Vildspire and Reflections on Sustainability
Vildspire – A Love for Craft, Tradition and Nature
Vildspire is a passion for quality craftsmanship and timeless traditions, a head full of ideas, and a deep love for nature, knitting, yarn and colour.
It’s about bringing out the most beautiful colours from the natural world – and letting them inspire your knitting.
Knitting is a long process – from the first spark of inspiration, through choosing a pattern, selecting yarn and colours, learning or mastering new techniques, to the many quiet hours spent knitting, and finally holding the finished piece in your hands.
To me, knitting is a craft filled with care and intention – something we put time, skill and love into, whether for ourselves or for someone dear. It’s a process that asks for calm and patience, but also for technical skill, perseverance, inspiration and enthusiasm.
In a world that constantly moves faster, knitting is a celebration of the slow – and of the joy found not just in the finished piece, but in the making of it.
It’s important to me that you feel just as happy about your yarn as I was to have it in my care.
You’ve probably spent time carefully choosing the perfect yarn and colour for your project – or perhaps you simply fell in love with a particular shade on the spot and just had to have it.
However this yarn has found its way to your needles, I hope you’ll create something truly special – a beautiful piece of craft to be treasured and enjoyed, either by you or someone you love, for many years to come.
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In My Hand-Dyeing Workshop
All processes in my little hand-dyeing workshop are done by hand – from gathering the plant materials to dyeing and winding the finished yarns.
I put a lot of thought into how I can work with yarn and colour in the most sustainable way possible. That’s why I’ve spent a great deal of time finding the right yarn bases.
Here, you’ll find yarns that are either GOTS-certified or locally produced as a starting point.
I don’t keep sheep in the back garden – my focus is on the dyeing itself – so it’s important to me to know that the yarn has been sourced and produced responsibly.
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What Sustainability Means to Me
When people hear the word sustainability, most immediately think of nature and the environment – and rightly so. That is an essential and important part of the picture.
But just as important are the social and economic aspects of sustainability – making sure that the people and processes involved are treated with care and responsibility.
That’s why most of the yarns I work with are GOTS-certified, where possible.
The GOTS certification means that the yarn is fully traceable, and you can be sure it has been produced in a responsible and transparent way.
That said, you will also find yarns in my shop that are not GOTS-certified. In those cases, I make an effort to document the sourcing as clearly as I can.
These yarns are often more locally produced – like the beautiful mohair from Fynsk Mohair here in Denmark.
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Thoughtful Use of Resources
Beyond choosing responsible yarn bases, I also give careful thought to the resources I use in my dyeing process – especially water and plant materials.
It’s no secret that dyeing uses a lot of water, but I do everything I can to make the most of each dye bath. I reuse my baths several times and make a point of using the water as efficiently as possible – often repurposing it to water the plants in my garden.
In fact, I have a large rainwater barrel in my garden, and whenever I dye, I always start by using the rainwater collected there.
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Responsible Foraging
When I forage for dye plants, I always make sure to cut from the plant – never pull it up by the roots – and to harvest from a wide area so that no single spot is stripped bare.
This way, the plants can continue to thrive and return year after year, even if I’ve taken a little for dyeing.
My goal is always that you shouldn’t be able to tell I’ve been there with my scissors.
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