Saxon Blue...

Being that I've never tried Saxon Blue natural dye, I thought it best

to try a few samples before attempting to dye the guild's

sheep-to-shawl warp.

A dear friend gave me this vintage dye book.  As I opened the front cover I noticed

it was autographed on the inside!  After posting the photo on Instagram I got a message from a friend in Montana ~ she went and dug her copy out and it was autographed too!

That little book was the only one that mentioned Saxon Blue.  

Not much information that I can find on the internet either.  

Following the instructions included in the package the first sample went in the pot.  

It was dyed first with a light fustic yellow in hope of getting a spring green.

MINT.

The bottom collection of samples were all Saxon Blue.

I pretty much tried everything:

different yellows

different depth of shade

different modifiers in the dye bath

.. but mostly the blue wouldn't strike.

The water would be a lovely green but when the yarn came out..yellow.

It was an interesting day and I'll continue to research, but 

today I am making an indigo vat to get the spring greens I need.

Couldn't resist a snap of the gorgeous moon last night as we sat

at the campfire.  

Now... back to the drawing board.

~

Building a coverlet..

Top photo taken by Karen Parsons

The volunteers at The Depreciation Lands Museum hand spun the five

pounds of yarn in the top photo.

This yarn is to be hand woven into a coverlet for the cabin

on the property.

Yesterday Marilyn and I dyed all the yarns

in Indigo.

They turned out beautifully!

There are so many hands building this coverlet.

Can't wait to see it on the loom!

~

Exotics..

It is a rainy Sunday here so I thought I would sit down and label some

naturally dyed yarn samples.  These mini skeins were dyed with left over dyes from

a guild program I did last week on four exotic natural dyes:

Cochineal, Fustic, Logwood, and Madder

While Madder is currently my favorite dye, I am LOVING

the trio here obtained with Logwood combinations.

Lovely rainbow achieved from the four dyes, but I want to try to add

a green without using indigo..

~

Getting lost..

Five dreamy days unplugged,

in a cabin,

hiking,

knitting,

and listening to the rain.

The solitude fuels my soul.

Pink Lily-of-the-Valley and the 'Wildheart' shawl.

The madder dyed yarn reminds me of the

damp pine needle hiking trails along the creek.

Dyeing up a few samples of Fustic, a tropical hardwood natural dye.

Lovely soft, clear yellows.

Soft peach after a dip in a exhausted madder root bath.

~

Coaxing color..

Last weekend I headed South to attend the

Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival

near Asheville, NC.

The road trip was inspired by the opportunity to take a class from the delightful 

master natural dyer Jackie Ottino Graf.

You can listen to a wonderful interview

with Jackie HERE

Some of her gorgeous natural dye swatches from

Swans Island Yarn Company:

Over the course of the day we mixed, brewed, and coaxed twenty different colors

from ONE natural dye: madder root.

Our results were breathtaking..

Thank you Jackie for the bond you've created around the dye pot.

You really "Make it Madder"..

~

Haul

The leaves are coming on slowly.

I love when the trails are peppered with color.

These squishy soft alpaca / wool yarns were dyed with the

last of the hickory hull haul from Squirrel Nutkin..

They are calling for the loom.

~ Happy Friday! ~

Squirrel Nutkin

Hickory hull dyed yarns..

The hulls were left for me by the little red squirrel, who

I believe is living in the wood shed.

There is plenty of wood waiting for me to stack.

I bet I find hickory nuts packed to the ceiling!

The hulls dyed up so beautifully.

Little nutkin is still working away out there.

Thanks little friend ~ 

I'll be out to gather more hulls later...

: )

~

These days..

Throw the doors open..

grab the favorite threadbare rug...

..pots stewing..

with natures colors.

Daffodil dud colored yarn over-dyed with indigo..

Small private class full of laughter, love, fellowship, and 

explosion of natural dyes.

Weaving while colors cook.

My favorites..

~

Infinite Nature

 "I thank you God for this most amazing day, 

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, 

and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, 

which is infinite, which is yes." 

~e.e. Cummings

Yesterday I had the honor of teaching a natural dye class

 at the beautiful Winnie Palmer Nature Center.

The display table of natural dyed samples for the students.

Lots of mixing, dipping, stirring, rinsing..

more rinsing...

and 

we did it..

