Spinning for Summer Sweater

Yup, I think summer is coming! And I am not going to go all Johnny Cash  this year. I'm gonna at least cover up the black and white with some colour!

Mary sais, Mudder you is nots a newspaper.

                                                                                   

 I spun these out of this eclectic collection of locks and fiber and big bags of this and that semi rovings I dyed one day. Doneal, who I listen to completely, suggested I spin them together.
I did not comb or card. I just picked it up as it came changing colours as I pleased. Then I plyed with royal blue cotton I had for ..... ahem...... thirty years.
I love the way it looks and can't wait to swan around in it!
Off now to draft a pants pattern. Hope YOU are doing something for yourself today! Get off your computer...ok? Life is waiting for you.

Dye Measures - This = That

Click photo to make larger

Today's Murder and Formula

To make Little House Wren simply prepare 1/8th yd of natural wool by wetting it with a touch of surfactant, like jet dry or shampoo.
 Dissolve 1/128 tsp + 1/256 tsp Majic Carpet Orange and 1/128th tsp. Seal Brown in 1/4 cup boiling water.

Add this to cool dye bath on stove top, no lid. Turn on heat, 9 I use high)  add wool, stir occassionally.

Wait until most of the colour has gone into the wool, then add 1 Tbsp. vinegar or 1/32 tsp. citric acid.

 Stir a bit more, turn off heat, cover and return an hour later. Rinse.

No murder need be committed to use this formula.

Blogger is strongly suggesting we make the change to the new format before they do it for us!

Ugly Wool

If you believe like I do that all wool, no matter the colour, is valuable wool you might have a stash of truly ugly wool you have NO idea how to handle.

One of the best things about wool is it's transmutable behaviour. That's an old word they used in alchemy, transmutable. Instead of searching to make gold we search to turn our wool into something more valuable, the colour we are looking for!

This week on The Welcome Mat I've re-issued my article, Taming The Uglies, there are about 8 good ways to deal with your ugly with dye. Surprising and interesting uses of colour abound. Pictured above is a black and white check that is spot dyed, it is called Impressionistic

The ideas work with found, inherited, and even the uglies you made yourself in the dye pot.

We are having a contest right now to see who possesses the ugliest wool. I'll be make it pretty as a prize and one of our members, who has a deep and generous heart , will be giving this person an brand new ugly.

I'm also looking at the colours of Norman Rockwell this month and translating them into formulas. Here is this week's inspiration:

I'm looking at the wall, the woman's coat, the couch, the paisleys on her dress and the rug. I love the emotions depicted and the beautiful rendering of her knees. Although it is not apparent at first the blacks in this work are derived from purple and not just his black eye!

Get up and get creating! That's an order!

Are you letting it happen?

Is clicking on this pretty picture keeping you from wool working?

Really ? Really.

Stop it - get creating... instead of being an observer be a partaker!

That is unless you need coloured balls.

Go here if you do.

Oh the Colours

I love spinning because of the new colour combos I can stumble on without even trying.

Escaped

Yesterday I escaped. To fiber heaven.

Yup.

Camilla Valley Farms

Tencel, bamboo everything a girly wants and needs.

And then to Chapters, a rare treat

I bought a second copy of Pantone Guide to Communicating with Colour, it is a great book to help you decide what colours to use together to create certain moods in your pieces, like classic, or energertic Only 4.99 a savings of almost $45.00 off the cover price.

Norman Rockwell inspired these colours in my column in The Welcome Mat, Dyeing Matters.

I like the way they look.

I'm working towards beauty and balance and I hope you are too!