Hand dye a skein of yarn – evening

Price: £40
About this workshop
In this short, Make & Take workshop you'll be dyeing your own, unique skein of yarn in your choice of colours. Debbie will be demonstrating some simple techniques and showing you how to dye your skein using synthetic (procion mx fibre reactive) dyes. You can then choose from a range of Debbie's exclusive knitting and crochet patterns and take home your skein and pattern to make something super-special!
You will learn:
- How to prepare yarn for dyeing
- How to make up dyes
- Tips for choosing and combining colours
- A range of easy techniques
- How to fix and finish your hand-dyed yarn
You will need:
Nothing! All the dyes, equipment and materials are included so just bring yourself!
What's included?
You will be taking home a 100g skein of beautiful, handdyed yarn and a knitting or crochet pattern from a selection of Debbie's exclusive designs, with a value totalling £15-18.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are also provided during the workshop.
Price:
This workshop is £40.
Course level:
This workshop is suitable for absolute beginners and is also great for dyers in need of a refresher or just to have a little 'me time' to play with new ideas and colours!
This is a course for over 18s. We may be able to accommodate accompanied younger participants but please ask before booking.
This workshop also makes a great choice for a baby shower, leaving gift, wedding celebration, birthday party. Private group bookings can be arranged on request.
Where?
This is an in person course and will be hosted at Debbie's studio at A4 studios and AIR Gallery in Altrincham, Cheshire.
When?
This handdyeing workshop takes place on Tuesday evening, 6.00pm-9.00pm.
About the classes
Debbie loves to teach and has been a dyer for over 30 years so you'll be able to pick her brains for tips, tricks and hacks!
Make & Take sessions are designed to be fun and enjoyable and you'll take home something special that's ready to use. The pace is relaxed and the small group size means there's time for individual attention, questions and chat.
Keen to learn to dye but can't attend in person?
No problem! We are delighted to be able to offer online classes live via zoom where you can enjoy the course from the comfort of your own home or studio. As the course is live you'll be able to ask questions and Debbie will be demonstrating techniques on screen. Your pattern is sent to you as a download.
Details of Zoom sessions will be available shortly.
Debbie says... I love teaching workshops and courses – part of the pleasure of doing something I love for a living is in knowing that other people have shared my passion and enthusiasm, learned something new, had lots of fun and generally had a good time! Teaching is a learning process for the tutor as much as for the students so I like to keep a comments book for feedback. Here are some of my favourite excerpts…
What our students say....



Where to find us:
This workshop will be held at:
Studio 19
A4 Studios
30 Grosvenor Road
Altrincham
WA14 1LD
Public transport:
We are a short, level walk from Altrincham Metrolink station, Altrincham rail station and the Altrincham bus interchange.
By car:
There is limited free, on-street parking nearby and parking in the restricted spaces is free in the evenings (but do check the signs!).
There is a multistorey carpark in Altrincham centre, 8 minutes level walk from the studios
About A4 studios
A4 Studios is a not-for-profit organisation that has been founded by a group of disabled and able-bodied artists and entrepreneurs who recognised a need for good quality affordable studio spaces within the locality of Trafford.
- Debbie TomkiesOrganizer of Hand dye a skein of yarn - eveningDebbie is a knitting & crochet expert with over 30 years' teaching and designing experience. Debbie is on the in-house knitting expert team for Knit Now magazine and Craftworld and has been producing their how-to features and videos since the magazine started over 10 years ago, prior to which she wrote the technical features for Simply Knitting magazine. Debbie is the author of 5 internationally published books, Hand-Dyed Yarn Craft Projects, Complete Knitting Skills, 250 Knitting Stitches, Knitting.Learn it.Love it and How to Knit. Debbie has been a hand dyer for over 25 years, working with both synthetic and natural dyes, indigo & woad. She teaches dyeing with yarn & fabrics, printing, botanical (eco) printing, tie dye and more. In addition to teaching knitting, crochet, felting and dyeing throughout the UK, Debbie also teaches City & Guilds accredited programmes in design and handknitting at Making Futures CIC. Debbie has had over 100 designs published in major magazines over the last 10 years. When she's not crafting, you'll find Debbie in the garden, tending her dyeplants, enjoying a nice craft beer or hugging a big mug of builders' tea. And if you're out and about, she can often be found in the mosh pit at a gig or enjoying some folk music!