Redwood

Today while out walking I saw a curious colour in a stream bed. This brook travels downhill and each step had a orangish glow on the edge.

Redwood
over 1/8th yd. using Majic Carpet Dyes.
Dyed in a crock pot, very little stirring, add acid at the 5 minute point after adding wet wool and dye.

1/32 tsp. Reddish Brown
1/32 tsp. Yellow
1/32 tsp. Chocolate Brown

Hints for dyeing

Save electricity and don't fill your cup up to the top. 1 CBW ( cup of boiling water) is overkill.
When dissolving your dye particles in boiling water you only need to use a few tablespoons at most 1/4 cup.
Top it up with cool water, it is safer to handle too.


Replace vinegar with citric acid crystals for fume free dyeing.


Don't be tense when dyeing, put on your "happy " music.


Make something perfectly nice, then think about how to make it glorious.
Enjoy the adventure of it.

Use of Yarn Sample

Believe it or not I used the yarn shown to create strands of hair in my rug precious.
Where it turned blue and light brown it looks like light shining on it !
It all happened with planning !

Yarn Dyeing

I love having hand dyed yarn on hand. Of course to hook or bind with but also to knit.
I look for yarn that is not white (meaning a lighter shade of natural) so if I want to felt it I can.
It has to be close to 100% wool though silk and wool blends and nylon and polymide are dyeable with our wool acid dyes.

Here is how I dye it.

I like to use the electric frying pan for this.

Make sure your wool is arranged in skein and is loosely tied in four points. Wet it.

Make three to six colours of dye in jars with acid/ vinegar added, use 1/2 cup of water each.
If you want something tame as pictured, use colours that are somewhat dull. I used slate blue, clay and weak mahogany.
You will be surprised how this type of wool is useful in hooking.
I also like to use exciting colours to dye with. Have some fun with your choices. Be aware it will be dulled down through the process of hooking and knitting which creates a speckling of the different colours and consequently individual colours amalgamate to create a whole.

Lay your wool in the frying pan, try to get it as much of it in contact with the bottom of the pan as you can. DO NOT ADD WATER.

Turn the heat on in your pan. I use the high setting.

Pour the first colour over the wool in a cross. Wait for this colour to mostly take up
Pour the next colour in a cross beside the first cross rotating to the right with each new colour.

Work in this pattern using all your colours one at a time.

Heat until all colour is gone from the dye bath.
Rinse by hand.
Roll in towel to remove excess water, hang to dry.

Impediments

We all have things that will keep us from what we do best.
Recently I purchased a new battery for my laptop. I didn't realize how much I had enjoyed the freedom of writing from my bed, couch, table or deck until I was able to do it again.
The two year long, eventual dissipation of my battery was a slow, slow trickle of constraint.
I guess I'm not a tethered kind of girl.

But I didn't know that until I got unplugged again.


I said all that to say this... are you doing everything you can to provide yourself with creative outlet ?
I'm not talking about stuff necessarily.
Because we all know people who have tons of "stuff" but do nothing.
Something else impedes them.

Do you know your impediments ?

The question to ask yourself :
I can make the most wonderful things, why am I not ?

This is something I ask myself.
Be honest.
Make a checklist of things that help you make wonderful.
Your preparedness list.
Look at this list and pat yourself on the back for your state of readiness.

Now make a list of things that may retard your wonderful.
Your to bad about - no time, no energy, no money, no talent, no good list.

Look at the No Good list.
Examine these like a trouble shooting ,problem solving whiz kid, taking over the company robber baron.
Can any of these be debunked, raided, smashed or rent to be put of commission ?
Can you slash a tiny inefficiency to create a whole new company ?

Just one will thing will make a world of difference. What small thing can you do to get where you want to be ?

Something like getting my laptop mobile again.

This message has been brought to you directly from Wanda's couch in Wanda's partially renovated re-purposed new dining. Free from all wires.

Thinking about possibilities

This morning I was surprised to follow my monkey mind train of thoughts and realize I was thinking about what if questions.
I usually don't pay that much attention.

Let's make this a what if day in the dye pots.

What if I used a view to inspire the colours I pick to colour my wool ?

What if I acted truly risky with my wool, didn't worry about "wasting " it ?

What if I gathered up the wool I have already dyed but no longer care for and give it a makeover ?

What if I go to the second hand store and look for a new pot or pan to dye in and see what I can invent ?

What " if " will you explore today ?

Pastel Version of colours used

Here is a photo of the pastel version of the colours though this time I subbed in colonial blue ( Pro Chem ) for Navy.
Wondering why ? I was concerned I might not get the quality of pastel I wanted with the dark heavy navy and choose a lighter happier blue.

Dye something fun today.

Four Colour Revolution

Today, being bored and not wanting to look for new colour combos every 5 minutes, I tried dyeing several things with the same 4 colours....

PC Shamrock
PC Navy
PC Magenta
PC Yellow 135
Pictured are the combo in equal proportions over 1/2 yd.lilac, 1 yd natural, small pieces are echoes of the one yd piece.

I have another still in the dryer of a pastel from the same 4.

Dyeing All Week

This week we had a wonderful time dyeing all week. One of our activities included making stacks !
Here is the picture of Christine's stacks. She included a piece of natural on top !
Both stacks used the same wool. Beautiful !!