I am uploading photos as I am typing, as I want to do a number of things today and most of them involve not being at the computer…
This is the first of my Madder Melody spinning. The idea behind this was that I would treat 50g of Madder as many ways as I could from day 1 thru to day 4, using the recipe and ideas from Helen Melville’s Fiery Felts kit. All the wool was mordanted with Alum (8%) and COT (6%)
From left to right:
Day 1:
Bright Red: First dye bath, the dried madder having been soaked overnight before bringing to heat.
Dark Red: Same yarn, saddened in Iron (5%)
Light Peach: Exhaust from First Dye Bath
Darker Salmon – Same Yarn, saddened in Iron (5%)
Day 2:
Left: Madder re-simmered, and then drained and left to resoak overnight
Darker Salmon (not very clear here, but when I unskein, I will make them look in an order.
Sadenend to a very dark.
Day 3: my favourite of all – the Madder Resimmered/drained, and then left to resoak overnight again – producing a very delicate dark rose, which was beautiful to spin as there were various shades and nuances as I went along.
Then the very dark rose – the same shade saddened.
I am now off to spin Day 4, which was when I brought the whole lot to a resimmer again, and dyed the wool with the madder in the Dyebath…
All this from 50g !!
The Pomegranate made its way out of the dyebath, but the photo does not do it justice, it is a delicate gold… I had totally forgotten this over the last few days with other stuff going on around me, and it was only the smell of TCP from the stove which reminded me !!!
My knitting
My Rose Socks have lain dormant for the week, whilst other things have taken precedent
and poor Lauren’s Jumper has finally made the pole position on the settee…
It has a neck – which I love – first time one I have knitted like this has come out quite the way it should. Went to sew on the sleeves and discovered they have shrunk 1/2” since I cast off (salutary note to self to remember that knitting does shrink when it comes off the needles, once it is taken off tension).
I am going to make another one of these, it has given me so much pleasure and grounded me during these very rocky times…
DyeVerse 