Thursday evenings 6.30pm-8.30pm: 4th & 11th December

Each session is £25 which includes all materials • Book 2 sessions in December

Kentish Town City Farm, 1 Cressfield Close, NW5 4BN (Gospel Oak/Kentish Town)

I am opening up a space for past students of my workshops to come and work on your own projects. These sessions run for two hours where you’ll have the room and materials to spin, felt and use natural dyes together.
I will provide the materials for natural dyeing (pots, scales, mordants and plant dyes etc), felting and wool preparation (carders, spindles, basins to wash wool).
This is to provide the opportunity to work together for mutual support and creativity.

Thursday evenings (5 weeks)
6.30pm-8.30pm
January 15th, 22nd, 29th, February 5th & 12th 2026

Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)

Learn how to spin and naturally dye your own wool for knitting, crocheting and other crafts. This course will introduce you to the ancient tradition of hand-spinning with a drop-spindle, a relaxing and meditative skill using minimal technology.

You’ll learn how to ply your wool, create skeins and then mordant and naturally dye your yarn using cololurs from plants.

The course is taking place at Kentish Town City Farm where you’ll meet the rare-breed Jacob’s sheep and learn how to wash their raw wool, card and then spin it.

Timetable:

Week 1: Meet the Jacob’s sheep at the farm and learn how to process and wash their raw wool. Start spinning with a drop spindle.

Week 2: Learn about carding the washed wool and continue spinning with a drop spindle.

Week 3: Learn about plying the wool you have spun and creating a skein.

Week 4: Learn about mordanting your wool in preparation for dyeing with plant dyes

Week 5: Learn about dyeing your wool with plant dyes

This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.

What you will need: a drop spindle, rubber gloves and an apron
What you will take away: skein of dyed wool that you have spun

No experience necessary.

Positive comments on my style of teaching:

“Very good – super relaxed and friendly while being full of info” – Maz

“Great hands-on learning” – Betty

“Relaxed, informative. Very knowledgeable” – Yvonne

“ Very knowledgeable, always willing to answer questions and very generous with time and materials.” – Sophie

Thursday evenings
6.30pm-8.30pm
February 19th, 26th, March 5th, 12th, 19th 2026

Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BB
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)

The colours for our fabrics came mainly from plants until synthetic dyes were developed in the late 19th century. This introductory course offers the chance to learn how to use plants to create colours to dye cotton, silk and wool. Through the five sessions you’ll learn about the history of dyes, techniques for dyeing, plants to use, how to combine colours, using flowers and leaves for ecoprinting and using woad, the traditional blue dye.

Session 1: an introduction to the history of dyeing fibre, preparing your fibres and mordanting

Session 2: dyeing with traditional plant materials to create a range of different colours

Session 3: dyes you can forage for – an evening of experimentation with different plants you have foraged

Session 4: using flowers and leaves for ecoprinting

Session 5: dyeing with woad to produce blues

This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.

What you will need:rubber gloves and an apron
What you will take away:skein of dyed wool, squares of dyed cotton, silk and wool, handouts

No experience necessary