Holiday Projects

Well, it seems that summer is here at last! I feel as hot as the colours of my yarn. We are off for a couple of weeks holiday and dog sitting near Leamington Spa. So I need some projects to take with me. I managed to visit Woolfest in Cumbria last month and just had to buy one or two fibery things.

The skeins of yarn, destined to be a scarf and felted bag, are pure British Wool from a supplier who only sells at shows - a great excuse to keep going. Ally Pally, Kniting and Stitching show next. The wound balls are handspun from tops consisting of Alpacca, wool and nylon and should make me a great pair of socks, similar to the ones I have posted before.

Not at a loss for things to do.

I have knitted the above items in the last couple of months, mostly from wool tops that I have dyed. The mauve stole was from carded fleece bought in Australia ten years ago. The last is the initial tension trial for a cable knit cowl. I have finished the cowl it was intended for but I will post that later as I've not yet taken a photograph.
Cables seem to feature large in fashion knitwear at the moment and I used to dislike cable patterns, stopping to pick up the cable needle frustrated my urge to get on with the project. Now that I can see the varied options I am more enthusiastic about the possibilities.
Having recently tried on a number of knit-wear items, from a very popular high street store, finding them to have a knitting fault in prominent places, I have decided that I should spin sufficient yarn to knit one myself. How long will it take? I have to get the fibre first, dye and then spin it. Shall I go more chunky than I usually do? The knitting would take less time, especially if I want to wear it while it is still fashionable. Something soft and snuggly is my aim!
I have embarked on a project/investigation, of my own, into the ways of using and combining, spaced dyed tops, hand and drum carded fibres and the results achieved.
The cowl mentioned above is part of this.

More Natural dyeing

I have been trying out some more natural dye extracts. I do like the gentle, somtimes subdued shades obtain with natural dyes but the results are not predictable as with synthetic dyes and that frustrates me somewhat. The time taken to get results is much longer too and I'm not sure how I feel about using them. I have enjoyed my experimentation though.
The first photograph shows shades obtained using 'Teal' which is an unknown formula and I am pleased with the range. The orriginal colour is on the left, then modified with, citric acid, soda ash, a paler shade of the orriginal and on the right the pale shade modified with iron.

This picture shows skeins, top to bottom, dyed with rhubarb root, the exhaust of the rhubarb dye and fustic. Fustic gave a very bright yellow. The dye comes from the heartwood of the dyer's mulberry, a large tropical tree from America.