More on local art supplies

Tags

close to home, colour, country life, crafts, DIY, dyeing, mordant, nature, plants

During an investigation into using dry pigments and beeswax for painting rather than oilpaints, which I’m not enjoying, I’d been reading about making lake pigments and thought it would be fun to give it a try. These are pigments from plants as opposed to rock/earth/metal based colours, and since I already had some remedies as well as dried plant materials for dyeing wool, it wasn’t too much trouble to give it a try.

Lincoln green 1

Tags

blue, dyeing, garden, green, vaid, vau, weld, woad, wool

I created this post 2 years ago with the intention of writing a series devoted to different procedures. But my woad crops failed and other stuff happened, as per usual, and here we are. So while waiting for black paint to arrive some time in the distant future; in between holiday house chores, I have a bit of green for you.

Some plant dyeing, finally

Tags

colour, dyeing, goldenrod, gyldenris, weaving, wool, yarn

Beginning with goldenrod from the forest, harvested at the very end of flowering. Unfortunately my own, which flowered later, have been overrun by weeds in the mean time.

Colour survey

Tags

colour, colourways, cotton, dyeing, fiber friday, poll, yarn

I came upon 4 cones of chenille some time ago and the colour just never made me happy. I simply wanted to know if anything interesting could be made with this type of yarn. Anyway, I decided to get some fiber reactive dyes and see if I could change my aversion.

A little spin

Tags

autumn, colour, colourways, dyeing, spin data, wool, woolly wednesday, yarn, ypp

Did you begin to think I’d given up on all the yarny stuff? Not so – just part of the cycle, a bit of this, some more of that, and on it goes.

It’s been so long since I’ve made yarn, because building the studio, because sciatica, because kittens vs. wheel climbing. Nearly had to give it a miss this time too because of a “sprained” wrist, but luckily it resolved itself with a day on ice.

Papermaker

Tags

crafts, creativity, DIY, dyeing, nettles, paper

Yesterday I decided to do a test round making my own paper. I’d bought a small deckle to begin with thinking it would be post card sized, and it was – on the outside! The actual papers turned out to be only 12 x 7½ cm. I also think I may not like the fine silk screen used, it takes forever to drain the water. So I’m going to have to make my own deckle after all I guess and have some mosquito netting I’ll try for that. Once I get some wood.

Drip drop

Tags

colour, colourways, creativity, dyeing, wool

Drying the wool was taking forever, so now I have all my buckets in play. I also switched from vinegar to citric acid, because working in the same room as the dye pots are a headache waiting to happen.

Rug dyeing

Tags

colour, colourways, creativity, dyeing, wool

With no fixed idea for a design (rather, I’ve had so many my head is just muddled now, and a family crisis didn’t help much) I decided to dye some wool first and then see if I know what it wants. Otherwise I’ll just procrastinate forever, waiting for “perfect” to land in my head.

Finally DHL

Tags

colour, colourways, dyeing, wool

Some couriers are like clockwork – others apparently have a few cogs in their gears. Like a time quote of 2 days in reality being 11, and not just because of Easter since pickup alone took 5…

Anyhow, I now have my rug roving and dyeing can commence. I haven’t decided on a pattern, once my options are limitless I become paralyzed it seems. But I do have a vague colour scheme, so I’m going to weigh out the amount, see what it looks like on the other side and take it from there.

Show and Tell Week: Rugged

Tags

cotton, crafts, dyeing, FO, rag rug

As a scandinavian weaver, it’s quite common to want to try your hand at rag rugs. So I’ve been wondering too whether that’s something I’d like or not!

When I bought the Lervad I got several kilos of “rags” made from socks cut into loops, then chained. Not very pretty, knots every few inches, it’s been sitting in a box for over a year. But I decided now was as good a time as any, do a bit of stash busting before I’m moving out, see if I wanted to keep at it or throw it away.