Kirsty Faulds & Simon W allwark – Natural W ool Dyeing
Creative endeavours like knitting have been a saving grace for many of us during Covid-induced imprisonment. Beavering away to meet the demand, Kirsty Faulds and Simon Wallwark of Shilasdair Yarn are producing unique balls of wool that are coloured by the Isle of Skye’s native flora.
As well as running a three-bed B&B and yoga retreat from their base in Culnacnoc, the couple have been running Shilasdair – Gaelic for ‘flag iris’, one of the many plants that can be used as a natural dye – for four years. From sprigs of ling heather that release rustic oranges and khaki greens, to nettle leaves that give soft grey-green hues, an abundance of ‘dye plants’ grow on Simon and Kirsty’s doorstep.
Using peaty water from the spring behind their workshop, foraged ingredients are cooked in one of three dye cabinets. The wool is then simmered in the resulting dye liquor, creating yarn that sits perfectly in the light and the landscape.
‘It marks the sense of place,’ says Kirsty. ‘We might not get the fuchsia pinks, but by pulling in what’s around here they sit harmoniously together and represent the Isle of Skye.
‘I love the fact that if you didn’t go out, pick the nettles and dye with them, you’d never unlock that colour. You’ve created something that’s given back to the environment. It feels like witchcraft.’
To find out more or view their yarn, visit their website at www.shilasdair-yarns.com.
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‘It marks the sense of place. It feels like witchcraft’ |