I’ll be randomly choosing a winner.
The Modern Natural Dyer and the series of natural dyeing kits which accompany the book – are all available through the A Verb for Keeping Warm website.
You’ll have other chances to win, follow the blog tour!
Oct 30 me!!!
Thanks everyone!!! The comments are now closed.
Congratulations to Katie Emma who got the book and the indigo kit@
The Sock Hop Kit because they are my favorite things to knit.
Thanks.
I would love to try my hand at natural dying and I think that the Northwoods Hat Kit would be a great way to get my feet wet! I bought my first skein of madder-dyed yarn from Local Color Fiber Studio and I’m in love with the color. I love the results you got using your kit; your hat is adorable!
The Northwoods hat kit, great way to learn something new!
I am so excited about this book! And this was such a great review! I really like that you were able to get two different colors with your kit. I think I would have to pick the Flowers at my Fingertips kit because I think it would be so neat to grow my dye material myself!
Flowers at my Fingertips. I recently moved and plan on having a garden next year and it would be great to include some dye plants.
I’d love to try to dye yarn! The Northwoods Hat kit caught my interest.
Sock Hop Kit! Because I love a smaller gauge knit!
Beautiful hat!! This book looks so fantastic! I would like the Northwoods Hat kit!
Would love to try the Waves Bandana Indigo kit because I just adore INDIGO!!!
I am fascinated by what I’ve seen done with Indigo and would love to try the Waves Bandana Indigo Kit.
I would really like the Northwoods Hat Kit. I also LOVE Madder! The book looks Amazing and one I will definitely need for my bookshelf.
Thank you for the chance to win.
Northwoods Hat would be my choice. Yours is beautiful. Very lovely colors.
Wow, what a lovely giveaway. I’d pick the sock hop because well socks are just the best!
I’ve been dying (pun intended) for this book to be released! I love the idea of kits to illustrate technique, what better way to encourage dyers to try new things. I like the Northwoods Hat, it’s yarn after all, and possibility of doing a gradient dye in madder is exciting!
I’m heading into a cold Canadian winter so the Northwoods Hat Kit would get me blizzard-ready. Great giveaway!
Gasp!!! so much gorgeousness here. I love your Fair Isle take on the hat. I think what I love most about natural dyes are the connections that they establish between the dyer and nature. I have only ever purchased naturally dyed products before, never thinking I could figure out how to do it on my own. And while I loved knowing that there was a connection, I didn’t feel as involved in that connection. This book can change all that!!! All four projects look amazing, but the sewing kit would be my pick! Thanks for hosting this giveaway! * Fingers crossed *
I would love the sock kit because I have not done much dyeing on cellulose fibers.
I would adore the Northwoods Hat kit because my head is very cold. Very very cold…also because I’ve been wildly excited about this new book!
I can’t believe this incessant knitter would chose the indigo kit!!! It’s something I’ve wanted to try for years!!!!
I’m a knitter and live in the Midwest, have been wanting to try yarn dyeing but don’t know where to start, The Northwoods hat seems to be a great place to begin! And I follow you on Instagram, have loved your year abroad!
Natural dyeing is very interesting to me. Kristine’s book looks lovely. I would love the Northwoods Hat Kit in the logwood color. I love Quince & Co. yarn. I would love to expand my experiences with working with fiber. Thank you.
Northwoods hat! Love the idea of dying two different shades.
I would love the Indigo Dyeing kit — I’ve wanted to work with indigo for awhile now.
The Sock Hop kit, because I have never dyed cellulose fibers with natural dyes, only protein fibers, and I am eager to learn. I have a huge madder “clump” in my garden that I planted 4 years ago – hoping to dye enough cotton/linen fabric for a quilt. Must practice! Thanks Mary Jane!!
I’d like to have a go at the Northwoods Hat kit because I’ve been wearing the same hat for almost 10 years – and it’s not even one I knit myself!
I would love to win the flowers at my fingertips, because it makes me think of petals blooming at the end of my digits!
I love the Northwoods Hat and think I’d like to try it in logwood–love that dusky shade of purple! Thanks for a great giveaway opportunity–this book is definitely on my acquisitions list!
