botaniq Naturally Dyed Yarn Bundle

botaniq ‘Plant Silk’ Yarn

botaniq yarns are hand dyed in small batches using botanical colours by dyer Vivienne Richmond in her East Sussex garden studio. The yarn base is Tencel, a plant-based biodegradable fibre with an environmentally responsible production process, which Vivienne washes, mordants dyes and finishes her yarn with environmentally friendly substances. All used dyestuff is added to her compost bin and waste water is used in her garden. Skein bands are recycled card and absolutely no animal derived products are used anywhere in the process, making the yarn completely vegan.

This 4-ply yarn is soft and lustrous and would be perfect for use in smaller knit or crochet projects, such as a shawls, or for embroidering onto your knits. It’s also available in two kits: the Crochet Ruffle Collar and the Crochet Scrunchie.

Vivienne with chamomile, heather, indigo, logwood, madder and walnut.

It is important to note that each skein of gorgeous plant dyed yarn varies slightly due to the nature of the dyeing process, and cannot be repeated exactly. Please bear in mind that the skein you receive might not be exactly the same colour as the photos on the website; they are all unique and absolutely beautiful.

Caring for Your Projects

Natural dyes fade more quickly than synthetic. The way they fade is often very beautiful, but to preserve the colour as long as possible: store your project in a dark place when not in use. Wash as infrequently as possible, using cool water and a very small quantity of neutral, non biological detergent. Rinse thoroughly. You can use a tiny amount of neutral fabric conditioner to retain softness.

Natural Dyeing with Vivienne Richmond of botaniq

Vivienne Richmond is a natural dyer and textile historian based in East Sussex. Early last month, Chris and I visited her garden dye studio to learn about the process of creating botaniq plant dyed yarns.

I’ve been excited about botaniq yarns ever since I first met Vivienne and she showed me a few skeins and suggested putting together some crochet kits featuring them. Fast forward to October and she’s invited us to her garden to finalise the details and see how she works. We’ve jumped at the chance to experience the dyeing process firsthand.