THE HAIRPOLITAN MAGAZINE VOL 6 MAY 2017

CREATE
Begin with getting the item that you want to dye, in
my case we were working with a face cloth. In this
case we are working with face cloth. Draw, with a
pencil, the pattern that you desire to create. The
pencil marks indicate the areas that will be tied.
STEP 1: PREPPING
STEP 2: TYING
Tie the areas with the pencil marks and be sure to
have a strong grip otherwise if it’s loose, the design
will not come out as desired.
LEARNING TO TIE & DYE
by Wagio Mokaya
Mrs. Janet Nyambura Kagwe a.k.a Cũcũ Janet, first fell in love with the craft in the 1960s while doing a
course in Nutrition at the then Karen College. She went on to improve her skills through BSF (a German
company) where she would access affordable and easier to use vat dyes.
Over the course of the years she has continued to learn new techniques and the positive response from her
clients gave her the impetus to go on. “The craft is in my blood!” she says, and goes on to explain that she
has tried to stop but has always found herself going back to it.
Cũcũ (meaning Grandmother in the local Kikuyu language) sources her raw materials from Nairobi’s Industrial
area. Her market has consisted of tourists, corporate companies and individuals. She ties & dyes t-shirts,
towels and bed covers; and displays her items at exhibitions, schools and churches. She recently opened
Facebook Page perhaps to gain a new & younger market for her wares.
In a bucket, mix in small amounts of the dye color
of your choice and sodium dithionite. Pour in
boiling water into the tin and let it dissolve. Insert
the face cloth in the tin until completely immersed.
STEP 3: DYEING
She has over the years, trained individuals and groups to assist her in her business and to also to grow their
own crafts. Therefore, it was an honor for her to run me through her process.
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