Friday, July 31, 2009

Last Day of July 2009

It's time to think about hats again. I just got my check from the Brewery Arts Center and they sold four last month. Let me say that hats are not lucrative, but they are fun to make and they let me use up handspun without having to make enough of anything for a "real" project.

I have been spinning natural colored wools for the past several months because I want to dye everything at once in natural dyes. These skeins are from exhausted baths of natural dyes last year. The colors are sweet but not very interesting. Time to overdye.
This is much better but still short of what I need. The skeins aren't make-a-hat ready. I need some connecting yarns and less of that blue. It's called Lily but I don't know why. On the other hand, the orange is called Pumpkin. I ordered it thinking it would be golden and now wonder why I'm surprised that it's orange.

I'm trying to decide whether to rainbow dye some already spun yarn or to dye in the locks, drum card and then spin. I need some variegated colors to connect these dots. I'll think about that in the morning. I am *still* knitting on the scarf that I entered in the fair.
We discovered this sign hanging on our fence. Our neighbor Steve teased Ian about it this morning. I had seen it yesterday morning but thought Ian hung it. Ian hadn't seen it at all. We're pointing fingers at Carol, who lives in our valley and works at the library. She must have done it under cover of darkness because we're outside most of the day. They're on vacation so we can only guess for now.


I wonder if I have mentioned that Sammie is a hybrid - part amphibian. Her prior owners have provided us with her vet records and registration forms, which means little since she's spayed. What is does mean is that the questions are gone - she's ours, for better or for worse.

9 comments:

Birdsong said...

Free internet? I'll be right over...to get serious now, I like your idea about some big batches of natural dyes and am looking forward to seeing the results.

Jodi said...

The sign business is very curious!

My one and only time using natural dyes really taught me how quickly they get exhausted.

Sounds like your hats are a hit. :)

Valerie said...

Uhm...have you checked the security on your in home wireless system? That'd be the first thing I'd do.

The yarns look great. They should make some fun hats.

I do really need to get my fiber groove back

vlb5757 said...

I am thrilled for you that your hats sold. I have been thinking about doing the same thing here in a little shop near the ocean front. It would be more of a labor of love than a money maker. Do you think you will solve the mystery of the sign when the neighbors come home from vacation? I love the dye colors and using the bits to make a project is a great idea. I would hate to spin, dye and trash left over small bits of yarn that I had worked so hard to make. Great use!

Theresa said...

Congratulations on selling the hats! Good for you.
I hope when you do the dying you'll document it. I would love to see how those natural dyes work.
Sammie looks adorable. Nothing cuter than when they frog. I don't have a lot of frogger's here, but we have
many that like to "cool the jewels" Of course the jewels are long gone, but if they were there, they'd be cool.
So, ya leaving that sign up??? ;-)

bspinner said...

Great sign!!!

Happy to hear you sold hats. I've only had luck using walnut hulls for natural dyeing. Probably only me but now just use commerical dyes.

Life Looms Large said...

My husband gets so crazed about internet access when we travel, that he'd be tempted by a sign such as yours I'm sure!! Too funny!

Love the frog dog pose!!!

That's cool that you sold 4 hats!! I like thinking about things I make going out into the world with people!!

Love those yarn colors! Can't wait to see what kind of dyeing you end up doing!

Sue

~~Sittin.n.Spinnin said...

Oh my. Reading your post I just realized I missed the deadline for the fair. crud.

Life Looms Large said...

Oh, I just remembered that I wanted to tell you a little more about that frog position that our dogs both like.....

When we took Bailey for his most recent vet visit, his leg seemed to be bugging him so the vet checked it out. He said Bailey's hips seem really good - even though Brittanys do sometimes have hip dysplasia issues.

I told him that Bailey often lies like a frog with his legs straight out behind and he said that was great - it showed that he had full range of motion in those joints.

So maybe our dogs are just showing off their flexibility....kind of like the really bendy people in yoga class!

Sue