Flowers at My Fingertips. It would be great to learn what I could plant (or already do!) that could color various fabrics/yarns. I’ve never dyed anything so it would be great to learn the various techniques in the book.
MJ that hat is lovely. The colors are wonderful.
Looks like a great book! I would love the Northwoods Hat kit so I can knit the yarn I dye.
I would love the Northwoods Hat kit. I raise sheep so wool is my passion. Increasing the number of colors I can get is awesome!
Would love to try the Northwoods hat! Your madder hat is fabulous! Thanks for the offer.
The indigo kit! I’ve always wanted to try dying with indigo…
I’d love to try the Northwoods Hat kit because I am a knitter and have wanted to try natural dyeing on yarn for a while now. Your hat came out awesome!
I’d love the Flowers at My Fingertips kit. I am a sewist and would love to dye my own fabric
Northwoods Hat kit would be the one I’d love to try.
Hi! Wow, this book looks wonderful! If I’m drawn, I’d love the Northwoods Hat Kit…because knitting and dyeing: yes please! Thanks! 🙂
The Northwoods Dye kit (logwood or madder, please) is a perfect choice to ready myself for the upcoming winter. The kits are so clever! I’m tempted to try them all. Do you hear that Santa? Thanks for the opportunity to win this fabulous book!
I would love to try the socks kit- it would be a great opportunity to dip my toes in and explore this art of dyeing. Thanks!
One of each? Ok,the hat kit!
Gorgeous book and kits. I’d choose the hat kit and knit and dye one for my daughter.
Flowers at my Fingertips. because FLOWERS!
The indigo kit intrigues me the most. Thanks for sharing
Love natural dying!
As a knitter I have to say the Northwoods hat kit, but the indigo is very tempting as well! Thanks for the chance to win such a beautiful book.
I would love the opportunity to try and dye yarn. I have experimented with other dyes but would love to try some natural options. I found some Pisolithus fungus a few years ago in Canada (something quite rare in Northern Ontario) and while researching it, realized that it was used as a dye. The Northwoods hat intrigues me.
I would love to try ‘Flowers at My Fingertips’ – I have a small dye garden already, and am always looking for more seeds, plus I love sewing with fabric that I’ve dyed.
Flowers at my Fingertips! I sew more than knit these days. I would love a copy of A Modern Natural Dyer. I purchased one on the night of Kristine’s book signing party at AVFKW, but gave it to my friend for her birthday because she fell so in love with it. I want my own copy! I think Kristine is the best!
It would have to be “Flowers at my Fingertips”. I love flowers, I love planting, I love knitting! Thank you for this lovely blog post!
I would like to try dyeing wool so… north woods hat would be my pick for a first project
The sewing and flower kit- so my son and I can dye with flowers and then grow them on our small patio garden:). Thank you for such a fun giveaway chance:)
What a lovely treat. Thanks for the review & giveaway. 🙂
Would love the hat kit! Ive been toying with the idea of natural dyeing for a while now, but feel like I can’t access good, reliable information. This would be an invaluable resource!
It would have to be Flowers at My Fingertips kit for me, It would be a perfect little sewing kit to fit into my little caravan & ruck sac as I continue on my walk around Britain. I can then sew my dyed memories into a little book. Thank you showing this wonderful review.
Oh, wow! This is a great giveaway. I would love the Northwoods hat kit! The book is on my wishlist since I read about it.
What a lovely giveaway! I never tried dyeing yarn but would love to. And I’m a nature lover, so I’m very curious about your book. Would love the Northwoods Hat kit in the purple version. Would really match with my jacket.
I’ve been reading so much about this book and your excellent review and project demo make dyeing sound like a big I’d love to catch! Would love to try the Northwoods Hat kit! Thank you!
The Indigo kit please, missed the growing season for my woad seeds this year!
The Northwood Hat kit would be fun to have a go at. I’ve never dyed with madder before. Thank you for a chance to win – and if I do, then I’ll wrap it up for myself as a birthday present since it is a few days later. Super lovely!
