Spin like a dervish

Well... I had todo something with all the lovely roving I dyed.

The yarn above has been Navajo plied to keep the continuity of blues, from light acqua to dark violet blue. I have washed it since I took the photo and it's now much more even.

Below are some interesting combinations of supersoft merino and silk:

These next two are fun yarns: Strawberries 'n fluff and Killer Kitten, both wool with Wensleydale curls spun in and left to hang out.

Above: natural Shetland wool - gradual change of colours from white(ish) to dark brown. Hand-carded and blended before being hand-spun and plied.

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This is coloured angora fibres spun with a two-ply angora cria in natural white... delightfully soft to the touch.

I have spun more yarns but they have not been photographed yet. I've decided to sell some of the yarn I spin... there's only so much I'm going to knit in this lifetime! I've opened an etsy shop called ColourDreams.

Living in colour - story in images

A glorious mess

A little while ago I ordered and received some new dyes from the USA... I also had some white roving lying around waiting for a touch of colour. I haven't got a single bit of white roving left. Here's the result in a bit more detail... I dyed silk, angora, merino and superfine shetland fibres.

silks:

The next two are angora, then merino/silk, superfine merino and extra soft Shetland:

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.