I have started keeping a dye journal. I've been successful dyeing my Shetland roving without felting it so have begun to keep track of what I'm doing in earnest. The top three samples in the left card are the natural colors of our three Shetland wethers, as of their 2010 shearing. I can put the three in one dyepot and get three shades. That's not cheating, right?I'm recording the sheep, i.e., the base color, the dye percentages I used and the date I did it.
I got semi-solid colors from mixing dye colors in a cup and letting them strike at different points, but I would like some more variegated colors as well.
Yesterday I mixed up the three colors I've just made and used them on the roving. I have no idea what I'll get in a finished yarn. Laura called right while I was in the middle of this and I asked her to call me back in about 15 minutes. I managed to spill some dye and had just finished cleaning it up when she called back. Her weaving books are packed from the move, so I'm her librarian! She also wanted me to correct her comment. She's not often wrong, but when she is, she is *really* wrong.
This is what I'm getting and I'm really happy with the results - so far. I don't know if these will translate into an interesting yarn. That's why I do this. I get to find out!I'm currently enrolled in CERT training (Community Emergency Response Team) which is offered by local governments through FEMA. We live in such a remote location, when Sandy (of Sandy's book club) asked for volunteers to train, I knew I needed to enroll. We just completed 12 1/2 hours of training this evening in the last 24 hours and have another weekend just like it coming up. I missed our Red Rock Hounds Christmas party last night and the Reno Fiber Guild party today - that hurt. I elected to not defer this training because I'm training with other residents from our valley.
I stuffed knitting in my bag this morning so had finished my lunch break, originally typed knitting break, when one of my neighbors returning to her desk saw me knitting. She said, I'm a knitter, crocheter and weaver. That got my attention. She's working on an Ashford loom. I told her that we really need to get together. I love my life. Am I getting repetitive?
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6 comments:
Good for you on the CERT training! It's a lot of hours but well worth it.
The yarns look lovely, but I have to admit, I love the solids best.
Thank you for the clarification - that's way more accurate than the first statement!!
Sorry you missed your Christmas parties, but I applaud your involvement in CERT. Through the City, I have had hours and hours of FEMA training, some of which was kind of a no-brainer (if you're a worker bee, do what the next person up in the command structure says to do...), and some of which I've filed away for future reference.
Isn't it wonderful when you find like-minded people in your backyard?
Thanks for being my "personal Librarian!" It's very hard being in limbo, and it helps more than you know!!
Your basket of hand-dyed yarn is beautiful, such soft lovely colors that all go well together. And your newly dyed roving is beautiful as well. Glad you're keeping good records - I'm a confirmed record keeper with my dyeing and weaving.
I love the colors you are getting and, no, using rovings of different colors are not cheating at all. In fact it's awesome!!
That's a lot of training at one time. I'll bet you were really tired at night afterwards.
Congratulations on your progress (and discipline) with the CERT training. Hard to miss getting together with your regular groups, tho'.
Also, congratulations on the dye journal....next up, a weaving journal (wink).
We're having a spinning workshop with Abby Franquemont. email me and I'll send you the info so you can send it to the Reno Guild and/ Carson Sierra.
Tnaks. weavinfool!@gmail.com
Nice dyeing.
Lindsey
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