Flowers at my Fingertips! I can’t believe I just said that, but the impetus to get back to sewing after many many years of not touching a seam, the beauty of dyeing with a simple flower, and the kicker of getting seed to duplicate the process in the flower bed my husband just finished for that purpose is toooooooo much!
I’d like the Hat kit in Logwood. We’ve just been told to expect the worst winter in 50 years and I’ll need a hat to keep warm.
How to choose! It all sounds so fun, but that indigo kit is calling to me, I have always loved how resist stuff looks, and all the ways you can do it!
I’d have to go for the indigo kit. Indigo is something I’ve always wanted to try. I want to try it all though!
So very cool! I would love any of them but I think the hat would be a great one!
I have dyed indigo a couple of years ago. It was so much fun. The madder looks intriguing. I would love to win the Hat Kit. Thanks for the giveaway!
This is wonderful. I started natural dyeing fabrics about a year ago and have yet to try my hand at dyeing yarn. I would love the Northwoods Hat Kit because it would combine two loves – natural dyeing and knitting – into one beautiful project. Thanks so much!
Sock Hop! Thanks for the chance to win!
Oh, your hat is just gorgeous! If i were fortunate enough to win, I’d pick the Northwoods Hat kit, in logwood purple. It looks scrumptious. I love Quince yarns, and have already dyed fabric with indigo, so i’d love to try dyeing yarn with logwood. Thanks for the chance! Even just imagining winning has been fun. (=
I love AVFKW! I’d love to win the Flowers at my Fingertips kit, although they all sound so fabulous! I find it fascinating to watch colours develop out of natural things.
Picking the Northwoods hat for me – have wanted to get into dying for ages now but just not got around to it – this would be a perfect jump start!
Looks like a beautiful book! Please put my name in for the Northwoods hat kit–looks like something that a newbie like me might be able to do. Thanks for the chance to win!
I would love to give dyeing a try. I’ve read lots of good things about the book. The Northwoods Hat kit would be my preference. Thanks for the giveaway.
I have my eyes on that sewing kit. It would make the perfect gift for my quilter friend whose birthday is December 1.
I want to try dyeing with extracts so I would choose the Northwoods Hat kit. A couple weeks ago I dyed some wool yarn, cotton fabric, and onesies with indigo and was enchanted (truly! It’s magic!) with the results. This week I plan to dye some yarn with marigolds from my garden. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!!
Flowers at my Fingertips. I enjoy sewing as well as knitting, so a sewing kit seems very practical (plus I’m sure you could store knitting notions in it as well). Plus, seeds to grow my own dye plants? Yes, Please!
The Northwoods Hat kit, definatley!! So many options for colour! What a lovely book, it would be a great addition to any crafter’s library – like mine!!
i would like the northwoods hat kit. for a first time, i dyed a hat i knitted a few months ago and liked the the process.
Well I know how to start my Christmas list! I think I’d start with the Flowers at my Fingertips – then work my way through other kits!
I’d love to try out the indigo bandana kit – I’ve never used real indigo!
As much as I’d love to test out the madder or cochineal in a kit, I’m picky about sock thickness and material (love me some wool) and haven’t been very good at knitting things in the past. I’d definitely look into how to use those two in the book on other textiles.
The book looks fantastic! I’d love to win the indigo kit, because I have always loved indigo blue!
There’s no question – Leethal. Quite a few years ago now I dyed quite a lot of Jamieson & Smith’s wool using natural dyestuffs readily available to me. I always intended to have a go with indigo but never got around to ordering the indigo. Then life got in the way and my dyeing pot has been languishing in the garage ever since. This would be the impetus I ned to start dyeing again.
I would love to try my hand at dying and would choose Flowers at my Fingertips. I am a knitter but am always wanting to try new crafts.
I’d pick the Northwoods hat. It seems like a nice, easy start! I like what you did with getting two shades out of a single project!
It has to be the sock hop kit for me, those colours are amazing! If I could produce anything like that myself I would be over the moon, not to mention having the funkiest feet ever. Great blog, Mary Jane, and thanks for the opportunity to participate in such a cool giveaway,
Love the sock kit, lovely Colours and cozy feet go hand in hand.
