tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30062350218321384952024-03-20T17:06:07.924-07:00San Diego Fiber ArtistSan Diego Fiber Artist dyes, spins, weaves, and knits. She is interested in textile history and participates in regional fiber arts activities.San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-71805279314237926302018-05-03T08:54:00.000-07:002018-05-03T08:54:06.587-07:00Weaving AgainDespite the great pause in posting to this blog, I have not been idle. In fact, I have gotten back to weaving. The floor loom sat idle for a few years, gathering dust. I gave a passing thought to selling it, since it consumes most of the space in a small room. Then I realized that my spinning was creating a lot of yarn and a lot of ideas for fabric. I did research on early 19th century textiles of Alta California, and was introduced to colcha embroidery. I started to think about weaving again.<br />
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I got myself back into it by making a couple of sets of dish towels. One actually ended up as dish towels, and the other was made into an apron. Then I set about weaving my handspun yarn.<br />
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Over the past couple of years, I had spun a lot of cotton. I dyed some of it with indigo, and wove several yards of striped fabric. I made this traditional Mexican blouse to wear while using the Spanish Colonial spinning wheel in Old Town. Some of the yardage has natural brown cotton as the weft, and some has indigo over brown cotton as the weft. Then I moved on to wool. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJHsLf0jsriQiAefe0hE1W_LZBsz2rsrLpbDccoRaWMWOo90huZ_8PA-pKEEwhL4-vdCStqXvRIW5H3HmiiMyqalbb0X17GA57Yv9rctLqfvQTuk3pB7MSo0EhhJmarGKdPKCXYBIoYKU/s1600/SMHsabanilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1486" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJHsLf0jsriQiAefe0hE1W_LZBsz2rsrLpbDccoRaWMWOo90huZ_8PA-pKEEwhL4-vdCStqXvRIW5H3HmiiMyqalbb0X17GA57Yv9rctLqfvQTuk3pB7MSo0EhhJmarGKdPKCXYBIoYKU/s320/SMHsabanilla.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wanted to make some sabanilla for Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. I had already made the embroidery yarn, so I decided to weave the background cloth for colcha embroidery. I did some research, spoke to some experts in New Mexico, and produced a few yards of this fabric. Both the warp and weft are handspun churro wool singles.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVSniZJXPkwbOKX7hISVPj3uP0RfkFQW1XwHhwPqf8G_Ve-sTioVJGHNSNbdFLRoAqX9buQM4O32qlWpHLCLpHQ3vunpAJCvGRn3u6sP69vfzj08YtvJ0IUzrVZ7lilIZKNiuPxdyWp4o/s1600/Bayeta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVSniZJXPkwbOKX7hISVPj3uP0RfkFQW1XwHhwPqf8G_Ve-sTioVJGHNSNbdFLRoAqX9buQM4O32qlWpHLCLpHQ3vunpAJCvGRn3u6sP69vfzj08YtvJ0IUzrVZ7lilIZKNiuPxdyWp4o/s320/Bayeta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I moved on to what I have defined as bayeta, which is also a wool singles fabric but may be dyed with natural plant dyes. This example used indigo, madder, and rabbitbrush for the primary colors. The weft is dyed with indigo. Bayeta fabric would have been used for skirts and light wraps.<br />
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In the meantime, yarn was piling up. My husband spins on a malacate, and had produced several balls of singles yarn in a variety of natural colors from the churro sheep. He had been plying them, but I thought much of it could be used as singles in weaving. I spoke to the Old Town park staff, and they were looking for blankets and other textiles to use in the Machado y Stewart home, which interprets the Californio period. It seemed like I could produce a blanket from the churro singles yarn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ3Pb76BAasXfzlUsrNBLqBADZ3hunFDgE6802-skyakoff78m4Upoml2U0kxRuAtS0h4eKL5tYmEc0jcvsMuNz0qaaVRfnwmBt09gSFOLqZ4Ji3eQxb6zb8LT3H7gfMaKk2FxdwNuwEe/s1600/IMG_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ3Pb76BAasXfzlUsrNBLqBADZ3hunFDgE6802-skyakoff78m4Upoml2U0kxRuAtS0h4eKL5tYmEc0jcvsMuNz0qaaVRfnwmBt09gSFOLqZ4Ji3eQxb6zb8LT3H7gfMaKk2FxdwNuwEe/s320/IMG_0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Based on the research that I have done on Mission and Californio period textiles produced in Alta California, I warped a small loom with natural cotton string. I decided to weave the blanket out of three narrow panels, since there is no evidence that the large looms made at the mission were transported to Old Town after 1834. I will sew the panels together to make a striped blanket. My intention is that the stripes will demonstrate the variety of natural colors available from the churro sheep that were in San Diego during the time.<br />
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I have more ideas for weaving projects using cotton and wool handspun. Sure am glad I did not act on my impulse to sell the loom.<br />
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<br />San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-21783889781688693392016-12-22T09:23:00.000-08:002016-12-22T09:23:11.037-08:00Envelope BagInspired by the colors and forms of Banjara textiles, I knitted an envelope bag out of handspun, hand dyed yarn and lined it with reproduction Turkey Red fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G8TouXAweQGMwEd-tBemE2sU7qO5Y03Yciei194q437f6lpNIanfcduimUsp4B72qhT0shc2WFL4ZCuMXbLg3biF-36DgeqQ5vrmo-Z2bv1JZEKOC1GLmQD5te-bC0aOKmZvOgKQ4qG9/s1600/EnvBag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G8TouXAweQGMwEd-tBemE2sU7qO5Y03Yciei194q437f6lpNIanfcduimUsp4B72qhT0shc2WFL4ZCuMXbLg3biF-36DgeqQ5vrmo-Z2bv1JZEKOC1GLmQD5te-bC0aOKmZvOgKQ4qG9/s320/EnvBag1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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The red yarn is dyed with madder, the blue with indigo. I used the same "expanding square" knitting method that I used to form the back of my sontag (shawl). Starting out with 12 cast-on stitches, I increased at the end of each row every other row. I changed colors but wanted it to be mostly red, red, red. The fastener is an old leather button from my stash which includes buttons from my mother and grandmother. I gifted this piece so I need to make another one!San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-13406190080223964452016-11-24T13:51:00.002-08:002016-11-24T13:51:46.431-08:00Wooden SpoolsAfter admiring the clever and decorative use of wooden spools at Threads of the Past living history center in San Diego Old Town State Historic Park, I decided to gather up my empty (and almost empty) wooden spools with the idea of doing something creative. I have been collecting them for some time, putting them aside for a future use. Thread has not come on wooden spools for quite a while; they were styrofoam briefly and now are plastic of various shapes and sizes. <br />
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After locating my spools, I decided to look in my mother's thread box to see what she might have. After she passed away in 2012, I organized her sewing supplies a little but have not really incorporated them into my own supplies. Somehow, hers need to stay separate for a while longer. <br />
