About Natural Violet...

Darlene Bruce is a research scientist by training. She founded her home based fiber art business, Natural Violet, in 1998. The name comes from "Natural" for her use of natural fibers in her work and "Violet" after her sweet calico kitty. Darlene has a fiber studio in her home in Charlottesville, VA, where she lives with her husband, Chris, and her three cats, Violet, Simon and Storm. She is a self taught knitter and dyer and has been knitting, crocheting, sewing, dyeing and just about anything else fiber related she could get her hands on as long as she can remember. She loves working with bright colors and is especially fond of dyeing both fabric and yarn. Colors in nature inspire her as well as her love for animals. Everything sold through Natural Violet is hand made and designed by Darlene in her home studio. She invites you to appreciate the uniqueness of the work and know that each item is individually made and not mass-produced. She sells her work through her website, juried art and craft shows and a local artisan cooperative. She specializes in natural fiber handbags, accessories and home decor. Materials she uses include wool and hemp yarns and hemp fabrics. Most of her pieces include hand dyed yarn and fabric. In addition to running her business, Darlene has taught knitting and felting classes through the short courses program at a local university. She is currently working on a knitting and felting book to be in stores in Spring 2007.