The day before I went into town to meet my virus, I work up feeling like a million dollars. I decided it was time to dye the yarn that I had spun months before. I had wanted to weave a TV blanket for son Josh and DIL for their anniversary in June, but oops. I had a little over a pound of black Corriedale and 20 ounces of gray Targhee. The black got a black bath to make it inky. The gray was the last of a 7 pound fleece that I bought at Black Sheep Gathering a number of years ago and I wanted it to be match the colors that kids had their interior walls painted.I sampled in canning jars to see what my projected colors would look like over the gray. I liked everything but the cornflower blue, and without sampling, substituted olive green on a hunch.
I am really pleased with the results. I seem to be a one note Sally, but I really do love the pop of Log Cabin. I think these colors are perfect for their house and cannot wait to see how they weave up.
Isn't it interesting how these different wools full? I only have one knitty noddy, yet the Targhee is so much shorter than the Correidale. They're both very springy but there is a difference nevertheless. Like how I'm using my warping board? I'm not going to start weaving until I stop coughing. How's that for a schedule~
It has been the strangest summer since I moved here 20 years ago. It's July 12th and it still hasn't been 90 degrees. The garden languishes. Mornings have been cloudy and just odd. The main feature at Kiernan's 10th birthday party Saturday was water fun, but by 4:00 the kids were shivering and too cold. Watching the kids play, Josh let us know that he has several very good job opportunities in communities where he would rather raise his boys. So the house that I chose to weave the blanket to match may no longer he his house. Now that's irony.
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15 comments:
That is interesting to see how different yarns react to dyeing. I purchased a tiny bit of dye at NEWS....so I'm interested whenever people post about dyeing now.
Plus I really want to make some blankets.....so I'll be closely following your work on that too!
I'm sure they'd paint their new house to match a handwoven blanket, right??
We've had such a strange spring/summer too. Finally about a week ago the sun came out and the temperatures are perfect. In the 70's. So nice! (We were afraid that once the sun came out it would shoot up into the 80's at which point this New Englander starts melting!)
Hope you feel well soon and can get back to your loom!
Sue
It has been strange weather, but never fear, we're sending the warm up your way this week!
Glad you are feeling better.
The dyed yarn is beautiful. I love the over dye colors on darker fleeces myself. You know, my bet is that if they liked the colors in the one house, they will most
likely bring them in to another house. Like Sue, I can't wait to see your blanket either!
Wow...that was a lot of work before getting sick!!
My experience with Targhee is it's like spinning springs.....it makes one of the most elastic yarns I've ever encountered. Polypay is a close second.
We've had a very cool summer as well. In the 50's the past couple nights. Such great sleeping weather.
We're having an "odd" summer as well - although I don't want to complain too loudly. We're in the 80s and seem to be having a break from the cooling monsoons right now. Every summer I realize this "person of Celtic extraction" was not meant to live where there's so much sunshine. :) Somehow thoughts of ferny forests and mists feel more like home to me. But alas...AZ it is.;)
I love the project! And the yarns are great! I'm having problems cleaning out my guest room closet full of fibers, yarns and material for quilting.
The problem is I stop working to look and fiddle with all the fibers. Hmm...maybe blinders would work.
Personally, I love your schedule :)
And your yarns, very pretty colors!
Sharon, I want to read the novel that follows your first sentence from this post!
The blanket will be lovely, no matter what.
I was just thinking this morning that it might finally get hot enough to run the A/C today. It's been warm here but nothing like the usual heat for this time of year. I rather like it since heat makes me tip over. Perhaps there will be an Indian summer so your garden can finish happily?
Gorgeous yarn!!! I've been enjoying the cooler spring and fearing the heat that should be coming soon.
I think weather is odd everywhere. On the one hand, I am grateful for the cooler weather, on the other, the garden is less grateful.
Hope you stop coughing soon -- I'm very interested to see the yarn woven up (plus coughing is a total drag).
And here you were worrying about how you would adjust to retirement. I think you stay more busy than I do. I don't weave but have cleaned out all of my cross stitch. Not as cool as the dying and future spinning but it makes room for more yarn! Wahoo! I love all the colors. I am a dark color/fall/earth tone lover. They all look fabulous.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
The dyed yarn is gorgeous and I can't wait to see how you weave it up.
I like these colors - unusual. Can't wait to see how they weave up.
I hope you are recovering! The dyed handspun is beautiful and will make a wonderful blanket. I don't know how the Targee will go with the other warp threads since it is so sprongy! You may want to keep it for something else unless you have enough for all of the warp.
What summer? In April, for about five days we had summer. Since then it has been early winter..........rain, cold and even frost! My garden? Ha! What a joke.
Hoping the fires aren't too close or causing you much smoke. I love your dye results.
There's an award for you over on my blog. ;-)
Oh, we'll send some of our heat your way - it was 80 degrees here today! We're not used to that in the PNW.
I loved working with the targee when I made that baby sweater - it is really stretchy that's for sure!
T.
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