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She kept her thread in an old fruit cake tin. I loved looking through her sewing things as a child. I opened the tin, and indeed she had many wooden spools of thread. Some of them only had a small amount of thread, and I wound it off. Most of this was polyester and I did not regret throwing it away. Several of her spools still had plenty of cotton thread, and I left these alone. <br />
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A few of the spools had thread on them that was obviously re-wound by hand. In fact, a couple had one color wound on one end of the spool, and one color on the other end. There was also a folded piece of cardboard that was wound with thread. Thrifty. <br />
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I came across her cloth tape measure, which I used to chew on as a child. I chewed on it so much that the marked measurements are barely visible in some places. I have a vague memory of stuffing this entire object into my mouth, the cloth crisp and cottony to the taste. <br />
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I also found a token at the bottom of the thread box. After a little online research, I found that it dates to the 1940s. Someone punched a hole in it and probably wore it; the Lord's Prayer is on the other side. <br />
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I don't know the story behind this item. My mother lived in New Jersey during the 1940s, before my parents were married. Of all the times I have rooted around in this thread box over my lifetime, I never noticed this object. I think this shows a jalopy driving off a pier, with the surf shown below it. <br />
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Here is the collection of wooden spools that I accumulated. Notice that one is green. One, the most spool-looking one of all, is actually for dental floss. I guess you cut a length of it with scissors. The small, flat ones held silk buttonhole thread. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAq2AmVXMjDGs4MI97IqczX9w08pkRpbREZVrgK2eADZuXfLJrhUdX4hvcq0gFqV_SRtVNOcvHcqj6og38SNT4CihhtZGTt8VJQ-iIUekivgkXERYpOBixXzfuwBf9e7lOudZyILThQWK/s1600/WoodenSpools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAq2AmVXMjDGs4MI97IqczX9w08pkRpbREZVrgK2eADZuXfLJrhUdX4hvcq0gFqV_SRtVNOcvHcqj6og38SNT4CihhtZGTt8VJQ-iIUekivgkXERYpOBixXzfuwBf9e7lOudZyILThQWK/s320/WoodenSpools.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The ones that still have a lot of thread on them went on display in the living room with some industrial thread bobbins. I could comment on how the price of thread has increased over time; some of the large spools are marked 39 cents (my computer keyboard doesn't even have a "cents" symbol).<br />
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I don't know what I will do with these, but I had fun looking for them and revisiting my mother's sewing box. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-77256653680386262212016-11-14T07:39:00.002-08:002016-11-14T07:39:09.062-08:00Cotton HarvestI have been harvesting cotton for a couple of months now, but with the shorter days the bolls have been ripening more slowly. This tells me that day length is more important to cotton formation than temperature, since here in San Diego we are still having daytime highs into the 80s. I have not picked anything for about a month, but there are plenty of bolls still on my plants. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYcZOtCE8ZVtU4sxATPnn7MDCaUm66B-3XoPK6fYHXaW3ga_6B7YyLfBr7W6LfbmMSTPXaj6NlDSxWzzMtoBRtI3yxaHMeXztlCpQ8LnFzKScrMLx4iH1_waYUIos0lvehYhEDUKM7B3c/s1600/Cotton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinYcZOtCE8ZVtU4sxATPnn7MDCaUm66B-3XoPK6fYHXaW3ga_6B7YyLfBr7W6LfbmMSTPXaj6NlDSxWzzMtoBRtI3yxaHMeXztlCpQ8LnFzKScrMLx4iH1_waYUIos0lvehYhEDUKM7B3c/s400/Cotton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is my harvest so far, with the standard sized coffee mug for scale. The cotton is Acala with smooth black seeds. It will be white after I scour and wash it. I have not ginned any yet, but I have fluffed it up a little to make sure there is no moisture. I have about 12 - 14 of these plants. I cut them back in the winter to encourage branching and new growth. They are in a raised bed. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown Cotton Boll<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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I only have one brown cotton plant, but it produces well. The fiber is relatively short, and it has fuzzy seeds. This plant is in a large pot set apart from the white cotton.<div>
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People ask what I do with the cotton. I spin it, then weave and knit with it. Sometimes I dye the yarn with indigo.</div>
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This is a small shawl that I knit in a lace pattern with some of my cotton. The nice thing about a piece dyed with indigo is that when it starts to fade a bit from wearing outside you can just re-dip it in the next indigo vat. </div>
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San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-60891273591561572872016-09-24T15:15:00.000-07:002016-09-24T15:15:49.835-07:00Spinning and Dyeing Churro WoolI spent a lot of time this summer spinning and dyeing Churro wool singles. The singles will be used by the Colcha Embroidery Guild to create textiles for Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Before I could start to spin for this project, I had to learn as much as I could about colcha embroidery because I wanted my yarn to be the best it could be. This led to research on textile production and use in early historic San Diego, both at Mission San Diego de Alcala and in Old Town. <br />
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Finally I was ready to start spinning, starting with white Churro roving from <i>Desert Churros</i> which is located north of Los Angeles. Churro roving is great for spinning singles because of the strength, long staple, and ability to hold a twist. <i>Desert Churros</i> was kind enough to also send me a batch of rabbitbrush to use as a dye plant. This plant was used traditionally in the American Southwest.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Churro singles dyed with rabbitbrush, madder, and undyed brown<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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I then moved on to trying other natural plant dyes. I wanted to add blue and green.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Undyed brown, madder, indigo over rabbitbrush, marigold, medium indigo, dark indigo<br /></td></tr>
