In any “normal” shepherding year, we’re very done waiting by now. I mean, the waiting for lambs to arrive. There’s that anticipation — that butterflies-in-the-stomach kind of excitement — associated with lambing…until the flood of lambs begins. I kind of feel that way now as I wait for the flood of boxes filled with fiber to arrive from the mill. I know it’ll be wonderful and in my mind, I can see the lustre of the natural colors as I open the boxes. I know what went into the boxes that went to the mill…it’s all good! Can’t wait to send off the CSA shares!
Soaking the yarn for awhile assures good color saturation. Of course, this means waiting, too!
Is it obvious that I’m about to jump out of my skin with anticipation — or maybe I’m just impatient?! I have to DO something…bring out the dyes! No bubbling dyepots. I need mind & hands-on work so painting is a good choice. There’s thought involved but it’s almost instantly gratifying. And just about every batch I paint sends me to another color place…fun!
These are the many bottles and jars of dye stock solutions I can play with. From these I can mix new colors, adjust depth of shade or just use the color as is. The possibilities seem endless!
A little color here and there...pretty skeins!
Absolutely beautiful – great colors. I think it’s time for me to mix up some dye stock and do a little playing with color as well!
–caryl
Yes! And when you’re done… show and tell?! Are you still thinking about an indigo vat?
Just got my newsletter, and I’m not quite sure yet what I plan to do with my roving share. I’ve been hankering to try dying, so maybe that’s what’s in the cards…
I’m excited about getting the roving. The wait is well worth it. I dye my wool in the microwave.
It is fast and easy for me to do. I love your colors!! They are beautiful !!
Try it! It’s fun! I resisted for years because I thought dyeing sounded like chem class but then I found that it was really more like art class. Yes — if you want to repeat colors and all that, you should keep notes but if you’re just wanting to make pretty colors, hey! have fun…experiment!
Me too — the microwave is fast and fun. I have a half dozen canning jars dedicated to dyeing (a nailpolish stripe identifies them) and it’s amazing the amount of fiber that can be stuffed into each jar! For these skeins, though, I used a big roasting pan that I can fit 6+ skeins in at a time. They get steamed in the oven or on the lobster burner — depending on the weather.
Lovely! They look especially beautiful lined up on the drying rack.