Fini..

Sometimes things don't go as planned.

Which can lead to good things or panic...or both.

Due to the love of a supportive weaver,

regrouping, and burrowing deeper the 

warp is dyed.  Most colors naturally, one not, and 

then one a little of both.

The sample swatch is hard to see but it is resting on the

dark violet yarn.  The colors are pretty darn close.

~

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.

~

Osage..

When your dear friend's husband 

gives you his Osage Orange wood turnings..

~

Yarn Along..

Knitting: 

Janina Kallio's beautiful shawl 'Wildheart' with a skein of

madder dyed luxe yarn .

Dyeing:

Lots of dyeing.. This is 'Gertrude'.  Inspired by my favorite

unfinished painting by Gertrude Half.

Weaving:

Finally got around to framing the tapestry woven at

the lovely Natalie Miller's weaving class last summer.

Reading:

Okay..this book is a goodie.

Loving 'The Creative Habit' by Twyla Tharp.

It has got my wheels spinning.

Happy Yarnie Wednesday!

~

Joining Ginny

Butter

In 1785, the Society for the Promotion of Agriculture in South Carolina offered a premium for growing madder.  Thomas Jefferson and Dolley Madison, 

strongly urged farmers to raise this useful plant. 

~Rita Adrosko

The lightest skein is from hickory hulls and the others are from madder.

The lovely rose skeins will be added to Saturday's shop update at 7p EST.

These skeins are on Wren House Luxe ~ a sublime yarn created with

baby alpaca, cashmere, and silk.  

It's delicious..like butter.

A photo posted by Wren House Yarns (@wrenhouseyarns) on Mar 3, 2016 at 1:34pm PST

: 2016 :

Thank you for such a wonderful year!

Happy 2016..

~

Yarn Along..

Our December weather has been extremely mild.

It is such a treat to throw the doors open and enjoy

experimenting with the colors of Madder.

The diversity of  the Madder root has captured my heart. 

While I miss the snow it has been wonderful to enjoy

long warm walks on our favorite trail.

... that moon ...

Just finished reading:

The Children's Blizzard

This story kept me up to the wee hours of the morning to finish the book.

It particularly appealed to me as our distant relatives were immigrants 

from Norway and settled in the Dakotas.

After reading this I can't believe anyone survived 

leaving their homeland, homesteading, and the wrath of Mother Nature!

~

Joining Ginny

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! ~

Brewing rainbows..

Autumn is the season of the rainbow.

The harvesting of Mother Nature's summer work.

..chopping, stewing, straining colors..

~ natural dye demonstrations and vending festivals ~

...brewing...

r.a.i.n.b.o.w.s

~

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...

: )

~

Yarn Along..

September starts my favorite time of the year.

I am autumns child.

It kicks off with the annual 'Harvest Festival'

and the (be still my heart) antique sale at the barn.

Always full of treasures, but for me it is really about just 

getting to "be" in that gorgeous barn once a year.

Spent some time in the village poking around shops.

Then home to start labeling yarns for vending at Penn's Colony.

..naturally dyed..

::love::

Just checked this out at the library last night and can't wait to 

read it:

Nature's Colors: Dyes from Plants by Ida Grae

Knitting away on the Antarctis which is perfect for

days filled with blue skies and falling leaves.

~

Joining Ginny

Solace

Finished a lovely little shawl this weekend.

I chose to use some of my naturally dyed

yarns ~ a lace weight dyed with Logwood

and a fingering weight dyed with Cochineal.

The blend of the two yarn weights makes for a light,

soft, and warm shawl!  Up until now I haven't really knit with lace weight yarn.

Such a nice way to try it out without having to commit to a "lace" project!

Pattern:

Solace by Janina Kallio Designs

~

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.

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.

Song Wren

"Palessie" shawl 

by Diana Rozenshteyn

Just starting the shawl, but I am loving the pattern so far.

Knitting up a sample with some of my "Song Wren" base 

that was naturally dyed in Brazilwood.

Knitting a sample for my booth..

I'll be vending in my first festival this fall.

(Information is listed in the side bar of the blog)

Sooo excited!!

If you are in the area please stop by..

I'd love to meet you..

Now off to mix my first indigo vat.

More on that soon..

~

Joining Ginny

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

  

Colors of nature..Part 2

Classroom time at natural dye class.

Notes..

Formulas..

My nose is still in the dye books.

Labeling our treasures from the dye pot...

Everyone in the soup!

More drying.

Our true colors flying.

My superwash "spaghetti" from tossing yarn in the pots

at the end of class..

Finally a little treasured collection of all our naturally dyed samples:

"There are no accidents in nature."

~ John Muir ~

~

For more visit Colors of Nature.. Part 1

 Joining Ginny for Yarn Along.