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Many of the earliest colcha embroidery pieces used only the natural colors of the Churro sheep. Then, dyed fibers were added as the dye materials were available. Right now I only have white and the dark brown, but I hope to add light brown and black this winter. And of course continue spinning and dyeing with plant dyes. <br />
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The Colcha Embroidery Guild is practicing with commercial yarn at this time, but as soon as they learn the stitch and work on designs they will be using the yarn that I have prepared for them. What was interesting to me was that the white twine that I used to tie the skein for marigold dyeing ended up being dyed yellow. I expected the twine on the indigo skeins to be dyed blue, but I did not think the marigold would dye the cotton twine. It was mordanted with the skein in alum but I am still surprised. <br />
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I am spinning most of the Churro wool at home, but I also started spinning it in Old Town. Last Saturday, as part of the Fiestas Patrias celebration, I used the Spanish Colonial spinning wheel that we had made for Casa de Estudillo. This is a replica of the type of spinning wheel that would have been made for and used at the mission in the early 1800s. It is very likely that those wheels ended up in Old Town as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7VtkwgTc6lxHzg5j9IjLessF2t5vU-OpXYwifrt1zxDcOb5e1ce80chVUUCDIqr0-fSQ4OE0X0ZkYJNfUdniSJd5RkLUUv0gjtnCd5KZz2mklJEHNEmyhvbXnon_lPf52RMr0zyGJsCV/s1600/IMG_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7VtkwgTc6lxHzg5j9IjLessF2t5vU-OpXYwifrt1zxDcOb5e1ce80chVUUCDIqr0-fSQ4OE0X0ZkYJNfUdniSJd5RkLUUv0gjtnCd5KZz2mklJEHNEmyhvbXnon_lPf52RMr0zyGJsCV/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Replica of a Spanish Colonial Spinning Wheel at Casa de Estudillo</td></tr>
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The wheel was made by Case-It and is based on plans made from original period wheels. Funding for construction of the wheel was made possible by donations. I look forward to spinning on this wheel during future living history programs. <br />
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In the dye garden, the madder is almost ready to harvest. I am planting more madder, and have harvested a box full of cotton so far. I planted some Japanese indigo, and will expand this part of the garden in the spring. I will also be getting more marigold after Dia de los Muertos. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-11805721052686775132016-04-10T08:52:00.001-07:002016-04-10T08:52:46.346-07:00Return of the BlogChanging over from a PC to a Mac last year did a major number on this blog. I have only now been able to repair it and continue. Apple does not necessarily play nicely with Google. <br />
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I attempted a madder dye vat about a month ago, hoping a spell of warm weather would result in a good day for dyeing. The madder root went into warm water to soak about five days ahead of dye day. I mordanted the wool in preparation. A couple of fiber friends wanted to watch the process and we made arrangements. Alas, when the dye day arrived (a Sunday morning) a cool wind had arrived also. The madder did not come out as dark as I would like, although the fiber is easy to draft and spin. Depending on the plied result, I may re-dye the yarn skeins this summer. <br />
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In the meantime, I decided to organize and label my handspun and hand dyed yarn stash. It was spilling out into my studio work area. I have gifted some of the skeins in the past, but only selected ones that I thought someone might particularly like. So, I pulled everything off the shelves and out of the cabinet onto the floor. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5uEaNSUGvGjJYazVqrYt-qs22MbAeJ6fFRUJs3KPLhNh7KnpNbExtm_w9o0HlpmAhpuvSGjOr9yN21FnRMjxR5-z7EhChUmochlijVNTBWBNvXrsH5n5mFBgW3RyfQvtx3tARL9Gx8Oz/s1600/IMG_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5uEaNSUGvGjJYazVqrYt-qs22MbAeJ6fFRUJs3KPLhNh7KnpNbExtm_w9o0HlpmAhpuvSGjOr9yN21FnRMjxR5-z7EhChUmochlijVNTBWBNvXrsH5n5mFBgW3RyfQvtx3tARL9Gx8Oz/s320/IMG_0924.JPG" width="240" /></a>I have some jewel colors. I have some bright colors. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL4Rtr2mV-RLd4NSJwbf1nH3Ld5xVfrzSWVTrn32ojQkr4XDkUAwmZMIGACR0yLgt0KA44DI1HztG3NMM_mIAZ1dQjB57ZzgN5tz1ix04JGgZcWtBBWV-8naztQNGTrCiH_M7dpKxDqVP/s1600/IMG_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyL4Rtr2mV-RLd4NSJwbf1nH3Ld5xVfrzSWVTrn32ojQkr4XDkUAwmZMIGACR0yLgt0KA44DI1HztG3NMM_mIAZ1dQjB57ZzgN5tz1ix04JGgZcWtBBWV-8naztQNGTrCiH_M7dpKxDqVP/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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I have big skeins and small sample skeins. I have over 50, probably close to 60, skeins. Mostly wool, but some silk blends and some super wash with nylon. In all, representing a lot of spinning and dyeing. With a deep sigh, I plunged in to sort, measure, weigh, and label. The singles skein on the top left of the left photo was dyed with Kool-Aid. That was a fun project although it was difficult to find the unsweetened Kool-Aid mix. <br />
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These skeins do not include the fiber that I have dyed with natural plant dyes in the past few years. I have used up most of that on projects, with the exception of some really nice indigo yarn that I am saving for….something. I also have been dyeing a lot of green lately. More about that in the next blog post. Now that I have fixed the transition problem I am back to blogging here regularly.<br />
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<br />San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-77730532730583843042015-04-30T08:32:00.000-07:002015-04-30T08:32:21.279-07:00Almost SummerIt 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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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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!<br />
San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-4968858189531870142014-12-26T09:34:00.000-08:002014-12-26T09:34:07.253-08:00Indigo for the HolidaysDuring a very brief warm spell early this week, I decided to do a little more indigo dyeing. I put some cotton fabric, wool top, wool roving, and handspun cotton yarn in to soak on the first warm day. <br />
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Early on the second warm day, just before Christmas, I got the dye vat going. Ah, the smell! After letting the vat ripen for a few hours, I dyed the cotton first. I had not dyed any of my handspun cotton yet with indigo, and I was thrilled with how rich the color came out. This was Sally Fox's creamy-pink colored cotton which I purchased from her earlier this year (or was it last year?). I dyed three one-yard pieces of fine cotton muslin fabric. <br />
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Then I moved on to the wool. I had 2 pounds of top and about 8 ounces of roving to dye. <br />
