Yesterday I decided to play around with natural dyes. I've done it before, but I've never kept any of the finished product for myself. 
I bought 2 small knots (maybe an ounce each) at the sewing expo on saturday. It's a mix of corriedale, cottswold, and romney. I split it up into four hunks and dyed each of them with a different plant gathered from my own yard. I used (bottom picture -clockwise beginning from top left): lichen (usnea australis); moss (ctendium molluscum); barberries; and chanterelle mushrooms. I didn't dye them on the stove, but in separate mason jars in the microwave with vinegar as a mordant. 
After letting the dye exhaust overnight, washing, and drying the knots, I carded them using the carders lent to me by Cindy (along with her wheel and other spinning accoutrements).
I made nice little batts, then separated the batt layers into four sections and made four piles - each pile containing one layer of each color. Then I rolled them up and stuck them in my To Spin basket. I want the colors to blend, but not so much that you won't be able to distinguish each one from it's neighbor. I think I'll try a navajo ply with this. I'm not sure what I'll use the yarn for though. Maybe just a conversation piece.
I just finished spinning the last on the singles for Stariel's handspun socks, so when I finish plying that I'll set to spinning the nature-dyed wool. 
3 comments:
They've come out lovely.
Lovely llama photos - only problem now is that I have the llama song going round and around in my brain. I'll do the housework to it, going running to it and knit to it......Here's a llama, there's a llama.....
Oh, beautiful! Your dyeing is so amazing.
So sorry I'm so far behind in your posts. We've gone straight from colic to teething with very little break. I've missed your blog!
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