Fiber Arts
Making Japanese Sukumo Indigo Vats for North House, Unplugged 2025
This fall, Kenta Watanabe (Japan) taught sukumo indigo dyeing at North House. But in order for class to happen, someone local had to prepare the dye vats. In this blog post, Jazmin Hicks-Dahl shares the process she used to carefully prepare the living dye for class.
Meet Josie Cooke
Meet Josie Cooke! In her first blog post as a Resident Artisan, Josie writes about the Slow Fashion Movement, and her work creating locally sourced, ecologically friendly, and ethically produced textiles.
North House and the World Shibori Network Foundation Partner to Host Kenta Watanabe at Unplugged 2025
Unplugged returns this fall, and we're honored to announce Kenta Watanabe, an indigo farmer and dyer from Tokushima, Japan, will be joining as one of our 2025 Featured International Instructors!
Embracing Winter as a Grand Marais Artisan
Winter can be an intense season in northern Minnesota. In their latest blog post, Riley Kleve writes about embracing their first-ever winter in Grand Marais: from skiing to studio time to welcoming guests from Sweden.
Good Yarn, Bad Yarn
Good yarn, bad yarn: in this blog post, Riley Kleve dives into their stash of novelty yarns and writes about the many surprising uses they've found for "bad" yarn.
Some Good Things
When winter settles in, it's the little things that can get us through. In their newest blog post, Riley Kleve shares snapshots of their last month in the Artisan Development Program, and the things they're looking forward to this winter.
Meet Riley Kleve
Meet Riley! In their first blog post, handspinner and weaver Riley Kleve shares about their craft journey—from finger knitting as a child to starting a yarn business to joining the Artisan Development Program.
Imperfections: What Museum Pieces Have Taught Me About Letting Go
Is craftsmanship about the pursuit of perfection? After a transformative visit to see some historic garments, Caroline Feyling writes about embracing the beauty of imperfection in handcraft.
Crafting Through The Seasons
How does a working craftsperson find balance in their creative practice? In her latest blog post, Caroline Feyling discusses questions she's been pondering about seasonality, scheduling, and the pillars of a sustainable craft career.
Gamps: An Important Part of “Yarn Math”
Samples save heartache. In this blog post, weaver Caroline Feyling writes about gamps—an important step in the weaving process that can prevent trouble down the road.