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Handbooks, Videos & Cowl Kits
Please shop with us...but in a very old-fashioned way.
When I am on the beaches of Latin America and there’s no phone, no electricity, and running water’s optional, life gets really good for me. Roger Salter, technological dinosaur and the other half of Dreamy Goat Design
After many frustrating efforts to join the 21st century, Dreamy Goat Design Studio is going back in time to what was for us an easier and more personal way to sell our wares. Now, instead of trying to navigate through what is often (for us) the labyrinthine and aggressive world of e-commerce, we’d prefer to meet you a little more directly.
Never trust a computer you can’t throw out the window. Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder
In a world that monetizes most everything, we believe that a key part of selling what we’ve made is not the modest profit we might make but the transaction itself— the interaction, however brief, between you and us. It’s not the money that matters so much as it is engaging with another human being—and hearing their story—that gives us real pleasure and purpose.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. Albert Einstein, theoretic physicist
So if you see something you think you might like, just call or email us. You’ll get a real person on the other end, the one who made the item (or is married to the person who did) and can talk specifics with you. We can answer your questions, offer suggestions, and make sure you have exactly what you want before you place your order.
But how do you pay if not online and there's no PayPal?
We can either take your credit card information over the phone or you can mail us a check—but only after you have no doubts you’ve made the right purchase. We ship via the US Postal Service's Priority Mail 2-Day unless you specify otherwise. California sales tax is 7.25%.
Talk to us! dreamygoatdesign@yahoo.com - or - (209) 728-8721 Best time to call us is between 9 am-4 pm PST. We check our messages daily.
And...if you want to see our very latest rounds of dyeing, use our 'Contact Us' link to find us on Facebook and Instagram.
Over 30 pages of instruction written for the person new to natural dyeing. Questions along the way? Remember, you can always call or email us for specific help.
Let's All Dye Trying....Naturally!
a primer on naturally dyeing protein fibers plus hard-earned tips, side conversations & cool samples
I wrote this handbook to accompany a large workshop on natural dyeing I taught at CNCH a few years ago. Fourteen intrepid women (see below) created 25 colors in just 12 hours. Were they dazed when it was all done? You bet!
I knew there was no way these troopers would remember everything once they got home. Hence, my handbook to help remind them what they had learned.
"Dye Trying" is a how-to manual intended for the beginning dyer who wants clear directions on every step of the natural dyeing process: scouring, mordanting, the dyeing itself, and finishing. It includes step-by-step recipes, loads of information, great photos, chatty tidbits, recommended readings, and--maybe best of all-- dozens of dyed yarn samples for inspiration.
Plus my handbook is practical. Individual pages can be removed for easy reference, and the print is large enough to see while you're leaning over a dye pot.
This handbook is not meant for the coffee table; it's meant to be used.
$70.00 + tax & shipping
These amazing women were my impetus for putting together my handbook of instructions.
"The Wonders of Natural Dyeing" WorkshopConference of Northern California Handweavers Asilomar, 2015
Lots and lots of recipes for all the traditional dye stuffs, including cochineal, madder root, and weld. Plus step-by-step instructions for building your own indigo vat. If you can't find a workshop that fits into your schedule, then this handbook is for you.
I've also included dozens of tips that I've learned over the years, many of them thanks to my truly inspirational teachers Michele Wipplinger of Earthues and Kathy Hattori of Botanical Colors.
My naturally dyed samples are arguably the best part about this handbook. Fourteen dye stuffs and over 175 different colors! These are not photos but real yarns. I don't think you can find this anywhere else.
How to Dye Trying...Naturally!
A 5-disc, 30-episode set of videos that parallels--but goes far beyond--my handbook.
These videos are the result of three online classes I taught a few years ago. For over six months and using just our iPhone, Roger filmed me demonstrating most everything I know regarding natural dyeing. Casually scripted and certainly not without glitches, these videos are very informal. But they are also very informative. They may not be professional, but each episode provides solid, practical instruction.
The series begins with the basics of fiber choice, scouring and mordanting. The actual dyeing focuses first on natural yellows, then the reds and oranges and finally indigo blue. The video set stands by itself but is greatly enhanced when coupled with the handbook, "Let's All Dye Trying....Naturally!"
