Solar dyeing

Just in time for the weather to get warm a little solar dyeing. These are Corriedale and mohair locks. 

Apples Are In

It is turning fallish in the air even this far south in New Mexico. The local U-pick apple farm has a sign out for .50 cents per pound. Who could resist? So off this morning we went to pick apples. As with most things I tend to think I need more than I probably do.....

The house smells of applesauce and cinnamon.

This treasure was out in the old apple tree here and looks like it was well used this year. The gray tufts are wool! A bird after my own heart.

There has been a lot of dyeing this week and there will be new roving at the market soon.

May you all have a wonderful weekend.

One of the great things about learning to spin is that you can make yarn in any color scheme
your mind can think up. I love the colors of the Southwest and have wanted to make something that seemed very New Mexico. I spun this single from domestic wool roving and dyed it. Then I had the idea that I wanted to weave with my own handspun. The warp I used was a shetland in green, blue and rust and the pattern is a twill with a basketweave stripe (the rust). It all seems very NM now that it is finished and drying over the gate in the backyard. I'm planning to sew it into a vest to wear to an art opening this weekend at the local Center for the Arts in greater downtown Hobbs.

Sometimes in February here we get these perfect days when there is no wind (a rare thing) and the temperature is in the upper 70's. I've been sitting out on the back porch in the sun spinning wool for several hours. If there is a better way to spend time I don't know what it is.

The yarn on the left was spun first and then dyed and the yarn on the right was dyed as roving and then spun. The difference is subtle. I like the way yarn looks when it is dyed as roving first but sometimes the roving is so fragile that I end up felting it instead of dyeing it, hence the yarn on the left. I have read recently a lot about people dyeing roving in their dishwashers. I just use a heavy bottom canning pot on the top of the stove. If any of you out there have done both and would like to share the pros and cons with me I would like to hear it.

I'm just about to start the weaving on a shawl that will have all handspun natural browns for the weft. I'm cheating a little and using shetland for the warp.

Whatever you do with yarn I hope you are enjoying it!