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I experimented with some patterning on the cotton fabric; you can see some of the results on the fabric piece to the far left. Funky! The cotton yarn skeins are hanging at the edge of the photo. One is brown; that is the natural colored buffalo cotton I also processed but did not dye (I scoured the cotton yarn first, of course). I try to process handspun cotton yarn in batches of 3 to 5 bobbins at a time. <br />
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I have started knitting a scarf for my husband with the spun Corriedale wool from the first dye last month. I spun this in Old Town over the past few weeks. I am very happy with how soft and easy to spin this fiber came out. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-79830165979002101372014-11-26T08:54:00.000-08:002014-11-26T08:54:08.170-08:00Indigo Dyeing - Yarn, Fabric, and RovingAfter many weeks of preparation and gathering materials, I spent yesterday dyeing in my first solo indigo vat. I decided to use pre-reduced indigo for this effort. I wanted to try handspun yarn (including a beautiful skein given to me by a close friend), roving, top, and cotton fabric. It was a nice warm day here in America's Finest City, perfect for indigo dyeing. <br />
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Two days before dye day, I put everything in to soak and get thoroughly wetted, in plain water. I first dyed the cotton fabric, since the vat needs a lower temperature for cellulose fibers. I had 2 yards of unbleached muslin on hand so into the bath it went.<br />
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My stainless steel dye pot is small (4 gallons) so the fabric was a little bit crowded. But I actually like the semi-batik appearance this provided. I am planning an apron for this fabric.<br />
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Next went the handspun skeins, after warming the vat up to 120 degrees. The BFL roving dyed beautifully to a dark blue. My friend's skein was not quite as dark; I thought it was BFL but I know she was working with top and not roving. Maybe that made a difference. Wonderful color anyhow.<br />
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Then the big moment, the roving and top. I had some very thin Corriedale roving so I made little bundles and put them in a mesh bag to soak. They dyed very nicely. I also had 2 bundles, each 4 oz, of Montana Debouillet roving that I bought at Convergence. So far, so good. I got brave and tossed in my last 4 oz of Corriedale top. I treated all these fibers very gently, and held them in my hands while swooshing slowly in the vat. Everything was dipped 3 - 5 times, for a duration of 30 to 60 seconds. <br />
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This photo was taken before I had dyed all the roving and top, but you can see the result. The Debouillet roving is on the right. The shorter skeins are the BFL that I spun on a handspindle. My friend's roving is on the far left. <br />
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So far, the roving and top does not seem to be felted or matted. In particular, to my surprise, the small bundles of very thin Corriedale roving came out great! I will definitely make those to dye again. On to Old Town. <br />
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San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-13477534147616614602014-11-19T10:31:00.000-08:002014-11-19T10:31:22.591-08:00Linen Lace Day CapWhile I am knitting my madder-dyed and hand spun jacket, I decided to take a little break and knit a linen lace day cap to wear in Old Town. I looked online and at a lot of modern patterns, but saw nothing like what I wanted. So, I decided to invent my own pattern.<br />
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I started with a circular cast-on as if I was going to knit a beret. I increased in a star pattern. Then knit a few straight rows around, added an eyelet row, and cast off in a lace edging. I put a matching ribbon through the eyelets, and it was done. Only took me a couple of days to knit in the evenings. The linen yarn, while not hand spun, was very nice to work with; I did not knit it in a tight gauge except around the lace edging, where I switched to a smaller needle. I am very happy with this cap. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-50830286965420359962014-11-11T09:58:00.001-08:002014-11-11T09:58:34.500-08:00Marigold Dyeing - Two BatchesAfter I used the large orange Old Town Dia de los Muertos marigolds for the first batch, I decided to try the much smaller, variegated color marigolds that we have been growing in our garden. The smaller flowers ranged in color from light yellow, to single flowers with brown and yellow, to bright gold flowers. I have been harvesting them for a couple of months, and freezing the flowers. So, on to the results.<br />
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These are four ounce balls of Corriedale top. The one on the left is from the Old Town orange marigolds. The one on the right is from my garden marigolds. As Rita Buchanan pointed out in her book, <em>A Weaver's Garden</em>, it does not seem to matter what color the marigold flowers are: the dyed color will be yellow. This is interesting, because the dye extract that I obtained from my variegated color flowers was brown. Yet I obtained this lemon yellow dye. <br />
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The marigold genus <em>Tagetes</em> contains species that are highly aromatic. These scented marigolds have been regarded as medicinal plants in Mexico since the times of the Aztec and Mayan people. The leaves and flowers are used in a tea, and the flowers are used to decorate alters and graves during religious events associated with All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). Marigolds are also used in India during harvest festivals. <br />
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I will start spinning this fiber soon. <br />
San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-12975817908230285202014-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:002014-11-07T09:54:41.589-08:00Madder and Marigold, part 2I was very pleased with how the marigold fiber came out. This photo was taken while the roving was still wet; it developed a little more as it dried and is now a gold color - like the color we obtained at the Estes Park Wool Market class (see previous posts).<br />
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I am also attaching a photo of the madder-dyed fiber after I spun it into 2-ply yarn. The two on the left are the same batch, and the one on the right is slightly more brick-red color. They are posing on the P.WOOD spinning wheel. <br />
