Fiber
I weave wearables in Tencel, an eco-friendly fiber made of wood pulp (primarily eucalyptus – which grows without irrigation, on soil unsuitable for food crops). Nontoxic solvents are used to process the pulp into yarn, then recaptured to use with the next batch of wood pulp – hence a “closed loop” manufacturing process with low environmental impact. The resulting yarn has a natural lustre; I weave it into wearables with a marvelous hand and lovely drape. Tencel is light enough to wear all summer, yet also soft to snuggle in all winter.
Color
I’m often asked if I dye my own yarns. I do not. I live on a small island; I get my water from a well. Even with proper precautions, I prefer not to handle the chemicals involved in dying. I trust the companies I source from to handle these materials safely at industrial scale. My artistry is the selection and placement of individual colors, one thread at a time, improvising within my overall color intention, never the same warp twice.
Care
Hand wash (or gentlest machine setting and a zippered mesh bag), cool water, mild detergent or shampoo. Air dry on a rack (or tumble dry low, again in a mesh bag, but this may create creases). Tencel rarely wrinkles but it loves to be ironed – medium iron, steam is fine. Consider it polishing your garment, bringing out the luster of this wonderful fiber.
