My production
I live in a house out in the Västmanland countryside and all my production takes place at home. Wood details are manufactured in our "carpenter's boa" out in the yard and I am happy to get help from my wife, who knows this with wood.
My manufacturing techniques are:
knitting
crochet
embroidery
felting
weaving
sewing
natural dyeing
joinery
I am self-taught and because I can not read finished patterns so I have had to come up with my own patterns, which is now an advantage when I have to sell my works.
Natural dyeing is a new passion for me. With the help of plants, herbs, bark, food etc. I have learned to dye wool, linen and wood. It's incredibly magical to be able to create their own colors with things that are in one's garden and in the forest! Read more about min natural staining
We have two cats, who are happy to be where we are, so you are fur allergy sufferers you can tell me and I will make your order an allergy-friendly place .
Natural dyeing
It all started with me borrowing the book "Natural dyeing" from Lina Sofia Lundin At the library. Almost immediately I felt that I must have this book so I bought one. Since I live the way I do, I just had to walk out the door and start collecting things that then ended up in my paint pots.
To begin with, I dyed the wool balls that I make myself with the help of water, soap, tea strainer and honest hand power. The result was amazing and I got a bleeding tooth. Now I also color linen fabric, wool yarn and wooden buttons.
It is a time consuming process that requires a lot of one. Sometimes I feel like a witch doing magical brews. This feeling occurs at its strongest in the evening, when the children sleep sweetly, and I stand by my pots and create colors. I try, discover and enjoy every time I manage to get a new color to my palette.
Now I'm going to try to give you an idea of how it works by describing my work process:
The dyeing process
1. First I choose WHAT to color and with OFF. These choices determine what the next step will be. Then I just go out and collect what I am going to dye with. Sometimes it's easy and sometimes it takes a little more of a ...
2. Some things require a little preparation. Bark, for example, requires soaking for a few days before it is time for cooking. Nettles on the other hand can be boiled right away. The cooking lasts at least 1 hour and then it is allowed to cool at its own pace. Then I usually let it stand for at least the next day before I put in the material that I will dye.
Sometimes I have to help nature a little on the stack, which means that the material, which is to be dyed, must be grazed before it is placed in the dye bath. It can be made with a few different ingredients and at the moment I only use alum (salt that is bought at the pharmacy). This is so that the paint will adhere better.
3. Then I put the material in the dye bath and heat it on the stove. It must not start to boil so it is important to have some control on what happens in the pot. For about 1 hour it should be warm and then let it cool.
4. I usually leave my color baths for a long time, which means I do not touch them for several days. I leave some color baths for one to two weeks to get the deep color that I am looking for. I check my baths every day and follow, with inner satisfaction, the amazing process of natural dyeing.
5. When the dyeing is done, I usually rinse it in a little lukewarm water and then sheep material dry. Sometimes I usually take the opportunity to color something else in the color water that is left.
My color palette
Carrot blast
Red cabbage
Stinging nettles
Blueberry
Red clover
Björklöv
Lupine
Tansy
Cones
Avocado