Dying Wool

If I purchase wool or yarn at the yarn store, I miss out on a lot of fun.  I like to purchase wool directly from a farmer.  I scour the wool.  Then I place wet scoured wool in a pot of water treated with vinegar or salt, depending on the type of dye I plan to use.  This will allow the dye to activate and stay on the wool.    I like to place a stripe of powdered dye across the pot on one end.  Then a couple inches away I place another stripe of powdered dye.  I usually make 3 to 5 stripes of dye.  I keep in mind that blue next to yellow will make green.   Yellow next to red will make orange.  Green next to red will make brown.  Too many colors will make a big pot of muck!

Drying freshly dyed Shetland.wool.

I also like to purchase a whole fleece.  It is usually a little less expensive that way.  My favorite wool to spin is long, white,  kid mohair,  It costs as much as $65.00 per pound in some places.

Happy day!  Dawnie

A New Kind of Scarf

Kristen is modeling the scarf for me.

When I was at a craft fair, a couple ladies told me about making a new type of scarf. You do not knit or crochet this scarf it, you just knot it. One of the ladies who informed of this new technique stated that she used yarn from the thrift store and combined several colors and types.  She did not use ribbon.  The scarf yarn should start out about 3 or so yards long and end up about 2 yards long.  These are approx.lengths, you may want longer, or shorter to suite you and your style.  I like to use hand spun yarn since I can make any kind and give it a lot of interest.  I used a 100% hand-spun, hand-dyed kid mohair yarn which was mostly purple in color.  I unwound the yarn and re-wound it around two chairs, making it the right length for me.  Then I strung around this yarn several ribbons in the same color family giving it different textures.  Once this was done, I cut the scarf in one place and knotted it a few inches from the center on one side and repeated a knot on the other side.  One knot in the back of the neck would not be real comfortable when wearing this scarf.  About a foot down on each side from the knots, place another knot and repeat once or twice.  I think I had 6 knots all together with my scarf.   You really can not go wrong with this.  Make sure to trim the ends up so the yarns are fairly even.  Sew on buttons or trinkets randomly or use school colors and make each scarf uniquely yours.  Enjoy making and wearing your scarf!!!

New projects with hand spun yarn.

I find myself viewing so many photos in Pinterest.  They may be decorating or remodeling ideas.  Food is always a big interest of mine.  Craft projects are always fun too.  I noticed a fingerless glove/cuff made by a lady in Germany.  She used a beige colored yarn and knitted a cuff.  Then she placed a lacy crocheted top to the cuff which was lined with a baby pink mohair stockinette stitch, (knit one row, purl one row), piece which extended the glove/cuff area about 4 inches.  You can view hers at:  http://schnuddel44.blogspot.com/2010/09/elf-clobber.html  If you would like my pattern you may obtain it free from my website.

I decided to make one similar to this, but use my lumpy bumpy rainbow died hand spun kid mohair yarn.  I used a green color hand spun and lined the top with an antique colored light green mohair and silk blend manufactured yarn.  I crocheted the cuff by crocheting in the back loop of the stitch which gives the crocheting a ridge.  Instead of making an intricate crocheted top to the cuff, I just made chains of 6 or 8 stitches and single crocheted around those chains.  A fancy pattern would not even show up with the novelty yarn.

One of the reasons I made this fingerless glove/cuff is to show others that you do not need large quantities of  hand spun yarn to add a lot of interest in a garment.  Even though I used a chunky bottom, the delicate top says I am all woman!

My second project is made from angora from my angora rabbit, Ruby.  I hand dyed the yarn after it was spun.  I tied pieces of fabric on the yarn in random places just before it was placed into the dye pot in order for it to have lighter areas.  One color, without some variation or texture is too plain for me.  I plied this yarn with a soft wool died with the same colors, but I dyed it prior to spinning it.  Then I made squares in the modular knitting style.  This is a cowl, a collar, or a head band.  Wear it any way you want to wear it.

Thank you for reading my blog.  I wish you and yours many blessings now and in the future.  Dawn