Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sunday with Rose Hips Part II

Finally I can get a picture up of the rose hip result. I was pretty happy with the result but I was hoping it could have been a bit more saturated. Still trying to figure out how to get it just slightly more saturated. Maybe a brightener light cream of tartar. 


I know I would like to do this again but may not try again until next fall when the rose hips are fresher. 

Also since the first Sunday a few weeks ago when I first did this, I've been trying out a new sock pattern by from the book, Knitting From the Center Out by Daniel Yuhas. I'm really enjoying making these and learning this concept. It's stretching my brain muscles!!

This part here is the heel and I'm now an 1" away from moving onto the next step with the side stitches. The yarn I'm using is a merino/cashmere/ nylon sock yarn I bought online. The color originally came out to be a super ugly bright sherbet orange. A few weeks ago I got pretty sick of looking at it and decided to throw it into a dye pot with out unwinding it. It was really fun:)

The result was so exciting I knew I needed to use it for something special. Even if the yarn is knitted on size 1 needles.

My project for last week involved knitting myself little swatches of all my plant dyed hand spun so I could create a reference book to share at workshops I'll teach at in the future. It was a lot of fun doing this and brought me more in touch with my work.


Today, I finally got the mental energy to do some small experiments with over laying color and sip dyeing. It was especially gratifying to see the color run clear afterwards. It was so much fun and easy. I decided that next up would be indigo dyeing with yellows to create green overlays. Stay tuned!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

A Sunday with Rose-hips.

I woke up this morning and knew it was time. It was time to finally get out there and forage for rose-hips. After a few days of not feeling quite like myself and worrying I was coming down with the scary flu that's been going around, I knew I was feeling fine, more than fine even when I was at the kitchen counter whipping up blue-berry muffins, bacon and cheese omelets  It's Sunday, a day for taking extra time and enjoying it. And I was really enjoying this. Feeling the energy that would carry me though the day. Last night I stepped out to go fetch a treat at the store for after dinner. I didn't really want to go outside but I was so glad I did. I was folded up into a soft velvety dark fog, damp with the smell of the sea. It was beautiful and balmy. It felt like a perfume. This morning was no different, with a fog warning on my weather app, I knew it would be a beautiful walk. And it was.


I had a great helper and we filled my basket full of rose hips. 



After snipping all the stems off, I had 2.25 lbs to dye with. I then debated if I should use it all on one skein of wool or the three I have spun up. Even though I've never dyed with rose-hips before, I decided to go for all three skeins. Worst case senario, it's super pale and I dye over the yarn. Oh well!! 

This is the stuff I spend time dreaming about and it keep me awake at night. Will I have enough wool and where can I find my next foraging treasure? I did do a quick research regarding the harvesting of rose-hips to make sure I wasn't destroying future blooms. And gladly I found it helps future growth to prune the hips. Also, they smell amazing. Of fresh rosy sour apples. I'm really looking forward to finding out if this aroma transfers into the wool and if it will stay. A pair of sock I made over 4 years ago that included stripes dyed with lichen has had many washes and STILL smells like the woods. LOVE that smell!!

Well the pot is on the stove boiling away and I suppose I should go check it out. Depending on how fast the color comes out, I will be dyeing with it either later today or in the morning. 





Saturday, January 12, 2013

A New Year & New Adventures

This holiday season I made my sisters and mother a felted soap. Making them was so fun. And easy and fast!! I bought the materials at The Portland Fiber Gallery where I work part time. Each soap was unique. I tried to match the colors to my sisters and mom's personalities. This one here is my mom's, in progress.


On New Year's day, I celebrated by making a list of fiber related things I wanted to accomplish. Such as applying to some really popular craft fairs, teaching fiber classes at new venues. Create new things for my etsy shop. It felt wonderful and cleansing to put things in writing.

Putting our wishes and hopes into writing is powerful stuff. Eight days later I received an extremely exciting teaching invitation. More details to follow in the coming weeks.

And now, on this Saturday, my head is completely full of all the endless details of a handfull of super exciting things. After 2 days of feeling run down a bit, getting extra sleep, I dedicated this day and this weekend really to list making. Taking everything out of my head and writing it down will make room for more life.

As I make lists for the last bits of wedding planning, lists for the retreats I'll be teaching at this year, lists for the two trips coming up this winter and spring, and lists for work details, and lists for meals to cook, and lists of friends and family I want to make plans with...... I'm trying for one thing. Not to over do it. Or burn the candle at both ends, as my mother loves to say that I do. This is why making lists, sharing calendars, planning ahead and scaling back where we can is really helpful.

Here are a few new things in my etsy shop if you haven't seen them yet. Ferry Rider MittensMadder root dyed yarn and one of my favorites, White over lapping leaves hat.

A Happy New Year to new and fresh adventures!