Dyepot

The girls when picking dandelions for me, then I sat and pulled all the green bits off.

 All that work to get just the yellow bits. I have 135grams and the girls promised to go pick more later this week. These are going it the dyepot today!

Monday Morning

One of the things I do on my personal blog is write on Monday about what is going on what I am thinking and intending for the week. I thought that might be fun here. Over there I use a framework and I think I will use something like it here, but not the same one.

Right now I am...
In my kitchen drinking coffee, from the mug my Mother-in-law gave me. I have a fresh lemon and rosemary infusion scenting the air.

In Video Production...
I have one more section - the results - to work on for the green skein video I mentioned in the chatty podcast and then some minor edits. I am hoping to have it live on Wednesday. Shooting will begin on the New Mystery Spin video this week! I am really curious to see what is in the box!

On the Wheel...
Actually, right at this moment nothing but I am working on some test skeins of Corriedale Wool for a friend who will be knitting an Aran sweater. We are working together on this as a gift for (not telling) and I have spun an oiled 2-ply Spun Z-S, next is an oiled three ply Spun Z-S, then both again but Spun S-Z, then one (whichever she is leaning towards liking best) un-oiled. I am making her one oz samples to swatch and compare. This project will be fit in around other things.

On the Loom...
Will be a blanket, I have decided to weave and waulk a wool blanket, partially as a get to know the ins and outs of this loom, partially as a demo piece for The Rare Breeds Show at Garfield Farm Museum.

In the Dyepot...
More self striping yarn!

Papers and Bolts...
This week I need to send in the application for another show and get in contact with the guy who runs my farmer's market.  I also really need to update the Etsy and Square Stores!

Who I am watching... 
Mina at Knitting Expat. Grace at Spin Weekly. Rachel at Wool N' Spinning. And Kate at Milk Thistle.

In Progress - 1st - Drying Time

I have been working on a
few fun things amidst the admin and the clean up work. A video will be coming out soon. This lovely Eiderwolle Sheep's wool is drying after the dyepot. This time, I used Mother Mackenzie's dyes and I LOVE the results in this wool! Hanging to dry there is a single skein on single ply soft yarn, spun thick thin with lots of air. This is my Confetti colorway.

You are getting a look into my kitchen today as the dye porch is entirely too cold to work in! -2 degrees! In fact I had to have the crock I dyed the wool in, in the house for several hours before I turned it on! After, I had waited my husband pointed out that I
could have just warmed it in cool then gradually warming water... Sigh.

I hope you like the new look for the site!

Happy Crafting and Stay Warm (or cool if you are on the flip-side!) ~Julia

Harbor Market - June 2

It rained! All day! But people came and enjoyed themselves despite that. Here is some photos from the prep work and then from drying of day (Thank you mister rain!)

Bunnies

Are not a good thing in my garden, but in my fiber they are great!

It is bluer and greener in person!

I blended Cormo wool, Angora (Bunnies,) and what my Daddy would call Found wool. That being wool you found in your studio and can't find a label or remember where it came from. It is good wool and a bit like finding money in an old coat pocket.

I dyed this twice in a green and then blue green acid based dye bath and love how it turned out, soft with a great hand, pretty colorway, and a bit bulky. I have not done wraps per inch yet or labelled it, but after those sarcastic critters, I am calling it Bunnies in the Garden.

In the dyepot.

Well out of it and drying now.

Three dyebath self striping yarn.

 Longwool locks acid dyed blue.

8 oz of Tansy in four successive dyebaths, I will spin all of this together to highlight the variety in the color.

Tansy dyepot

I collected and dried some tansy from my yard this fall. Wednesday, I decided get moving on dyeing for the year. After some cleaning on the dye porch/studio - more on that later - I got the dyepot going. Yesterday, while waiting to pick the oldest up from work, I did the first bits of dyeing for the year.

 The first batch in the dyebath, I let the wool (Blue faced Leicester) sit over night.

 Dripping from the pot!

 Yes, I use a salad spinner to get the excess water out of my wool.

The dyed wool next to an equal amount of the same wool ready for the dyepot. This wool is mordanted in alum and rinsed before dying.

I reclaim all rinse water and reuse it in a dye season. This reduces the impact of the alum on the environment. At the end of the year I allow the water to evaporate off, so I am not adding alum - which is fairly safe anyway but care is always good - to my area's groundwater. The leftover plant material is composted for my gardens.

Those of you who read my personal blog will know that due to medical issues with my parents I have been very busy and stressed and I want to thank everyone for their patience, thoughts, and prayers. ~Julia