Designed by student Merlyn ’23 the Brushy Fork Tote is woven using six pairs of colors, all of which were chosen to reflect the colors you might see while out walking the trails during various times of the year. The weaver gets to choose, within set parameters, which color to use and how long they want to use it before switching colors. This design makes each tote bag unique, and each weaving experience an act of creation, not just pure production. Merlyn wanted to make something that would be consistently fun and engaging to weave; no one wants to be bored at the loom. The weave structure itself is inspired by vines and the exposed root structures of the trees that are visible by the water. The straps are dyed using a natural dye made of black walnuts gathered from Brushy Fork, which is a creek that runs through a natural area adjacent to campus. This allowed us to incorporate a very real part of the forest into the bag.

12” W x 15”L