Spring Frolic Classes Posted!
Changes in 2015
2015 Events!
Indigo Crystal Dye Instructions
Our "Spring String Thing" is coming up fast on March 21! The class list was just finalized and posted here on the website! Remember, you can sign u...
As you may have heard, John & Bjo Trimble are taking a step back and have passed Griffin Dyeworks on to their longtime friend and assistant, There...
Our Frolic is coming up March 21 - you can sign up today, or contact us if you're interested in teaching or selling at the event! And our...
INDIGO CRYSTALS (Indigofera tinctoria) aka pre-reduced indigo We have a two part video on YouTube with Bjo walking us through the indigo crystal d...
Our “Spring String Thing” is coming up fast on March 21! The class list was just finalized and posted here on the website!
Remember, you can sign up for classes only if you’re registered for the event. PayPal is currently down in the store, so if that’s your preferred method of payment I added a PayPal option on the Frolic page.
As you may have heard, John & Bjo Trimble are taking a step back and have passed Griffin Dyeworks on to their longtime friend and assistant, Theresa Wollenstein (aka me)! I have been helping the Trimbles with Griffin Dyeworks for twelve (!) years at workshops as well as managing their online store.
If you’re wondering how these changes will affect things, rest assured, Bjo and John will be around! While I’ll be the one filling the orders and answering most of the emails, John will still man the Griffin Dyeworks sales booth at events, and Bjo will still teach and answer dye questions via email.
One of my goals is to help spread the word about Griffin Dyeworks and bring in some new faces. Look for advertising in your local yarn shops and online – and help us out by telling friends and guild mates about our Frolics and Retreat or book us to come and teach privately.
Bjo hopes to spend more time teaching and promoting the use of pigments via their new venture, Ancient Earth Pigments! Right now, Griffin Dyeworks is selling their merchandise, but soon they’ll have their own website. We hope you’ll continue to support us and all the artisans whose products we sell.
Our Frolic is coming up March 21 – you can sign up today, or contact us if you’re interested in teaching or selling at the event!
And our retreat returns to Arrowhead Ranch June 26-28! We’ll allow arrivals Thursday night and classes will start on Friday morning, ending Sunday at noon. We hope you can join us — put down a deposit today!
INDIGO CRYSTALS
(Indigofera tinctoria) aka pre-reduced indigo
We have a two part video on YouTube with Bjo walking us through the indigo crystal dye process!
STORAGE: These natural crystals oxidize in air, so store in lidded, labeled jars, in cool dark area.
pH & TEMPERATURE: Indigo needs high alkaline vat: 8 pH for silk & wool;
9 – 10 pH for cotton & linen.
Dye vat should be no hotter than 70º to 120ºF.
You can even take it off heat & dye until the pot cools too much.
DYE INSTRUCTIONS: WEAR GLOVES! Indigo will stain fingernails for a week or more.
INDIGO MANTRA: Dip – Rest – Rinse!
STEP 1: DIP: Work fiber or fabric by hand below surface; allow to soak 10 to 30 min.
When removed from vat, fiber will oxidize in the air, quickly turning yellow-green, then green,
then blue: This is normal for indigo.
STEP 2: REST: Don’t rinse.
Hang or just lay fiber on a surface for 15-30 min to let fiber completely oxidize (turn blue).
Otherwise dye will not bond into the fiber. Wet dyed fiber always looks darker than dried fiber.
STEP 3: RINSE: Don’t skip this step!
Use ¼ tsp Orvus soap in rinse water, add fiber for 10 min to help indigo bond into fiber.
This rinse removes unabsorbed pigment.
If darker color is desired, return fiber to the vat for 3 – 5 min; for
For really dark color, return to vat for 30 – 60 min.
Repeat all 3 steps until desired shade is reached.
Fiber can be re-dipped, rested & rinsed as many times desired, until vat turns gray.
SETTING COLOR: Don’t skip this step because it is necessary to set indigo in fiber!
Wash in Orvus® or non-detergent soap 10 min or longer.
Rinse until there is no cloudiness.
Wash cotton twice in washing machine, separately or other fiber will be pale blue!
