About the Artist
Char Sharkey-previously of Caravan Fiber Studio, Trumansburg, NY now living in Depoe Bay, Oregon
Hi, you may remember me from the days of CFS, where I custom dyed mohair cinch cord in over 150 colors and created the very first tie-dyes cinch cord. The Studio’s origin started when I bought a horse and wanted to learn to make some of her tack. And that’s when I discovered the mohair cinch cord. I honestly don’t remember the first time I dyed it. From the moment I saw the lovely glowing results of that hand-dyed mohair, I was hooked. I became a dye-test junkie, eventually testing well over 400 dyes.
You’ll probably remember how we all worked through Covid together—everyone isolated, but keeping so busy. And through my cow gals & ranchers I learned about Wild Rags.
In 2021 I contacted a silk company in China and ordered 70 silk Wild Rags. But because the Studio was so busy I had no time to experiment on the dyeing process.
Then, in March of 2023 we sold our farm in central New York and moved to the Oregon Coast. Depoe Bay is the Whale Watching Capital. We have our own grey whale pod that summers here in our bay feasting on kelp & raising their children, after wintering in the warmer waters off of Mexico.
I love the being by the ocean, I love the artsy/craftsy feeling of it, and I love the tie-dye. I sold Caravan Fiber Studio. And I started investing in new dyes & studying tie-dye techniques. Silk dyes up just as spectacularly as mohair! I then invested in additional silk scarf sizes, including a long version and small “Lamp Toppers.”
And so, I present to you my new company: Caravan West Silks