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I plan to dye more marigold this weekend. The flowers that I used for the batch pictured above were large, pom-pom type orange flowers. I have some smaller flowers, mixed colors but mostly bright yellow and rust. I am very curious to see how there would turn out, in contrast to the orange ones which produced a rich gold color. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-38278554015713507152014-11-05T07:40:00.000-08:002014-11-05T07:40:09.099-08:00Madder and Marigold DyeingI have spent the last four months experimenting with madder dyeing. I was able to produce colors that range from burnt orange to bright red to brick red. It took me four batches to perfect the process for dyeing wool top. Although it is said by those in the know that you cannot dye roving or top, I was able to do so with extra care and attention. <br />
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This is a super color, and no run off from the dye process. I opening it up as it dried and was able to spin a fine, smooth yarn using long draw on my Ashford Elizabeth. I have now dyed and spun about 1.5 pounds of wool roving and top, and have been very pleased with the product. <br />
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I decided that I wanted to knit a sontag with the yarn. The sontag is very period-appropriate for Old Town San Diego, and one made out of madder-dyed yarn would be useful. I got the back of the garment knitted, up to the shoulders. Then I had second thoughts. Should I really be knitting another wool garment to wear in Old Town? I have two shawls made from my hand spun yarn. And honestly, it does not get that cold there. So I am rethinking the sontag plan. Instead, I am considering knitting a garment that I could wear to other places this winter; like in my home office when it is 55 degrees. More later plus photos of the dye colors. <br />
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Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) was celebrated in Old Town this past weekend. The many alters were decorated with bright orange marigolds. We were spinning at Casa Estudillo on Nov. 1 and I mentioned that I would love to have the marigolds after the event was over. I have been saving my own garden marigolds all summer to use as dye. Imagine how thrilled I was to receive a large bag of marigolds on Nov. 3 - over 3 pounds of flowers! I divided them into half-pound groups and popped them into the freezer. <br />
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Yesterday I took out a bag and started extracting dye. What an interesting smell - kind of like chamomile tea. I mordanted 4 oz of Corriedale top with alum, and left it to sit overnight. This morning I started the dye process. <br />
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I also obtained a great wheel this summer. Long story which I will write up for Spinning Wheel Sleuth this winter, but the P. WOOD wheel I obtained is beautiful and spins nicely. <br />
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Although I won't spin much on the wheel (since it is 200 years old), it is a pleasure to have and enjoy. <br />
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I will post photos of the marigold and madder yarn as it is spun. <br />
San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-26841164742569880892014-06-24T10:13:00.001-07:002014-06-24T10:13:59.884-07:00Natural Dyes I attended the Estes Park Wool Market event a couple of weeks ago, and took a class on using Natural Dyes from Stefania Isaacson. It was an amazing day; five groups of students dyed skeins of yarn a total of 18 different colorways using madder, indigo, and five plants that produce yellow dyes. My group used marigold. <br />
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Bright, isn't it? We then overdyed the various yellow yarns with madder and indigo to produce oranges, greens, and browns. Everyone went home with samples. I learned so much about creating colors and controlling temperature, additives, and timing. I will be doing more natural dyeing in the near future. <br />
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I took a couple of sock knitting projects with me on the trip, finished one pair and one sock of a second pair. I decided against taking my large red shawl project but I have been working on it since returning home. Another class that I took at Estes Park was a Russian lace knitting class taught by Galina Khmeleva. My interest was in learning and using various lace patterns to design knitted projects; I am under no illusion that I will ever knit a "gossamer web" shawl like Galina. I used size 0 needles and fine yarn to make samples of different Russian shawl patterns, and Galina taught us how to make a knitted lace border. I had never made a lace border like this before, and it gave me some ideas for the red shawl project: how I could add a Shetland or Russian style lace border on to the triangular shawl. <br />
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The days in Estes Park were part of a long road trip that included time in the Santa Fe area. One of my favorite places to visit is the Ortega family's weaving studio. <br />
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Using looms traditional to the area, the studio produces many different kinds of woven goods. It's always fun to see the looms, the work in progress, and the shop where rugs, clothing, bags, and other useful and beautiful objects are displayed. <br />
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In addition to working on my red shawl, I am still spinning lots of cotton. I bought more Sea Island cotton at Grandma's Spinning Wheel in Tucson, near the end of our road trip. This wonderful store also has Churro and Shetland roving. Speaking of Churro, thanks to La Plata ranch, which supplied us with samples of Churro fleece locks to use in our interpretive program in Old Town; we will be there several days in July and the natural dyed yarns will also be part of our presentation to the public. <br />
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San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-65900709060007154812014-04-17T15:18:00.000-07:002014-04-17T15:18:46.580-07:00Hemp Knitting UnderwayAfter much research, I decided on a knitted lace pattern that I thought would allow my handspun hemp yarn to drape comfortably as a scarf. I prefer garter stitch lace since it is reversible and does not curl. So, I have used both Shetland and Russian garter stitch lace patterns for scarves. After some swatching and ripping, I selected the New Shell pattern in Elizabeth Lovick's book <em>The Magic of Shetland Lace</em>. I modified the pattern a bit so that I could get three scallops and a garter stitch edge on a scarf that is about 5 1/2 inches wide. Lovick commented in her notes on the pattern that it does well with color changes, which worked for me since I have two 2 ounce skeins of hemp in different colors. Here is how I have done so far:<br />