Indigo!!! Always wanted to try this; did some natural dyeing while pursuing a textile degree in 1980, had to drop out when I got pregnant as some of the chemical dyes were toxic and never got back to it. THanks for the opportunity to win this kit.
Flowers at my fingertips… amazing! I would love to grow dye plants. Thanks for the chance to win- and I love the way your hat turned out!
I’m thinking of a surprise for our 26 year old daughter. She recently voiced an interest in natural dying. She’s experimented with indigo, so now I thing it’s the socks that would tickle her. Thanks for the opportunity!
any one of them! i would be the mad scientist, too…
The book looks like it has some lovely projects! I’ve always loved the color blue, so would like to win the indigo kit. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity!
I would love to try the Northwoods hat kit!
The hat, please. Great book and giveaway–thank you!
I would love to try the Northwoods Hat kit in logwood.
I am fascinated by natural dyeing and would love to win a kit as your essay was so interesting.
I’d love the Northwoods Hat kit. I am a big fan of Quince yarns, and I love the colors from natural dyes, but have never played with them. This looks like the perfect entre (and much better than kool-aid!) Thanks for the opportunity!
Beautiful! This book looks so inspiring. I would love to try the indigo dying kit.
What fun! I think it would be a blast to make the Northwoods Hat Kit with my granddaughter who is learning to knit.
Seeds of a new hue, settled in just underfoot
Drizzles of an autumn rain, Winter hibernates the loot
Spring and summer come, And color is the fruit
Flowers at my fingertips, arm is stem, heart is root
So beautiful. I’d love to try the Indigo kit.
Such a beautiful book! I’d choose the hat kit because it’s right up my alley 🙂
I’d love the hat kit; you never have too many hats when you live in Maine!
Flowers! Because I keep meaning to make myself a sewing kit and am always too busy with the sewing other things to make the kit. Plus: gorgeous. Plus: it will make me pull out a lot of flowers and so flower pressing projects with my kids 🙂
I’m torn between the Flowers at your Fingertips, because how cool would it be to dye with something from your own garden and the Indigo Bandanas because INDIGO! I think the Indigo Bandanas might be better though, because INDIGO!!!!
Sock hop kit! Sounds the most fun.
I love to knit socks!
Thanks!
I’d pick the Northwoods Hat kit…since I’m a knitter I wouldn’t be able to resist something I could knit with afterward. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to win!
I just love organic socks – it would be so fun to dye my own!
The hat kit! I want to learn about dying homespun yarn!
I would love the Northwoods Hat Kit, because I like knitting and Quince yarn. Thanks!
What a great book, the Waves bandana indigo kit looks interesting, because the shibori fashion lately
I am a weaver, a spinner, a knitter, I crochet and dye. My weavers guild just had a natural workshop dyeing a silk noil warp in Ikat. I find natural dyes fascinating & now have a walnut dyebath in the freezer waiting for fiber. I would like the the Northwoods Hat kit. Thanks for the chance to win!
So difficult! I love all the kits! I would go for the Flowers at my Fingertip kit!
Definitely the Northwoods Hat Kit. A hand-dyed and knit hat – what more could you ask for to keep warm!
The book and the kits look amazing and it is hard to choose just one. It would probably come down to choosing between the indigo (blue, love it) and the Northwoods hat (I’m learning to knit and would love to learn how to dye yarn). Thank you for sharing this about this awesome book and kits to go with it. It is all so beautiful.
super book! I would love to try either the hat or the flower kit (we have gardeners here!) fun fun!!
I would love to win the hat kit, because yarn dyeing is so much fun!
The book looks truly spectacular, and the kits are a lovely addition.
I would be happy with any of them, but you had me at purple, so I’d have to choose the hat!
Thank you for the giveaway.
This looks like a wonderful book. Definitely the indigo! I’ve been wanting to try indigo dying forever.
I’ve never tried dyeing, but I’d like to. The Northwoods Hat looks great.
I’ve been wanting to dye my own fabrics for a while now, and this book sounds like the inspiration I need! And the Waves Bandana Indigo Kit sounds ideal!
The Northwoods Hat Kit. I love the idea of getting to dye the yarn, then knit it up. 2 projects in 1!