It is normal for indigo to crock (rub off); it’s why indigo-dyed jeans wear in lighter areas.
VAT ADJUSTMENT: Indigo vat can last several days if kept at least lukewarm & covered
Too much oxygen in vat prevents bonding into fiber & tires vat.
Oxygen will get in but try to avoid adding lots.
Blue vat (vat should be greenish): add pinch of thiox, stir, wait 15 min
Cold vat: color results will be pale. Re-heat vat to 75-90°F, rest 15-30 min
Unbalanced vat: froth changes color, add 1 tsp at a time of calcium carbonate.
When vat stops giving blue, it is exhausted. add pinch of thiox. Stir, wait 15 min before dyeing
CREATING OTHER COLORS: Strong blue overwhelms other colors.
Use an exhausted vat so the blue is weaker: 75% to 85% yellow + 15%-25% indigo for greens;
65% to 75% red to 40% to 35% indigo for purple.
FOR INDIGO DYEING, YOU ALSO NEED:
Soda ash (Sodium carbonate)
Diourea Thioxiade (Thiox)
Orvus soap (pH neutral surfactant)
Glauber’s Salt (Sodium sulfate) – Optional
Madder extract — Optional
Go to our online catalog for the supplies listed above, indigo dye history, kits, tie-dye instructions, mordant information & more! Questions? Contact us!
Edit: We have the finalized list of classes on its own page!
Here’s the preliminary list of classes for the 2014 Fall Fiber Frolic!
We’ll be adding a few more in the next few days. As usual, there will be a spinning/fiber arts circle, open dyepots, and the Bjeaux Tapestry for embroidery!
Register today for first choice of classes!
We will knit a baby sock (so you can learn all the sock techniques in one sitting). Learn how to cast on for two socks at one time on one circular needle. Cuff down. Or toe up. We’ll do heel flaps, heel turn and gussets, picking up stitches and how to close the toe with the kitchener stitch.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Circular needle (size 1-3-check your yarn for suggested needle size) at least 32 inches long (make sure your cable is flexible-the old metal and plastic needles are not flexible), sock yarn, darning needle.
3 Hours Class Fee $0.00 Min / Max students: 3 / 10
Cut, stamp, trim, paste, enhance – simple actions leading to freedom in designing for many applications. Use fabric, paper, threads, and fusible interlining to think outside the box. No sewing required! No experience required!
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: cameras, questions, and NOT required, but feel free to bring UFOs (UNfinished Objects), including any single items you should have made more of, and any craft items you might wish to share.
2 Hours Class Fee $5.00 Min / Max students: no limit
This is an introduction to Card weaving. We will go over warping the loom and how to set up the cards to get the patterns you want and do some practice patterns on the bands. Students should bring their own looms and weaving supplies. If they do not own a loom, they can bring a set a of C-clamps and we will go over how to weave between two fixed points.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Looms, or C-Clamps to weave between and cards.
2 Hours Class Fee $5.00 Min / Max students: 5 / 10
Learn how to cast on and begin to knit your first project. Each student will learn different methods of casting on before starting to knit a scarf.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Bring a skein of worsted or bulky weight yarn and knitting needles (straight or circular) for that size yarn. (You may want to purchase two skeins of the same dye lot to make sure you have enough for the size scarf you wish to make.)
2 Hours Class Fee $0.00 Min / Max students: 2 / 6
We’ll make some unique Ornaments using modge podge
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: gloves (if you don’t want to peel glue off your hands), paper or fabric you’d like to use, old knitting magazines or patterns, old ornaments you’d like to cover. Anything you’d like to add to your ornaments. Apron or old shirt to wear
1 Hours Class Fee $5.00 Min / Max students: 2 / 10
How to move your inkle designed bands from the inkle loom to a 4 harness loom and why would you want to.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Note taking stuff
3 Hours Class Fee $0.00 Min / Max students: 10
Have you ever wanted to give spinning a try? Would your persona have known how to spin on a drop spindle? Have you tried it before and given up but are ready to try again? Have you spun a bit but are still confused or just want someone to help you improve? It’s time to spin! New, Returning, or Relearning students will be given hands-on spinning instruction with one of the oldest textile tools in existence: The Drop Spindle. And as a wise child once told me, “It’s called a DROP spindle. If you’re dropping it, you must be doing it right!” Don’t miss a chance to pick up this skill again, even if you dropped it before or never tried it at all. Everyone welcome.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Drop Spindles and Wool. I will have some you can use
1 Hours Class Fee $0.00 Min / Max students: 5 – 10
We will be knitting a tea bag pouch to hold a tea bag or other necessities in a bag or purse. Knowledge of knit and purl stitches. We will be casting on, increasing stitches, knitting stockinette stitch, garter stitch, buttonhole and short rows. Beginner, intermediate class.