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I am using size 3 needles to enhance the drape of the fabric. The size 2 needles produced a fabric that was too firm. It is knitting up fast and the pattern is easy to memorize. I am carrying the unused color up the right edge and it is barely visible between the slipped edge stitch and the next stitch. It looks pretty good now but I will steam finish it when it's done. I hope to finish in time for our trip to the southwest in June.San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-77284233453479174712014-04-12T09:12:00.000-07:002014-04-12T09:12:01.678-07:00Cotton PlyingI am in the middle of plying all the cotton singles that I have spun over the past couple of months. The singles were spun using akha and top whorl handspindles, depending on the staple length. For the dark brown cotton, I did not allow the akha to leave my hand. The staple of the peach/white colored Sally Fox cotton was long enough for me to use a light-weight top whorl handspindle and let it leave my hand to add twist. <br />
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I made plying balls using two singles wrapped together around the ball. Plying cotton is easier for me using this method because the thin yarn does not tangle when taken from the balls. I am using a heavier top whorl handspindle to ply. Soon I will have six bobbins full of cotton, ready to process. <br />
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Unfortunately the true colors are not showing up well in this photograph. I have two light brown balls, one dark brown ball, one medium brown ball, and two peach/white balls (one is still on the spindle in progress as shown here). <br />
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I have greatly enjoyed spinning and plying cotton using the methods described above. I can spin quite a bit while waiting for dinner to cook and relaxing in the evening. Working with the different cotton staples on the spindles has been a great practice for me. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-74062833789499069202014-03-31T08:50:00.001-07:002014-04-01T08:38:41.703-07:00Spinning Hemp AgainI got a new computer and now everything is a do-over. I hope this posts correctly. Sigh. <br />
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I had previously spun some Rust hemp from <em>Opulent Fibers</em> (posted in this blog). The yarn turned out nice but my drafting hand was sore for days. Lesson learned: I need to spin hemp without hurting my hand. Because I wanted to spin more beautiful hemp fiber from this source, I ordered 2 ounce bundles of a variety of colors. In the meantime, I purchased Stephenie Gaustad's book on spinning cotton, hemp, and flax. I read the section on hemp several times, took my Matchless wheel outside, and gave it a go with the color Soft Fruit. Definitely an improvement but still needed work. <br />
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Note: In her book, Stephenie issues a warning about spinning dyed hemp. But I am stubborn. <br />
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I searched the web for suggestions on spinning dyed hemp fiber. Not much out there, but some information that proved useful. I determined to use some of my Spring Break from teaching<br />
to get my dyed hemp spinning under control. Here is what I learned:<br />
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1. Set the pulley on your wheel to an appropriate size for spinning yarn the size of a paper clip.<br />
2. Adjust tension for light take-up; I had my Matchless on Scotch tension and a tiny bit was enough. As the bobbin filled, I increased it very slightly. <br />
3. Divide the hank of hemp fiber carefully in half but <u>do not mess with it</u>, pre-draft it, or shuffle it around. I had to divide it because I found the whole hank was too unwieldy to spin from. Make sure you find the correct end to spin from - it really makes a difference. <br />
4. Treadle slowly and draft quickly. Let the wheel take the yarn as soon as it is sound enough. <br />
5. Too much twist will snap the yarn.<br />
6. These fibers are relatively short; some are very short. I used a short forward draw but I let a tiny bit of twist enter the fiber mass to help pull out the wiry, short fibers. Otherwise I found the yarn drifted apart. <br />
7. I moved my fiber hand across the tip of the fiber mass somewhat like drafting cotton sliver. I opened up the fiber slightly as I moved across the mass since the dyeing had compressed it. <br />
8. As with cotton, hold the fiber mass gently - do not mash it.<br />
9. Don't let the yarn hump up on the bobbin - move it frequently.<br />
10. Let the singles sit on the bobbin for at least a day to get used to the twist. <br />
11. As with all my singles, I rewound onto a plying bobbin to distribute the twist, remove slubs, and let larger pieces of woody hemp fall out. You see one ounce of rewound singles yarn on my plying bobbin above. <br />
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I actually started out moving the wheel by hand, a bit at a time. Then one treadle, then both but slowly. After I had one ounce spun, which took me an hour, I was able to speed things up a bit. The other ounce went in less than half an hour. <br />
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I am going to ply today. My plan is to combine this color with the Rust I spun previously for a woven scarf. Yes I do think it will be soft enough to wear! San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-42187138030139119472014-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:002014-03-02T12:54:18.595-08:00RedI want to knit a Shetland style shawl and have been collecting patterns and designs for a few months. The color will be madder red. It took me three tries but I finally dyed 2 pounds of Corriedale roving the right colors of red/brown that I wanted. I have been spinning the red roving in Old Town, and it makes a striking presentation. Piles and piles of bright red roving, turning into fine yarn. Having filled up all my spare bobbins, it was time to ply this weekend. <br />
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I keep my Ashford Traveller set up for plying. You will note that I moved the spring to the right side of the wheel for plying. This is easy to do and makes a big difference. You might have to open up the screw eye a little to remove the spring from its normal position on the left side of the wheel, but then you can simply drape the brake band across to the other side. In this position the spring is able to provide resistance behind the flyer, which is moving counterclockwise (to the left) for plying. <br />
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I used several different colors of Cushing dyes to get the red and warm brown tones I wanted, but I have planted some madder for future projects. I ordered seeds and had good luck getting two out of three to sprout. The plants are vigorous and I anticipate harvesting the roots in 2-3 years. Since they are invasive, I put a barrier in the garden to confine the growth of the plants. I also added agricultural lime to the garden soil as well as some compost. Thank you Rita Buchanan for the information on growing and using madder (<em>A Weaver's Garden</em>, Interweave Press). <br />
