Sarah Burnett

Sarah Burnett

Each jacket takes on average about three months to knit, and the technique of weaving the yarn on every stitch gives the finished garment the texture and strength of cloth. Most are constructed on circular needles, thus eliminating seams. The designs, with the dropped sleeves, exciting shapes and unusual detail have a theatrical quality.

The silk, wool and cashmere blend of yarn is naturally dyed with plants in my converted farm buildings. I am always experimenting with different colours and new methods. The yarn is first washed and mordanted by hand to enable it to absorb the colour.

It is then dipped into different dye baths, achieving an enormously rich palette of colours. Each skein is slightly different, and there can be as many as twenty shades in a single hank of yarn. When knitted, the jackets look almost painted, making each piece of knitting a one-off.

For more information visit The Natual Dye Company or email naturaldyecompany@boltblue.com