.. a rainbow of colors..

There were rockets.

Literally.

It was the airshow and the Blue Angels flew over head.

Thank you ladies for a most amazing day.

May your spirits leap and soar as you continue to find rainbows.

xo

~

Yarn Along..

"...Now in those times, bits of sky could be eaten.  

It was different from other foods.  

Rice fills the belly, but sky fills the heart.  

The woman reached for the sky and broke off a piece, 

But eating the sky could be dangerous business.  

One could become selfish in their desire, intoxicated, and this was a terrible taboo.

The woman's hunger was stronger than her fear of what she knew had been forbidden, 

and she devoured more and more, until she was drink with it.

As punishment, God pulled the sky higher.

With the heavens now so far above, and God even farther, the people of the land and their children, and their children for generations to come, each filled with their own great hunger, were set out on a trail of infinite desire.

Their longing was made material in the bluest of God's 

blues - in garments dyed in indigo.'

-Adapted by the author from West African folklore, various provenances

Partial except by Catherine McKinley's book above:

Indigo: in search of the color that seduced the world.

~

Joining Ginny..

Yarn Along..

Spend a little time camping last weekend.

Packed up my stuff and settled into the cabin.

Deep woods.

Hiking.

River time.

Took some things to get ready for the 

Indy Knit and Spin Festival this weekend...

and of course some knitting!

This morning:

Coffee in the studio..

clouds..

birds talking at the feeder..

.. and label ALL the woolz..

: )

~

Joining Ginny

Personality..

The thing about natural dyeing is you never know what is going to come out of the dye pot.

Each skein has its own personality...

The smokey lavender of Logwood.

Cheerful salmon that reminds me of summer begonias

which was a result of dyeing with marigolds from the garden and 

some cochineal.  If you look closely there are these

lovely tangerine undertones.

Buttery marigold from the summer garden.  

I froze all the blooms I could stuff into the freezer.

So hard to let them go..

Hoping to get some summer cheer this winter

from the frozen blooms.

~

These skeins have been listed in the Etsy Shop

if you care to enjoy some colors of nature.

Indigo..

You can't help feeling like a bit of a sorceror

mixing up an indigo vat..

Pinches of this..

Lots of stirring that..

Wondering what colors will surface from green

cauldron once the yarn hits the air..

..because that is when the magic happens.

This was the first time I've mixed a vat alone.

I've got some learning to do, but so far..

L.O.V.E.

the indigo.

~

Fluffer-nutters..

Naturally dyed fibers blended into little spinning nests..

"Fluffer-Nutters"

Hand spun on the drop spindle.

Colors from: Natural local alpaca, silk, 

indigo, madder, osage, cochineal, and 

marigolds from the garden.

.. yummy to spin..

~

Currently carding for the festival, but hope

to eventually add some "Fluffer-nutters" 

to the shop.

Dye Day..

Yesterday I was kindly invited to join

 a neighboring guild's natural dye day.

Kettle upon kettle simmering outside on a long row of open fire.

Wood smoke,

Steam,

Stirring brews,

Madder, Logwood, Osage, Onion Skin, Black Walnut,

Marigold, Goldenrod, Indigo, Cochineal,

and new things to try like

'Jewel Weed'..

!

Indigo pots yielding

blue locks !!

Rainbow of naturally dyed tea towels.

 The lovely lady who dyed them

has plans to add embroidery.

LOVE these!!

Food, fun, and friends.

It was a most wonderful day..

Thank you to the Mercer Guild for hosting!

~

Cooking..

This week has been full of tomatoes..

Chopping.

Stewing.

Cooking.

Canning.

Sauces.

Salsa.

Cooking tomatoes in the kitchen..

Cooking wool in the garage..

Brazilwood natural dye!

Experiments with color.

I couldn't find my note page on Brazilwood so I had to wing it.

Made the dye bath too strong and rinsing out has been taking a bit longer.

Loving the colors of nature..

~

Joining Ginny

  

Understanding

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. " 

~ Albert Einstein 

There is just something about colors obtained naturally.

I am looking deep into nature

and loving what I am finding along the way.

These lovely yarns were dyed with locally sourced

Queen Anne's lace and sustainably 

harvested Logwood.

~