This blog post is not necessarily directly related to the usual themes of our website www.yokodana.com (Japanese culture, vintage kimono, traditional Japanese textile art etc.). However, we were so struck by the beauty and use of colors (ombre’) of a hand-dyed shawl pictured on Facebook, that we wanted to share it with our visitors -- who we’re sure will enjoy it. So, we contacted the folks running the website www.thebluebrick.ca -- a couple in Canada -- and they agreed to let us post some of their pictures.
After visiting their website and studying their Ombre’ collection in particular, it became apparent to us why we were so drawn to this look – it reminds us of Japanese traditional gradation dyeing techniques, called bokashi. Regardless, the shawl shown above was what first caught our eye, not just for its splendid gradation colors (well, my favorite color is blue…) but also because of the cut and pattern (aviary) of it. We were told that this one is designed by Kyle Vey and also that the pattern is available on their website.
As for the site owners, here’s what they say about themselves:
… (we are) an independent yarn company. We also have, on occasion, silk scarves hand dyed to the same colours of our yarns as well as matching jewelry pieces. Our new expansion is fine art prints based on our works. https://shop.thebluebrick.ca/collections/fine-art-prints ….
From thebluebrick.ca ABOUT US:
Our yarn is a marriage of photography and fiber, bringing the colours of the world into lovingly hand painted yarns. Our yarns come from a mill here in Canada, and we source our supplies and dyes with an eye to reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible, to care for the world that inspires us every day.
This connection, to places and things, makes each skein special to us. From the rugged beauty of Peggy’s Cove to the natural elegance of a feather. From the petals of a rose to the plumage of a parrot. From the deep blue sea to backyard hens. From our story, to yours.
…. We are a husband / wife team of self-taught crafters from Toronto. We enjoy a spectrum of crafts, including metal-smithing, painting, pottery, lamp-working, glass-blowing and, of course, a great love of the fiber arts. I am a professional photographer by trade, and it is this love of the printed image that inspires my yarn.
Shireen Nadir-Santana
https://www.thebluebrick.ca