KALEIDOSCOPES AT KRAZY DAD

This is a really cool toy that, whilst being creative doesn't have a lot to do with fibre.

There's a great website that allows you to do this:

KOOL AID DYEING

In December of last year I joined the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry. I posted my wish list and sent out various bits and pieces to other people - all arrived safely to their various destinations over a period of time (well it was approaching Christmas). I was amazed at the response to my wish list - I received one of my requests within a matter of hours by email - I then started to receive little packages through the post - of Kool Aid Woohoo - I also was given some by a friend in our newly started knitting group - so I ended up with a large and fabulous selection of different colours to play with.

My first play day resulted in this selection

When I went over to Hilary's I took some blue, green and yellow and did this

Here it all is ready to go to the next phase - which is the admire and fondle phase

The first spinning I did was with some Blue Faced Leicester that I'd dyed with left over liquid - one batch grape and one batch mixed reds and pinks - I spun them separately and then plied them together - and was then terribly disappointed as I didn't feel they worked particularly well together. I then spent some time humming and hahing and came up with a plan to make a scarf in broomstick crochet - and, actually, it really works with the yarn, bringing out the best of it.

I have also spun some of the red/yellow/pink mix and that is on it's way to being (hopefully) a hat, scarf and gloves set.

I'm daydreaming at present about spinning the turquoisey mix into a lace weight yarn and knitting a nice shawl - but by the time I get to it my plans may change!

Having added my mosaic picture to one of the Ravelry forums I received a good offer for some more Kool Aid - 18 packs hee hee - off to play now :-)

NATURALLY DYED SAMPLE PIECE

I wrote this ages ago and hadn't got around to posting - I'm trying to get a business started and all sorts of other things have got in the way of blogging - I shall try to be more regular now - so much has been going on I've got loads to pass on.

As I mentioned in my previous post a group of us get together every year and go down to West Dean (near Chichester) where we demonstrate natural dyeing at the Wholly Herbs open

 weekend. Each year we come away with a plethera of little woolly samples all dyed in those lovely shades that only come from natural dyeing.

The way we do it is to pre-mordant and wind all the skeins - 5 skeins to a batch - mordanted with alum, chrome, copper, tin and one left plain to be after bathed with iron. Each batch is put into a dye bath and we consequently get 5 colours from each one.

After the show the skeins are wound into balls, then the balls are passed to me to turn into a mini afghan - which is then shown at next years show.

This years finished afghan

Previous years

MY SWAP PACKAGE CAME - HOORAH

Yesterday was a good day - the best for a while, in fact - there was an early start as we were getting the house ready for a new arrival (this is nothing to do with textiles or craft) - by 11.15 she'd arrived and was safely ensconced ......

Meet Bumble - she's the 1 year old bunny from a friend at work who could sadly no longer keep her.

We decided to go out for a late (and lazy) breakfast, and just as we were leaving postie arrived and signed that he had something for us - there was a box for me that had travelled all the way from New Zealand - it was my colour swap package I went all round Tescos saying 'I've got a parcel' with a silly grin on my face!

When I got home I could hardly wait to get it open and this is what I found

I'm chuffed to bits with it - can woolly things wear out if you pet them too much?

The fibre and the yarn will, no doubt appear in later posts :-D - I don't yet know what I want to do with them, so I shall just admire them until inspiration strikes. There were also some girly stitch markers, and sweet smelling, hand made soaps and sweeties and all sorts of other goodies. Christmas all over again!

Later in the day we had a friend over to stay and took him to our fave Italian restaurant (his birthday pressy). So all in all a jolly good day.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

I wonder what all your new years resolutions will be...


I often don't make them but this year I have a few as follows:

• Open an Etsy shop (and maybe one on Folksy too)
• Do a 'how low can you go?' and spin a really fine yarn
• learn to spin thick again
• learn to spin to DK, aran etc
• make some super fun art yarns

Well that's it - nothing too daunting or groundbreaking - but I'd be chuffed if I can shift off my wobbly bits and do the above ;-D

If you have resolutions - crafty or otherwise, do tell........

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To all who read this MERRY CHRISTMAS

I have quite a bit to blog about, but am just off to my parents for the next few days to celebrate Christmas with them, so I will blog upon our return.

Good wishes to all .... are you all thinking about your new years resolutions?

THE GUILD CHRISTMAS PARTY

Yesterday it was the East Herts and West Essex Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers' Christmas party.

For the first time this year Hubbies were invited - about 4 other halves arrived (mine included) which added nicely to the atmosphere.

As usual it was well organised - we all take some food/drink to create a buffet and various members organised fun things to do. There was a little quiz - guess the contents of the packet, with dried dye plants and fibre and later in the evening there was a fun make. Most of us joined in and we made the hempen angels that were in Spin Off last year.

After the angels were made we had a little show and tell - I stupidly didn't take my camera so can't show you the lovely things that were shown. One of our members - an expert knitter brought some knitted shawls that she'd spun and knitted - she had a lovely alpaca version of the morning surf scarf - and another lovely scarf/shawl that was very simply knitted but in gorgeous colours.

Then another expert knitter showed us a beautiful polo neck aran style jumper that she'd knitted for a friend with Alzheimer's - it was made from some stash yarn that she'd spun from one of her own sheep a few years ago - the sheep is no longer in this world but his legacy goes on.

She'd also made some bits and pieces for another friend from the fur of their, now deceased, dog - a very welcome pressy I expect.

It was a really fun evening with lots of chatter and nice food. We came home with a candle making kit for my Hubby - who'd expressed an interest in candle making (motivated by annoyance at the inadequacy of many wicks) - given to him by a friend who is now too busy to enjoy candle making - she spins and knits and has a horse to care for besides working long hours. She also insisted we brought home the leftover Christmas cake that she'd made for the guild party - I resisted slightly but didn't want to be rude - anyway it would've been selfish to say no knowing how much DH enjoys cake :-)