Local Yarns: Summer Yarn

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Summer Yarn

Corriedale from Eastern Washington dyed with Coreopsis grandiflora flowers and a mixed solar vat of Coreopsis and Walnut Hulls. This was a carded batt that I dyed by sticking half of it into the jar with Coreopsis and half into the jar with simmered-one-time-already coreopsis and walnut hulls left over from last year. I left it in the sun for two or three days (we had a couple of weeks of hot weather finally!).
Then I divided the dyed batt in two lengthwise and spun each sort of woolen, not worrying much about neps or thicker spots. I plied by reversing the direction so that the contrasting oranges and browns were next to each other.

4 comments:

To WriteSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Beautiful Laurel. I find it amazing that you do the whole process. I love that part of stuff, just don't do it very often. I'm totally impressed.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousSeptember 25, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Hi
Found your site and wondered what area you live in. looks treed. Saw the photo of indigo drying and wondered if it works after or needs to be fermented first or not.
Live in Ventura county in California and hard to find local fiber, though there are alpaca ranch in county. Did try retting flax but it over retted in the hot weather. Have you seen the Fibershed site by Rebecca Burgess
Be Well
Lynn D
ReplyDelete
Replies
LB070October 3, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Thank you Nita. I find it very satisfying.
ReplyDelete
Replies
LB070October 3, 2011 at 11:33 AM
As far as I know Japanese Indigo must be composted/fermented after drying to make "sukomo" for later use. I did read in one book that it could be used dried or frozen but I haven't tried either.

Try going to localharvest.com to find fiber. Or try Ravelry.

I did see Fibershed and it looks very interesting. I can't remember now if the dyes were local as well.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Goals for 2012

1) Make some videos.
2) Build a solar oven for dyeing.
3) Build a low hoop cover for the Japanese Indigo.
4) Japanese Indigo, Madder, Weld, Coreopsis tinctoria, and Orange Cosmos. Just started the indigo last week, can't find the coreopsis seeds so must buy some.
5) Mulch the Dahlias over the Winter.
6) Go to Shepherd's Extravaganza, Went to this and bought a Pygora fleece and some washed kid Mohair locks.
Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival, Missed this one.
Black Sheep Gathering. This one hasn't happened yet.
7) Joined textile collective!

Goals for 2011

1) Blue - Grow twice as much Japanese Indigo -- Did this but our Spring was so wet and cold the plants are all smaller.
2) Yellow - 10 Weld plants -- Two plants came back from last year. One vat was not too impressing. Collected seeds though.
3) Red - Harvest 3-year-old Madder Root in September -- Some fruits have formed! And have harvested 499 grams roots.
4) Orange & Orange-Yellows - Coreopsis grandiflora and tinctoria, Dahlia, Tururu Marigold -- Coreopsis grandiflora is prolific! Coreopsis tinctoria finally got going with hot and sunny weather. I'm freezing the few Orange Cosmos blossoms and drying the Marigolds. Red Gem Marigold has very small flowers so I'm collecting them each day and adding to an alcohol extraction jar.
5) Add some medicinal plants -- Echinacea, three plants no flowers yet. Elecampane, two plants with large leaves.
6) Rotate neighbor's chickens around the farm plot to keep weeds down and add nutrients -- This is working for part of the plot.
7) Hope neighbor's ducks will eat slugs -- Used beer traps and iron phosphate instead.
8) Build seedling bed cold frame -- Didn't do this, still working on it.

Goals for 2010

1. Double the cultivated area. -- In process
2. Dye Plants:
Japanese Indigo (twice as much) -- Slug problem, some have made it but I had to buy some starts from a local farmer. I'm lucky she had indigo!
Madder (add plants to make twice as much) -- Have three times as many plants! Six from a local farmer and at least twelve baby seedlings from seeds I planted.
Forsythia (get cuttings from friends) Haven't done this. Was thinking of a hedgerow on the farm plot but have heard Forsythia can get unruly. Well, I would be pruning for dye.
Dyer's Coreopsis (new) -- The slugs ate a lot of baby plants this year. One plant made it and has bloomed.
Coreopsis grandiflora -- I bought five starts from the local grocery store and am picking and freezing the flowers as they bloom.
Weld (new) -- I planted too many seeds in each pot; I'm not sure how I'm going to thin them, maybe when they are bigger. Bought six starts from local farmer. Love the color and works well with Indigo for greens.
Yellow Cosmos (new) -- Three or four survived the slugs. Finally got a few blossoms.
Safflower (new) -- Next year
3. Take 15 lbs. of wool to a local mill for carding. Waiting for it to be finished. Done!
4. Borrow drum carder to see if I want to purchase one. -- Haven't done this yet.
5. Buy a blending hackle. -- Done!

Goals for 2009

Build Hoop House greenhouse
Buy or find rain barrels -- Have barrels but no fixtures yet.
Buy soaker hoses --Done!
Plant Camas Lilies--Planted four, need to get more for next year. November: Planted 25 more purchased at the Washington Native Plant Society sale. Also sowed seeds.
Plant cover crop for compost -- done! Mammoth Red Clover and Icicle Radish.
Plant dye plants--Yes! Japanese Indigo, Peppergrass, Madder.
Learn to spin wool--Done! Now own 8 spindles and have a wheel on order.
Learn to spin flax--Done! Also planted flax. Waiting for harvest. November: Retting done and started processing. Saving seeds.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Summer Yarn

4 comments:

Subscribe To