Friday, November 8, 2013

POKEBERRY DYE EXPERIMENT, ANDEAN PLYING, CABBAGES AND WALNUTS!

I've had so many projects going lately and so much to post on, that I've actually failed to get things posted in a timely fashion! I decided to learn Andean plying to save thread bits at the end of spools/bobbins. It worked until I took it off my hand and ended up with a mess. I finally got it straightened out and it worked beautifully. I think this yarn was Icelandic. Maybe Blue-Faced Leicester--can't remember since both looked so similar in color and were spun within a short time of each other!
Took this picture of a cabbage farm while out with my daughter as she worked one of her last days during harvest. I thought their color was gorgeous and seemed to match the colors of the rest of these photos. Reminds me of what some variegated roving ought to look like with colors of blue-green and pink magenta.
 
 
Here is the beginning of my pokeberry dyeing experiment. I "mordanted" the wool roving prior to dyeing by bringing close to a simmer in vinegar and water and leaving at that temp for a while. I have heard that pokeberries are poisonous. Always handle dyestuffs with care and make sure you have good instructions before attempting.
 I picked them from our fencerow with rubber gloves on. Then I crushed them in the bottom of the pail and I think I added some white vinegar--can't remember for sure. When I got ready to add the roving, I strained the dyestuffs out. That is the bag you see beside the pail.



The concentrated juice of the pokeberries. 
Romney roving dyed with pokeberry.
 
Romney roving in the pokeberry dye bath.
 
What a deep color the pokeberry made. Remember to follow reputable instructions when handling natural dyes or any dyes for that matter. This was my first attempt at dyeing, except with Kool-Aid. I am pretty proud of the results. I'll let you see more of the results when I spin them up.
 
I'm enjoying the many wonderful gifts God has given us through the earth around us this time of year. Picked up walnuts along the road yesterday. This year they are more plentiful than ever and I've seen more people picking them up than ever. I'm also enjoying the color of the woods and fencerows. I hope you are too! Blessings, LORI

No comments:

Post a Comment