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The first Blue Moon Sock Club project for 2014 is a really great pattern called Lantern Luck. The yarn is spectacular and the pattern is very interesting to knit, but also easy to memorize. I quickly finished the pair of socks. <br />
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No my feet are not super tiny. The sock fabric is very stretchy and they fit perfectly on my size 9 feet. There was an error in the foot chart as originally sent out by Blue Moon - they sent out a revised pattern immediately although it was an easy error to spot and fix. </div>
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The previous photo is a little too blue; there is a lot of aqua green in the sock yarn. The colors in the second photo are better, I think. Frida decided she had to have her tail and rear end in the picture. </div>
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I am still spinning a lot of cotton. I bought pounds of dark brown and peachy white cotton from Sally Fox. This fiber is easy to spin and rich in color and texture. I had been using a very light weight top whorl spindle for my cotton. I now have two ultra light Akha spindles which I find delightful to use. I am using the top whorl to ply the cotton singles from a plying ball. </div>
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San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-83817726627098540142013-11-19T16:19:00.002-08:002013-11-19T16:19:52.770-08:00Fall ColorsInspired by a couple of hikes in the nearby mountains, and photographs taken by friends who visited the east coast, I dyed some Corriedale roving with fall colors.<br />
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Hmm, looks a little like the chili peppers we have growing in the back yard garden. I am pleased overall with the way the colors turned out. As I have been doing for the past few months, I dyed this fiber in an enamel pot over a wood fire. I also dyed some wonderful blue roving, which I will spin in Old Town. Enjoy the fall colors!San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-61870123386791764392013-11-01T14:26:00.000-07:002013-11-01T14:26:08.143-07:00Ply TimeAfter several weeks of spinning in Old Town, I found that all my bobbins were full and it was time to ply. I don't ply as part of the interpretive program, despite many questions about the process. The reason is that it takes a while, is rather boring to watch after a minute, and requires a lot of space behind me which I don't have. So, I demonstrate mini-plying by pulling some yarn out of the orifice and letting it twist back on itself.<br />
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This also addresses questions about why it appears that I am spinning thread or too-fine yarn. When I double or triple the single, the visitor can see how thick (approximately) the final yarn will be. <br />
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On the left is two-ply wool that I dyed in color sections that seemed too pastel to me at first. I decided to spin it and see what it looked like. It came out with more attractive blue coloring than I thought it would, and when I plied the two singles together, ignoring color bands, it came out rather nicely. And the texture is very springy and lively. So, don't dismiss an unsatisfactory dye job until you spin and ply!<br />
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The center three-ply is chain plied. More bright green than I wanted, although one visitor said it was nice, she liked green. OH-kay. The chain plying preserved the contrasting color blocks I made in the dye pot. The skein on the right, also a three-ply, is more to my liking in terms of coloring. The contrasting colors are bright, interesting, and not too green. <br />
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Despite the cooler fall weather and end of summer vacations, we still have quite a crowd touring Old Town. School groups have replaced tour groups. We have also attracted some repeat visitors, who come back with visiting family or just to see what we are doing again. Tonight we are going to do some handspindle spinning at Dia de los Muertos in Old Town while we are hosting an altar. I made myself a waist distaff from a discarded oak branch and I will try it out tonight with BFL roving wrapped around the top. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-11318027017296368222013-09-29T13:28:00.000-07:002013-09-29T13:28:29.871-07:00Carded and Dyed LocksI got a few pounds of fleece from a BFL/Lincoln ram (Powell Sheep Ranch), and I have been dyeing the locks. My objective is to spin a fat single that has color and texture running through it. I dyed some of the locks in a dye pot that was burnt orange and yellow and one end, and blue at the other end. The locks came out in varying colors including some interesting pale greens. Today I carded some into rolags for spinning.<br />
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You can see on the left how the colors in the dye pot turned out. I like this sort of thing, so the color mixing does not bother me.<br />
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I will elongate the rolags to spin them. <br />
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Tonight I will dye another batch. Since the weather is still warm, I'll cook outside tonight, then dye the locks in an enamel pan over the coals. I leave the pan on the coals overnight, then in the morning it's all done. I think the real challenge will be getting me to spin the fat singles....<br />
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The San Diego Yarn Crawl has been happening over the past few days. Since the last thing in the world I need is yarn, we visited the two alpaca ranches that were participating. A Simpler Time is located in Crest, and La Dolce Vita is in Ramona. A Simpler Time also has a working mill, and we were given a tour. I had never seen a fiber mill in operation, so this was a real treat. I hope this event grows and continues. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-17537720869394100942013-09-09T15:14:00.000-07:002013-09-09T15:14:04.055-07:00Hemp SpinningI almost called this post "High on Hemp" but thought better of it. Who knows where something like that might end up? Anyway, last summer at Convergence in Long Beach, I bought 2 oz of dyed hemp from Opulent Fibers (color = Rust). My idea was that I would spin the hemp and also some dyed flax purchased at the same vendor during the hot months of August and September. Life happened, and my plans were interrupted for the next several months. <br />
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Now August and September are with us again. Temperatures in San Diego have been in the upper 90s (and us without an air conditioner - 88 degrees in the living room for several evenings). I was spinning cotton and thought of the hemp. I wanted a cap or scarf but 2 ounces was not much to work with. I needed to be efficient.<br />
