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It’s a NEW YEAR! Okay, I know we’re already more than one month into 2021. I don’t tend to make resolutions, but I do have an intention for this year which is to give everything I do the time and attention it requires. I hope that a focused effort this year will become a future habit. No longer rushing through work, errands, emails and knitting projects in an endless race to scratch one thing off the list and move onto the next. And so, the timing of this slow and steady newsletter is just right. I’ve gathered some thoughts together to share with you about my (big!) plans for VIOLA in the coming year. These ideas have been slowly percolating for quite some time and at last, the moment for action has arrived. On that note, here comes the news…
Through the course of 2021, we will be phasing out our use of chemical (acid) dyes and heavily processed, imported yarns in order to make space for PLANT DYING practices and LOCAL, traceable yarns spun by small mills.
I wasn’t kidding, that’s big, right?!
When Viola began, I chose to use acid dyes because they are colour & light fast, straightforward and somewhat consistent. Younger Emily enjoyed the bright colours and ease of mixing in the dye pot that this choice provided. As time went on, and my dyeing skills developed, I began to experience a longing for more traditional and harmonious practices. And now I crave involvement in sourcing real colours, and the opportunity for connection with the Earth that plant dyeing invites. I have a little plant dyeing experience and am constantly in awe of the vibrancy and depth of the colours plants offer us. They are alive colours, as opposed to synthesized facsimiles of colours and, in turn, they become a living part of the textiles they dye, changing and evolving as that textiles is used and worn.
The most crucial reason for this shift is our impact on the Earth. At VIOLA, we have had our waste water tested and through a patient dyeing practice ensure that we do not pour any harmful substances down our drains, into our septic system and eventually into our beloved Saugeen River. Only pure water with a few extra wool fluffs now and again is ever poured down the drain here. However, I have no idea what happens on the manufacturing end of the acid dyes we have been using and have no control over their waste management systems. Not to mention the fact that these dyes arrive at our door packed in many layers of single use plastics that have to be throw in the garbage.
Another reason for turning to plant dyes at last is an embrace of change. I am almost certain that the Coronavirus has played a vital role in this evolution; forcing the world to pause, observe and do our best to accept the present situation, for better or for worse. Colours in the real world outside my door change constantly and that mystery is at the heart of their beauty. So why have I been trying to create colours that remain the same all the time? Colours that wouldn’t fade and look the same over and over again. Such fixed and finished colours have never felt real to me and If you’ve followed VIOLA yarn for any length of time, you’ll know I was never very good at repeating specific colours anyway. And why did I assume that colour and lightfastness were so important in the first place? I love the way my Avocado dyed trousers have changed with time and wear, as light shifts and seasons pass. They seem to suit any weather, season, mood or occasion because their colour really is alive. If they become very faded, I can dunk them in another dye pot to make them good as new again. Understanding that colours are constantly changing, along with the rest of the world, has allowed me to feel a refreshing sense of freedom which seems completely obvious now, at last!
Through 2021, we are going to use up our stock of remaining acid dyes, but you’ll see less of the old VIOLA colours and more one of a kind explorations (these have always been my favourite of the VIOLA offerings anyway). Ultimately, I am looking forward to letting go of the rigidity of acid dyes altogether. Just as a photo of the sunset so often falls short of the experience of a sunset, my acid dyes all too often are unable to depict the colours that plants create effortlessly.
I have enjoyed experimenting with plant dyes, but am not an expert by any means. There are so many wise people around the world who have far greater knowledge of these plants and practices than I do. Natural dyeing is one of many ancient human traditions that has been threatened by industrialization and cheap commercial goods. At one time, region specific dyeing practices existed almost everywhere that humans did, and the knowledge surrounding those practices would have been passed down through generations. Faced with the task of learning thousands of years of plant dyeing wisdom from across the Earth, now presented to us as a jumble of local and exotic techniques and colours, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. But I view this step as an opportunity to become better acquainted with my local landscape, deepen my participation in the cycles of the world outside my door and do my part to to preserve and appreciate local and regenerative practices.
I intend to use plant dyestuffs from two local sources…
1. Responsibly foraged wild plants harvested in limited quantities with respect and reverence for the places they are taken from.
