Natural Dyeing with Lichen with Jane Addams

Orchil dye, a potent purple dye once used all over the world, including Norway, can be made from several species of lichen in our own backyard. Learn how to identify, ethically forage, and handle these dye lichens in our area, along with a short biology lesson about these fascinating organisms and how to work with them responsibly. You will prepare a lichen dye extraction to take home. While the full extraction process can take several months, you will leave with knowledge of significant species, identification tools, dyed materials, and a fresh lichen extraction vat of your own. During class, students will dye silk and wool to create a dye sample card and a dyed silk scarf, and some wool as well. Jane Addams is a first generation Norwegian American with a long family history in the woolen mills of Norway. She has 13 years of experience knitting traditional Norwegian colorwork. Raised in Illinois, she has spent years in the Pacific Northwest and has recently moved to Decorah, Iowa. She vows never to live outside of the “sweater weather” zone. Jane designs Selbu mittens for yarn stores and fashion brands and enjoys studying and teaching our rich textile heritage. Vesterheim offers a 60% discount for in-person class tuition on a space-available standby basis to any year-round resident living within 50 miles of Vesterheim. Students will be notified about the availability of an opening in the class 21 days before the starting date of the class period. Discounts do not include materials fees. If local area residents want a guaranteed place in a class, they must pay regular class tuition. The local standby option is supported by Decorah’s Depot Outlet.