Thursday, April 30, 2015

Almost Summer

It is almost summer here in San Diego.  However, I just spent the past few months spinning and knitting a very warm kimono-style jacket.  I've worn it a couple of times in the evening, but now I think I will have to put it away for several months. 

It's an oversized garter stitch jacket, made in pieces but I picked up the stitches as I went, so it only has one cast-on edge: the back piece.  The gray is CVM from Windy Hill Farm and it was a pleasure to spin and knit.  The red accents are various batches of madder-dyed Corriedale that I have been experimenting with. 



I intentionally changed the widths and colors of the stripes to include samples of all the madder batches that I dyed.  This used up all the madder fiber that I have dyed since last summer, so I dyed another batch last week. 

I have also been spinning the wonderful indigo fiber that I dyed at the end of 2014. I am almost done with it, so I am planning another vat that will be mostly handspun cotton yarn.  I have 6 spools of my handspun cotton yarn - mostly white but also some light brown that should be interesting.  The dyeing will begin as soon as the semester is over and I turn in grades!