2. Organically grown on nearby local farms that work to build soil health, resilience and biodiversity.
In this way, we will be able to ensure that VIOLA yarn and colours contribute to the health and wellbeing of the Earth as opposed to extracting from it. Through using these local dyestuffs we will also be able to eliminate the plastic packaging associated with synthetic dyes and even commercially produced plant dyes as well.
skeins from my neighbours at Black Sheep Farm.
The second major change we are planning this year is to increase our focus on locally produced yarns. This is no small feat because there are very few regional wool mills left, especially in Canada. Those that remain are in very high demand. We have made attempts in the past to produce local yarns but the long waitlist for processing at any mill is a serious challenge. And so, we are entering this new year with renewed motivation to discover or create a solution.
Our arsenal of classic VIOLA yarns will be retiring in 2021. This means goodbye to many old favourites, like Sock, Mohair Lace, Merino Fingering and more. We’ll make sure that you have plenty of opportunity to stock up before they’re gone. You will likely be able to purchase the very same yarns from other dyers, as so many of us use the same yarn suppliers in the first place, which means you can continue to knit Favourite Socks without fussing over gauge variables. I would like to emphasize that our current yarn suppliers are wonderful. They are kind and helpful people who work very hard and provide great service. I have no issues with them whatsoever, but it is time for VIOLA to move in a different direction.
I base this choice on doing all that I can to build and participate in a regional fibre community that is able to meet members needs using local materials whenever possible. Such systems are more developed when it comes to food and just as I choose to eat local and seasonal foods, I also choose to invest my energy into building regional and sustainable textiles. It’s a big project and a long term commitment. The first step of which is to discontinue our use of imported and untraceable yarns by the end of this year. I stumbled over this decision for quite a long time, teetering back and forth between a growing desire for change and a total lack of direction. The solution isn’t simple, but I have realized that removing what doesn’t work from the situation (superwash treated merino wool from massive herds on the other side of the planet) will provide space for something new to come to life.
Implementing the above changes will undoubtedly mean that we are able to dye much less yarn than we used to. As we transition through 2021 I plan for this change to unfold gradually, but I don’t often stick to plans so we’ll all have to wait and see how things unfold. Producing smaller quantities of goods that hold much greater value is really at the essence of what I am trying to achieve. I ran out of space to store my sweaters years ago, and have more yarn than I will ever be able to use. I give away yarn, sweaters and other handknits to those who will use them whenever I can, but still have far more than I need. Knitting, spinning, weaving, etc. are slow and thoughtful activities. I know that’s why I was drawn to them in the first place and it’s why I enjoy them still. Somewhere along the way, I became swept up in a race to produce as much as possible. Rushing from one project to the next but rarely feeling the satisfaction I craved of having made something for myself. If others out there share this feeling, I’m sure that the solution for each of us is unique. However, I have begun to feel a greater contentment in my making, through making much less. Swatching, sampling, reading and research have rekindled a creative spark that was in danger of being extinguished by all my rushing about and forced productivity. Thoughtfully planning projects has taken on a new level of delight whereas in the past it felt like a hurdle to be charged at and overcome. I want to create for the joy of it and not as a participant in a race to knit down my stash and finish projects.
I see the irony in discussing a local fibre community through an international platform. VIOLA has shipped yarn around the world for a long time and I have enjoyed travelling far and wide as a result of this work. I enjoy being a member of the global community and am so grateful for my friends around the world. I don’t think that local and global have to be mutually exclusive. More talk about forming local fibre communities is a good thing everywhere, whether it’s over the internet or in your local general store. If such a future is meaningful to you perhaps you’re already seeking out a yarn producer near you or searching for ways to participate in and support efforts in your area. If you’ve stuck with me this long, you’ve already read that I don’t have a concrete plan for the year ahead. I’ve never done this before and uncertainty is part and parcel when venturing in a new direction. Perhaps there is a bridge between the apparent contradiction of local and global and maybe it will make perfect sense in a year’s time (I’d be pleasantly surprised to have that insight so quickly!) For now, I’ll continue to appreciate each little adjustment that I am able to make and move ahead one step at a time into an unknown and very exciting future.