Monday 21 June 2010

The 'feltspun' red scarf

I bought this wool fibre from e-bay. I bought it because it said it was already clean and ready to use... what I didn't realise is that it was described as good for felting because the process was already started :-(

It stayed in its bag for a wee while and then I decided I was going to do something with it... so I dyed it. I put in any shade of red/pink/orangey red I could get my hands on.

... spun the blessed mess and knitted it on to a lopsided scarf (learnt about the knitting unbalanced singles in the process).
So far it looks like this. I've spun and Navajo plied some Leaf colourway silk and I'm knitting little leaves to decorate it... so this one is...
To be continued
Also waiting to have fun with these mystery wool batts I blended on Sunday (There must be some Merino there as it's gorgeously soft and fluffy).
...and I'm also working on the Colour theory section of Textiles 1 - I'll be taking pictures and posting an OCA inspired blog in a little while... but not before or shortly after next weekend as I'm planning to visit Woolfest and I might be even more tangled in wool... shame! ;-)


The English Spring scarf (picture story)

I saw a rapeseed field at dusk, the sun was shining on it at an angle but there were purple clouds above... the colours inspired this scarf.

Merino soaking in water with citric acid.



Colourway design (the one in the middle)...
... preparing, testing colours and applying to roving:


Drying, carding, blending... and spinning. No photo of me knitting - just as well! :-)


And here it is the English Spring entrelac scarf.

Abducted by wool

Dear Miss, I couldn't write my blog because I was abducted by a strong spinning wheel, a boxfull of dastardly dyes and some fiendish fleeces...

Natural dyes: logwood, cochineal, turmeric in Merino hand-spun and Bowmont fleece.
Bowmont heavenly carded and blended clouds

Merino, Mediterraneo colourway, Navajo plyed to keep transitions

The naturals
fleece - Shetland shearling



Some batts from a previously carded Shetland
Nasty finding
Shetland spun
Silk, dyed in Leaves colourway and single spun (later to be Navajo plyed)
...and I have also been knitting.