Handspun yarn Natural dyes Plant dyed fibre by HighlandColours

Featuring natural dyes, on hand spun and commercially spun yarns, fibres and locks, and a selection of vintage bobbins and patterns, Sometimes I have selected driftwood suitable for wall hangings and macrame, depending on the season.

All orders are posted out in bio-degradable non- plastic packaging. All fibre and locks packaged in bio-degradable plant based cellophane bags. I do not carry any super-wash yarns as they are not bio-degradable.

All postage over-payments will be refunded through Etsy after dispatching items. Postage can be difficult to calculate because I use the post office postage 'bands'. Your item/s may cost less to mail, so if you end up paying more than it costs me, I will refund through Etsy because I don't make profit on post. Message me any questions.

My name is Sarah Matthess and my work focuses entirely upon natural fibres and natural colours. Nothing in my shop will be dyed with chemical dyes and all my fibre is all natural and bio degradable. For that reason I do not sell any super-wash products. I grow, harvest and collect dye plants from the land where possible. All my fleeces are sourced from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. I purchase my fleeces from small flocks and I like to focus on rare breeds. Packaging is entirely bio-degradable, even the cello-bags that I package the locks in can be popped on the compost heap afterwards because they are made from plant based materials. I wash my fleeces in natural soap and recycle the water into a grey-water-butt outside my back door, for the plants. Spent dye-baths are also recycled in the same way.

My first exposure to the hand spinning process was aged 4 at a recreation day. Many years and many spinning wheels and weaving looms later, I find that the raw beauty of the wool and plant dyes is what makes me tick. Plant dyeing is a more time consuming process and can be quite unpredictable. There is a lot to learn about natural dyeing, but it is rewarding.

When I take posession of a new greasy fleece, I will spread it out on the floor and get my inspiration on how to process it right from that point. I will evaluate the softness, the staple length, colour and texture of the fibre, and make a decision on how best to use it. But the goal with coloured fleeces is always to preserve as much of the natural raw wool in the look of the yarn, as I can.

I have now relocated with my business back to where my family originated from and I work from my workshop & home, in the medieval village of Ixworth, Suffolk. 600 years ago this area led the whole of the UK in wool production, and was a major export. The village was an important Roman junction with a fort and road network. There have also been anglo saxon finds within the village and the land adjacent to my workshop. Not so far away is Lavenham which was a major hub for cloth during the Tudor times, and the fabulous medieval Guildhall is a big tourist attraction. Lavenham and surrounding areas became extremely wealthy on their wool exports. 'Lavenham Blue' was a blue cloth dyed with the local plant of woad, and was exported from the town, to as far away as Russia.

I have been hand- spinning, knitting, crocheting, weaving, and dyeing for over 40 years whilst raising a large family, so my work started with making our own clothes. The fibre journey began with some angora rabbits and harvesting their wool. I have kept sheep and spun dog hair, grown flax and dabbled in all-things-fibre. Over the years I have also taught hand-spinning and dyeing at a local college and worked on commissions. But now with new opportunities online, I'm thrilled to be able to market my craft from home, to a wider audience.

For more on my work please visit my youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9IPQQ_1mAGXfPWL1z5e2PA

Also my website https://www.highlandcolours.com/

Or Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Thank you for looking, and to all my customers who have given valuable feed-back over the years.

HighlandColours

Announcement

Items

Featured items

Indigo & Madder root Wensleydale locks, 11" - 13", 2 tone, mid blue with red purple tips, 10g packs

Handspun Madder root plant dyed tapestry weaving singles yarn, British grey Cheviot wool, Navajo colour, dark burnt red 25g/apx 30yds

Handspun Northern Ireland Romney, entirely plant dyed, chunky soft self striping warm Autumn colours

Handspun Leicester Longwool lock yarn, natural undyed greys & browns, British wool, long silky locks, rug / tapestry, 50g / approx. 10yds

All Items

Vintage weaving mill bobbins, original mill colour coding, peach orange peeling layered paint patina with white cotton, cleaned & waxed

Vintage French wooden bobbins with fine white thread, 5"x1"

Vintage antique wooden bobbins, 4 3/4" x 1 1/2"

Vintage antique 8" metal end bobbin pirn, weaving shuttle quills, 8 1/8th" (apx. 20.5cm) x 1 3/8th" base

Vintage antique primitive cotton weaving mill pirn bobbins, steel grey/blue cotton thread, Made in Britain.

Vintage weaving shuttle pirns or quills, 7 1/4" length x aprox. 1" diameter at metal end, wooden bobbins spools textile

Vintage 8" quill pirns antiques, 8"x1 1/4" metal tips and base, hardwood, polished and waxed, made in England, collectors bobbins

Vintage antique 12" tall twister bobbins, superb patina, very old, metal bound ends, very collectable.

Vintage antique bobbins, Dixons made in England, collectable, metal bound, 10 1/4" x 3", cleaned & waxed

1x Vintage wooden bobbin various threads, coloured thread red white blue gold pink, 5.5" to 6" length

Vintage antique French spool bobbins, thread weaving, original green paint patina, 1.5" x 5", cleaned waxed and buffed

Antique vintage bobbin, 'Wilsons Bros Made in England' name stamped collectors metal bound twister spinning bobbin, 8" x 2 1/4"

10" Vintage weaving shuttle bobbin quill spools pirns, solid wood antiques

Vintage antique textile mill bobbins spools, metal bound, original mill red paint patina, 9" x 2"

Brass tops vintage wooden bobbins, Metal bass rims, 8" x 1 3/4" base, 7/8" dia. top, linen weaving mill pirn bobbins, North England.

Vintage antique wooden weaving shuttle pirn quill bobbins original blue paint patina 9 1/4" x 1", metal bound ends, cleaned waxed & polished

Vintage antique weaving mill bobbin, English cotton spinning mill, metal bound ends, 7" x 2 1/4"

Vintage antique weaving mill bobbin spool, 10 1/4" x 3 3/4", beautiful solid large bobbin, candle stick? repurpose, English spinning mill

Vintage bobbins, weaving mill 'Deansons' England, wooden spools, farmhouse rustic repurpose, 9" x 3 3/4" x 2"

Vintage wooden bobbins, Metal bound ends, 8" x 1 3/4" base, 7/8" dia. top, linen weaving mill pirn bobbins, North England.

Copper bound weaving shuttle bobbins, vintage antique home decor pieces, 9.5" (24cm) x 1.75" (4.5cm)

Reviews

About HighlandColours

Shop members

Sarah Matthess, 'Highland Colours'

Shop policies

Shipping

Digital downloads

Payment options

Returns & exchanges

I gladly accept returns and exchanges

I don't accept cancellations

The following items can't be returned or exchanged

Privacy policy