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I knew it had to be spun fine; the fibers are somewhat short (3-4 inches) and very slippery. Since it is top, I spun it worsted, smoothing down the fibers as they entered the twist. I used my Matchless wheel, scotch tension, smallest pulley (15.5:1). Careful treadling to keep control. I ended up with a bobbin of somewhat wiry singles, rather on the thin side. I thought perhaps I could chain ply the singles to improve the hand and make the yarn a little thicker. This was a mistake; it was very difficult to control the sliding part of the chain plying process. I produced about 1.5 yards and stopped. New idea.<br />
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Since I had already wasted some yardage of the precious 2 ounces, I did not want to risk dividing what was left based on weight for a 2 ply, and having some left over. So I used my center pull ball winder to create a ball with two ends and plied from that. I think it turned out great.<br />
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I now just have to finish the yarn, get it dry, and I will be ready to go. Still not sure if it's going to be a scarf or a cap. San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-66463964871083635652013-08-12T19:33:00.000-07:002013-08-12T19:33:06.123-07:00Milkweed, Cotton, and other ProjectsThe last month has found me very busy. In addition to an increased schedule of participation in the Fiber Arts Guild in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, I have been catching up with my own projects. <br />
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First project: Milkweed Spinning. We gathered dried milkweed this winter and it has been curing in the garage. I got some of the stalks out and processed the fibers, practicing the local Native American method of spinning and plying at the same time. This is done on the thigh and produces a thicker to a very thin thread.<br />
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The fiber is on the left, the spun thread on the right. As with flax, it spins happier when it has been soaked a bit. <br />
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Second project: Dyeing cotton. Using the guidance provided on Joan Ruane's website, I purchased some Cushing direct dye in the primary colors and dyed close to a pound of ginned Pima cotton from Cotton Clouds. Oh, the colors. <br />
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So, what could be more fun than carding the various colors into punis? <br />
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Third project: Multnomah Shawl. I spun about 10 ounces of the dark gray Romney I purchased from Thompson Romneys at the Black Sheep Gathering. It knitted into the shawl I wanted. See below, it is blocked and drying on a warm August day. I can wear this anywhere, Old Town or just in the evening. I knitted the pattern so that the garter stitch section would cover my back and shoulders, which are always chilly. The border uses the traditional and superfun Feather and Fan pattern.<br />
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I forgot, there is one more project; I made the pelerine for my day dress. It is indigo linen with white braid. I will have to save that for the next post.San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-68005225317726146512013-06-29T12:52:00.000-07:002013-06-29T12:52:08.728-07:00Black Sheep GatheringWe used The Black Sheep Gathering as a handy excuse for a road trip, and we were not disappointed! After a ritual stop at Village Spinning and Weaving, we headed north, had a great time with old friends in Sacramento, and dropped into Oregon. A couple of days at Crater Lake turned strange when we drove into a snow storm.<br />
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The lake was entirely invisible the first day. Therefore, we had to simply enjoy the wonderful amenities at the lodge. I enjoyed watching the icicles form on the edge of the roof.<br />
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It broke clear the next morning, and we went for a short hike to see the view. On our way out, the clouds returned and covered the lake again. At least we got a glimpse. From there, we continued to Eugene.<br />
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Yes, I bought some Cotswold fleece from Bear Hill Farms. Very clean and soft! I just finished washing it and it's drying in San Diego's 95 degree heat. We spoke at length with Art and Kathy, who were very interested in our living history activities in Old Town. In addition to the barns full of sheep, there were many vendors and demonstrations. I met Galina Khmeleva, Robina Koenig (Tumble Creek Farm BFLs), and Ken and Carol Ledbetter. Galina graciously signed my copy of her book, Gossamer Webs. I also visited Thompson Romneys and purchased roving to dye. What a wonderful event, and the weather in Eugene was great. <br />
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Then, on to Healdsburg with a side visit to Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. Since we visited on a weekend, the water wheel was working and the mill was in full production. The park is operated by volunteers, due to budget issues with California State Parks.<br />
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Eventually we wound our way back to San Diego where I am busy washing the fleece and spinning more cotton. I can't wait to do more weaving with handspun cotton yarn. Stay cool!</div>
San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3006235021832138495.post-90939827720517381462013-06-03T15:44:00.002-07:002013-06-03T15:44:36.711-07:00Handspun Cotton Scarf is Done<br />
The cotton scarf only took a couple of days to weave. It is 56" long without the fringes, which are 4" long at both ends. No broken warp threads, which is great news. I really like the way that the green and dark brown came out. And I have plenty left over for another project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFNnysUvcQQaQcCXoHU5B_J4o6CzDg12-fQNKgZwvVKdFQ_4kU8yD6kxAeDkDcJIAeNOQLmiPh4OSYMAy2M-qU4ge1LwX_3c2MoE9oEMTijlnhLXrPTxa_jwY8DL5mq35q7o9zn4aV1_Z/s1600/P1020458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFNnysUvcQQaQcCXoHU5B_J4o6CzDg12-fQNKgZwvVKdFQ_4kU8yD6kxAeDkDcJIAeNOQLmiPh4OSYMAy2M-qU4ge1LwX_3c2MoE9oEMTijlnhLXrPTxa_jwY8DL5mq35q7o9zn4aV1_Z/s320/P1020458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am carding some reddish brown ginned cotton into punis. That is, when Frida lets me. She is sitting on a bag, inside a bowl. It was a challenge for her to squeeze herself into the bowl, but she managed to do it. On the left, you can see some ginned white cotton that I am spinning on a Bosworth suspended spindle. The spindle weighs 0.5 ounce and works just fine for this cotton. <br />
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I think I will try knitting with the yarn made from the ginned cotton. It is not as fine as the yarn I made from roving. <br /><br />San Diego Fiber Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13030388272225396968noreply@blogger.com0