MATERIALS THE STUDENTS SHOULD BRING: Drop Spindles and Wool. I will have some you can use
2 Hours Class Fee $3.00 Min / Max students: 1 – 10
As always we’re pleased to return to Southern California Handweaving Guild’s Weaving & Fiber Festival, Nov 2 in Torrance, CA! We weren’t able to make it last year due to conflicts and health issues, and missed seeing everyone so much.
Our Fall Frolic will be November 15, once again at the Monrovia United Methodist Church!
We’re also happy to report that we’ve scheduled the 2015 Retreat for the weekend of June 26 at Arrowhead Ranch! Because we booked it early, we’ll be able to offer classes starting at 9am on Friday morning until Sunday afternoon! We are SO excited to Arrowhead Ranch and hope you are, too.
Have a neat technique you want to share? Want to teach others how to do the craft you do but no one else seems to? ANYONE can teach at our Frolics! You can submit a class proposal online anytime, and we’ll be in touch before the event.
Teachers receive a discount on event entry based on the number of hours they dedicate to teaching. We request that teachers only charge their students for materials to keep our events affordable.
Time to share more photos of our new venue for the retreat! There’s a wide variety of cabins available – this just shows some of the unique features in a few of them!
We are so excited about the retreat this year that we nearly couldn’t contain ourselves until we signed the contract!
When: June 13-15, 2014
Where: Arrowhead Ranch Conference Center, Lake Arrowhead, CA
Arrowhead Ranch has cabins featuring real beds and private bathrooms, and come in different configurations that can accommodate between 2 and 7 people. There’s a large dining hall and plenty of indoor and outdoor space for our classes, and a pool, jacuzzi, hiking trails and more for your downtime! It’s a great location if you want to bring your family along for the weekend – Arrowhead Ranch is located in the natural beauty of the San Bernardino National Forest, just minutes away from Lake Arrowhead.
Cost: $350 (shared cabin) if registered before May 15; $450 on & after May 16. Register & pay online via our store.
Contact us at info@griffindyeworks.com for prices for kids, partners, and families, or if you wish to attend classes but not stay on site, or for a private cabin.
The price still includes ALL food and lodging from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. This year, however, you we won’t be roughing it quite so much – you won’t need to bring your own bedding, rugs, or pop up tents for our outdoor tent city! No canvas tents – the cabins are all well-appointed, clean, and include private bathrooms, tvs, and wireless internet. You can see some photos of the cabins on the Arrowhead Ranch website! This event will truly be a retreat – not a campout!
Vendors
Vendors are welcome at the Griffin Dyeworks Retreat! Please contact us at info@griffindyeworks.com to learn more.
Teachers
Teachers are given a discounted entry fee based on the number of hours they are scheduled to teach classes. We’re accepting class submissions on our online form.
Update 1/16: We’re back up and running! Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you encounter any problems.
Our online store is having some difficulties, and it may be a few days before we’re up and running again — in the meantime, feel free to email us at info@griffindyeworks.com with questions or orders and we’ll do our best to help you out.
Calling all teachers! We’re now accepting class proposals for our next Frolic, which will be held on Saturday, April 12 at the Monrovia United Methodist Church in Monrovia, CA.
Teachers can submit a class proposal via our online form, and this post will be updated as soon as we have the usual downloadable form.
Is there something you’ve been itching to learn? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to find someone who can teach that class!
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