4 hours 45 minutes total viewing time
$35.00 + tax & shipping
(Hey! If you buy both the handbook and video set together, you'll save $5.00!)
over 40 years of experience behind these 30 videos
demos galore
mostly do's but occasional don't's
lots of info with laughs along the way
a family affair every step of the way!
These 30 videos cover the whole natural dyeing process, ending with a quick, rather irreverent introduction to shibori techniques.
What happens when Dreamy Goat meets Kira K?
You get a beautiful cowl of all naturally dyed yarns!
This kit includes:
Kira K Design Kaleidoscopic Cowl Pattern
Dreamy Goat's simple modifications
8 balls of our all naturally dyed DK wool yarn.
Give the kit as a gift to a knitting friend, or knit up a cowl for yourself. This cowl pattern is fun to knit--and fast!
The available colorways are shown below. No two kits are alike.
(Psst! I secretly think the best part about Kira's pattern is watching the colors come alive as they change. It's always better than what I had imagined.)
NEWS FLASH! What with this horrible pandemic, the world is going through some really hard times. So I've dropped the price by 25%. After all, we're all in this together, which means we gotta take care of each other.
WAS $39.50 + tax & shipping ***** NOW $30.00 + tax & shipping.
Please note reference # when inquiring.
The yarn is 100% Blue Faced Leicester wool, 4-ply, DK weight, 1000 ypp. The finished cowl is very soft, light, and drapes beautifully. Finished measurements are approximately 23" in circumference & 10" in length.
Each kit includes 8 balls of yarn whose colors deliberately contrast with each other so that the pattern clearly stands out.* Sorry, no substitutions.
*To see what happens when colors too close in value are juxtaposed, look at the purple/yellow cowl, left photo. See how the pattern in the middle is lost?
The pattern is knit in the round--no purling--and there's only one color each row. From the back side, you can see the slipped stitches that begin and end each color shift. In other words, this cowl is super easy to make.
CK 101- cutch extract, logwood chip, yellow onion skin, Osage orange sawdust, madder root, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 102 - cochineal insect, madder root SOLD
CK 103 - marigold flower, Osage orange sawdust, logwood chip, red onion skin, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 104 - logwood chip, red onion skin, cochineal insect, madder root , indigo leaf
CK 105 - logwood chip, cochineal insect, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 106 - cutch extract, marigold flower, chamomile flower, red onion skin, madder root, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 107 - logwood chip, yellow onion skin, cochineal insect, madder root, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 108 - cutch extract, marigold flower, red onion skin, madder root, weld flower, indigo leaf
CK 109 - safflower petal, chamomile flower, red onion skin, weld plant, cochineal insect, Osage orange sawdust, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 110 - cochineal insect, logwood chip, Queen Anne's Lace, marigold flower, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 111 - madder root, cochineal insect, yellow onion skin, logwood chip
CK 112 - logwood chip, chamomile flower, weld plant, Osage orange sawdust, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 113 - marigold flower, safflower petal, chamomile flower, weld plant, cochineal insect, indigo leaf SOLD
CK 114 - cutch extract, marigold flower, logwood chip, weld plant, cochineal insect, indigo leaf
CK 115 - avocado pit, cutch extract, marigold flower, chamomile flower, red onion skin, weld plant, indigo leaf, madder root
CK 116 - logwood chip, cochineal insect, indigo leaf, madder root
(3rd down, right, is dark purple)
CK 117 - cutch extract, safflower petal, logwood chip, indigo leaf
CK 118 - marigold flower, safflower petal, logwood chip, cochineal insect, Osage orange sawdust
CK 119 - marigold flower, cochineal insect, weld plant, indigo leaf, madder root
(3rd down, right, is dark purple)
CK 120 - cutch extract, chamomile flower, marigold flower, eucalyptus leaf, indigo leaf, weld plant
CK 121 - marigold flower, safflower petal, chamomile flower, weld plat, cochineal insect, indigo leaf
CK 122 - logwood chip, cochineal insect, indigo leaf
Ck 123 - yellow onion skin, logwood chip, madder, cochineal insect, indigo plant
CK 124 - logwood chip, madder root, cochineal insect, indigo
(4th down, right, is dark purple)