Solar dye experiment
Part 1 The solar dye experiment jars I set up in January have had 6 months of “brewing” and have been emptied, rinsed and dried. You may remember I wanted to test whether the UV … read more ›
News
Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes….
Changes are afoot! Things are changing…. Over the next few months after Stitch Fest South West (4-5th November at Newton Abbot racecourse) I’m planning a revamp of the yarns I dye, the colours I dye, … read more ›
Why British Wool Matters
Photo by Martin Schmidli Its British Wool month in October and I thought I’d give a personal view of why wool matters. Have a look at this You Tube video too…. In 2018 there were … read more ›
Alpacas in Cornwall
Alpacas, tell me more! Last month I paid a visit to Sandra on her small holding near Praze-and-Beeble, just up the road from me in Helston. Sandra runs https://www.alpacasofcornwall.co.uk/ and has a small herd of … read more ›
ChiaoGoo Shorties or DPNs?
Hmmm. ChiaoGoo Shorties or DPNs? Until recently I was undecided. I have always used DPNs for socks, narrow sleeves and other small diameter ‘in the round’ projects and ChiaoGoo circulars with 5″ tips for larger … read more ›
Holiday Yarns
Holiday yarn shopping We went on holiday to Italy recently and in Lucca I found this wonderful yarn shop! Of course I couldn’t resist going in to have a look….. Inside the shop it was … read more ›
Mordanting Experiment – part 1
Last week I finished the first part of a longer mordanting experiment. I wanted to test how different mordanting methods affect how light fast a skein of yarn is, or whether there isn’t much difference … read more ›
Cochineal – an interesting source of red
What is Cochineal? Cochineal is a fascinating natural dye stuff. It is believed to have been discovered for world wide use by Conquistador Hernan Cortes on his exploration of southern America in the early 1500s … read more ›
Why does wool matter?
Why does wool matter? Last weekend I was at Fibre Quest, a show at Fern Hill Farm on the Mendips. The aim of the show is to reaffirm the connection between farm and fibre and” … read more ›
Using stitch markers with your knitting
Which stitch markers? Stitch markers are quite a personal thing! Some prefer a loop and dangly bead or charm which slide along your needle, some prefer a clip and charm, more useful for crochet to … read more ›
An experiment with solar dye jars
Solar dye jars are an easy way of dyeing your own yarn without any special equipment. They are also a great way of creating multi-coloured skeins. I have been using this technique for over 5 … read more ›
Yarn shows this autumn
Yarn shows this autumn are back in full swing. Are you going to any? Yarn shows are like tempting sweetie shops for most knitters and it can be easy to get distracted. Do you ever … read more ›
Madder – grow your own dye stuff
Madder is my favourite dye stuff; to grow, use and for the colours it gives; here’s why…. About Madder Madder (Rubia Tinctorum) has been used for centuries to give a range of beautiful rich red, … read more ›
Drying and Storing your Natural dyes
Have you grown any dye plants this year or foraged for anything that gives good colour? Many dye plants can give colour as a fresh leaf/flower/bark/seed, but you may not want to use them immediately … read more ›
A brief history of blue in natural dyeing
Blue can be a difficult colour to find naturally to dye with so how do natural dyers create blue colours? Let me tell you more…. There are two main sources of blue for natural dyers; … read more ›
My first natural dye book is at the publishers!
I’ve been working on my first natural dyeing book for 18 months now and its finally at the publishers. It has been a really fulfilling commitment of time but I have really enjoyed all the … read more ›
