Dye and weave your own Parkland Wool Blanket downtown Edmonton

If you’re interested in future sessions of this workshop, stay tuned for updates!

Natural Dye & Weaving Workshop in the heart of Edmonton

This exclusive workshop, a collaboration between Gather Textiles and Traceable Textiles, offers a rare opportunity to naturally dye and weave with our locally produced Parkland Blanket Wool. Due to the limited annual production of this wool, space is extremely limited. Although this session is sold out, we encourage those interested to stay connected for future offerings. You can sign up to our newsletters at the bottom of this page to learn the new date the class will be available.

Instructors

Shannon Nelson (@traceabletextiles) & Kim McCollum

Workshop Schedule

The workshop consists of a natural dyeing session at our studio, followed by weaving sessions at Gather Textiles.

• Natural Dye Session: February 28, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Traceable Textiles (with Shannon and Kylie)

  • Participants will dye wool yarn using natural dye materials harvested last summer.
  • Pre-scoured skeins will be ready to mordant and dye in Tansy (yellow) or Coreopsis (orange), with options to modify these colors to green and red.
  • A review of dyeing techniques, tools, and best practices for home dyeing will be included.

• Weaving Sessions:

  • Sunday, March 2, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday, March 9, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Workshop Overview

Participants will naturally dye local wool weft and weave a custom throw blanket using Parkland Blanket Wool. This wool remains within Alberta from raw material to finished textile, ensuring a sustainable and locally rooted process. The finished throw is perfect for home decor or as a meaningful gift.

Looms will be pre-set with yarrow-colored warps, allowing participants to begin weaving immediately.

Topics Covered

• Natural dyeing process using locally harvested materials
• Modifying natural dyes for expanded color options
• Introduction to Parkland Blanket Wool and its significance in local wool production
• Selecting quality wool for weaving
• Weaving techniques specific to wool
• Loom setup for wool weaving
• Weaving a plain weave or twill pattern
• Finishing techniques, including fringe and blanket stitching
• Wet finishing for a professional result

Materials & Equipment Provided

• A detailed guide: The Complete Guide to Parkland Wool (includes three throw patterns)
• All materials needed to complete the throw blanket ($380 wool value)
• Use of studio floor looms
• Scouring agent for wet finishing
• Tapestry needles for finishing and repairs
• Additional Parkland Blanket Wool for future mending if needed

Experience Level

No prior experience is required—this is an excellent workshop for beginners.

If you’re interested in future sessions of this workshop, stay tuned for updates!