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Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes

@riaburnsknit

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🏵️ Natural dyer & grower @riagrowsdyes
🧶 Knitwear designer-maker
🌿 Author, educator
📍Somerset
🌟 Supported by @aceagrams
🌱 Grow with me @seedtoskein

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Joining in with @seam_collective #SeptTextileLove a day late, so I’m going to combine the first two prompts to catch up…

1️⃣ Introduction
I’m Ria, a natural dyer and knitwear-maker designer based in North Somerset. My knitwear is made with wool sourced from a local regenerative farm just 10 miles away, and dyed exclusively with dye plants that I’ve grown in my garden.
Alongside my knitwear practice, I teach workshops (in-person and online) in natural dyes, dye plant growing and machine knitting. In 2023 my first book ‘Dyeing Yarn Naturally’ was published by @thecrowoodpress.
I also run @seedtoskein, a growing-led membership community for yarn dyers who want to learn to grow and work with natural dyes.
I’m currently working on an @aceagrams funded Research and Development project into improving the sustainability of my natural dye practice through exploring local colour and plant-based mordants.

2️⃣ Hand or machine?
Whilst I use various machines to create my textiles, I think the craft of machine knitting is still very much hand-made. Now I think about it, very few aspects of my practice aren’t made slowly by hand in some way, whether that be sowing seeds, harvesting flowers, naturally dyeing yarns, or creating a finished piece of knitwear.

Looking forward to meeting some fellow textile makers and enthusiasts - say hi if you've just found me 👋🏻

📸 @johounsomephotography

#STL26Day1,#STL26Day2 #septtextilelove26 taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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a month ago

New studio shots by @johounsomephotography 📸

I'm so pleased with them! And it's great to have some updated photos of the 'new' North Somerset space.

Looking forward to getting back on the knitting machines now it's less hot. These fine knit tees will be first on the to-knit list!

#knitweardesign #machineknitting taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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2 months ago

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7 months ago

Boxy tees
Made with vibrant homegrown natural dyes and soft, lightweight local wool
Launching tomorrow (16/10)

#riaburnsknitwear #autumnknits taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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2 days ago

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10 days ago

Machine knitting on almost a full fine gauge needle bed - quite the arm workout!

New tees coming soon I promise!

#machineknitting #machineknittersofinstagram taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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16 days ago

2 SPACES LEFT on my last Bristol workshop of the year!

Join me at @creativespacebristol for my half day Natural Yarn Dyeing with British Wool workshop this Saturday.

Together we'll learn all about natural dyeing using plants from my garden, and create 8 mini skeins of beautifulky dyed yarn which you can take home and use for knit, crochet or any other yarn craft!

🗓️ Saturday 3rd October
🕙 10am-1pm
📍 Creative Space, Staple Hill, Bristol
🏷️ £60 including all materials
🔗 Book now via my website taken in Bristol, United Kingdom by @riaburnsknit

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17 days ago

Having a great time at @yeoorganicgarden festival!

I'm in the shopping tent with @fernhillfibre and @badger_house_leather, we're working on a collaborative needle felt which you are very welcome to join in with 🐑

The new tees are going down well - knitted in a lovely soft fine yarn from @fernhillfibre and hand dyed with plants from my garden 🌱

I'll make more and put them on the website for sale in the next couple of weeks, but do DM if you see one you like and I can set us aside for you 👋🏻

#yeovalleyorganicgarden #yeovalleyorganicgardenfestival
#naturallydyedknitwear taken in Yeo Valley Organic Garden by @riaburnsknit

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a month ago

Last week I ran my first group workshop at the studio.
It was a two day exploration into making blue dyes with woad and indigo - and it was such a good time!

It was wonderful to welcome people into my workspace and garden, and we made some really beautiful things! Thanks to everyone that attended - I hope you left feeling inspired and that your journeys into blue continue 💙

Workshop dates for 2027 coming soon, and in the meantime I have 2 spaces left on my next yarn dyeing workshop at @creativespacebristol on October 3rd, and availability for 1-1 sessions here until November 😊

#naturaldyeworkshop #indigoworkshop #índigo #woad taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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a month ago

#SeptTextileLove Day 3 - Colour!

If you didn't already know, colour is kind of my thing. Specifically,
colour made from plants, dyed on beautiful British wool. There's a richness, depth and harmony to natural dyes that just makes my heart sing!

I have been agonising all day about which images I should share for this prompt, and in the end I decided to stop overthinking it, and rummaged through my archives for some of the favourite dye palettes I've created over the years.

#STL26Day3 #SeptTextileLove26 #NaturalYarnDyeing taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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a month ago

Printing natural fabrics with organic colorants from nature (such as petals and leaves), is such a beautiful and exciting process!
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Watch as I unveil my first two tests using silk organza, mordant, scabia petals, dahlia leaves with copper sulphate solution and steaming…I’m so excited to use the resulting print and weaving it through my ceramic tree sculptures to depict the canopy of a tree! Watch this space to see the project develop over the coming weeks…

Thank you @riagrowsdyes @riaburnsknit for the workshop and mentoring!

#ecoprintingonfabric #ecoprinting #ecoprint #naturalcolour #naturalcolours taken in Ria Burns Knitwear & Natural Dyes by @riaburnsknit

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2 months ago