spinning multicolour

NEW WORKSHOP!! Sunday 2nd June 10 - 4, Blackford village hall, Perthshire, Scotland

Those hand-dyed braids of multicolour tops are just too tempting... add in the fabulous hand blended batts combining different colours and textures, and even the strong-willed spinner will succumb!

But - have you tried spinning them and found the result is not as pretty as you expected? Or have you been afraid to buy them because you didnt know how to avoid disappointingly 'muddy' results when you spin them into yarn? Now help is at hand!

On Sunday 2nd June I'm running a hands- on workshop where we will try out several different methods of handling these colourful fibre preparations, ensuring that you know how to get the results you want, whether that is distinct colour separation or subtle blending and gradients. Navajo plying and fractal spinning are just the start of this fun adventure into a colourful world.
I'll also let you in to some of the secrets of how to produce your own multicoloured tops and mixed batts at home, although we won't have time to put them into practice.

Skill level required
You don't need to be an expert spinner to enjoy this workshop, but you do need to be able to spin a continuous yarn.

What to bring with you
Because colour preference is such a personal thing you will probably want to bring your own fibre for this workshop.  We will be using both hand-dyed multicoloured tops and blended batts of mixed fibres. 50 - 100 g of tops, and 50 - 100g batt(s) will be plenty. Don't worry of you havent got these in your stash, I will have a small supply of suitable tops and batts for you to use (cost not included in workshop price).

Bring your spindle or spinning wheel if you can - let me know if you can't, I will bring a car-full of wheels and spindles for those who want to use them.
Bring a box ( a shoe box with a lid, or similar) to take away your  colourful work-in-progress

I will provide tea, coffee and cake (!!), you can get lunch nearby, or bring your own.

Cost: £55 (this is lower than my usual workshop rate as it does not include materials)
E-mail me at deborah.gray7@btinternet to book your place

Limited number of places so please book as soon as possible. On booking I will request a deposit of £18 by paypal, the balance is payable in cash/cheque on the day.
The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel your place, but will be refunded in full if I have to cancel the workshop for any reason.

Please note: This workshop is not suitable for absolute beginnners. My next beginners' spinning weekend in Scotland will be on 22nd and 23rd June, in Blackford, Perthshire.

a poem about knitting

I found a poem about knitting today, and thought others might enjoy it:

 

 

Ye four bright wires, so slender and so smooth

How many wakeful nights y've helped to soothe!

Nor have you fail'd, through many a darksome day,

to keep the potent fiend, Ennui at bay:

Affording occupation mute and kind,

Taxing no powers of body or of mind,

Leaving them free their higher due to pay

Fresh air to breathe - to meditate or pray

 

This poem was quoted in a novel I'm reading - The Sea House by Esther Freud. In the novel one of the characters reads the poem aloud "...from an anthology of Suffolk verse."

 

If anyone knows the source of the poem, please let me know



Playing with colour

I'd like to share some photos of the exciting results of the Playing with colour workshop today.
I'll be running this workshop again on Saturday 7th September in Blackford, Perthshire

Using primary colours to recreate shades found in images of nature

Creating a gradient from black to white, using natural undyed fleeces

And mixing colours and textures to capture the feel of an image

Finally, a little relaxing spinning to end the day!

Pavia Giugno 8 & 9 - filatura e tintura naturale

Corso di filatura e tintura naturale Giugno 2013

per iscrizione e maggior dettagli dixie1977@hotmail.it

Sabato: un Giorno di approfondimento della filatura   6 ore con pausa pranzo

per chi hanno gia’ imperato le base della filatura, sia col fuso, sia col filatoio.

Mattina: Come arrivare ad un filato piu’ bello, adatto e preciso per il tuo progetto.

·         Scelta delle fibre

·         Scelta di metodo di preparazione e la struttura apposto del filato – woollen, worsted, doppiato….

·         Spessore - Come misurare lo spessore dei filati finiti e dei capi

·         Torsione –come misurare e arrivare alla quantita’ giusta della torsione, secondo lo spessore e l’uso previsto del filato

·         Capire il rapporto fra torsione e spessore

·         Esercizi per arrivare allo spessore e alla torsione richiesto per il tuo progetto

Da portare: schema o la tua propria idea per un progetto (maglia)

Attrezzatura di preparazione e filatura – cardatori, fuso o filatoio (se ti manca, fammi sapere in anticipo)

Pomeriggio:    ‘Art yarns’

·         Usare immagine del ambiente per ispirazione

·         Mescolare fibre e colori diverse

·         Technichi di filatura – ‘thick and thin’, core-spinning

·         Navajo plying

·         Technichi di doppiatura per creare ‘fancy yarns’ – boucle, spiral, crepe

Tempo per argomenti secondo la voglia dei partecipanti,  

 

Domenica: Technichi di tintura naturale   6 ore + pausa pranzo

·         Mostra dei campione tinti

·         Piante e altre materiale per la tintura

·         Spegazione dei metodi tradizionali della mordenza e la tintura

·         Il confronto di metodo tradizionale con metodo ‘eco’/solare

·         Dimostrazione di metodo ‘eco’/solare

·         Ogni partecipante pua creare due vasi di tintura eco/solare, da portare via.

·         Materiale incluse

Corso di filatura e tintura naturale Giugno 2013

Sabato: un Giorno di approfondimento della filatura   6 ore con pausa pranzo

per chi hanno gia’ imperato le base della filatura, sia col fuso, sia col filatoio.

Mattina: Come arrivare ad un filato piu’ bello, adatto e preciso per il tuo progetto.

·         Scelta delle fibre

·         Scelta di metodo di preparazione e la struttura apposto del filato – woollen, worsted, doppiato….

·         Spessore - Come misurare lo spessore dei filati finiti e dei capi

·         Torsione –come misurare e arrivare alla quantita’ giusta della torsione, secondo lo spessore e l’uso previsto del filato

·         Capire il rapporto fra torsione e spessore

·         Esercizi per arrivare allo spessore e alla torsione richiesto per il tuo progetto

 

Da portare: schema o la tua propria idea per un progetto (maglia)

Attrezzatura di preparazione e filatura – cardatori, fuso o filatoio (se ti manca, fammi sapere in anticipo)

 

Pomeriggio:    ‘Art yarns’

·         Usare immagine del ambiente per ispirazione

·         Mescolare fibre e colori diverse

·         Technichi di filatura – ‘thick and thin’, core-spinning

·         Navajo plying

·         Technichi di doppiatura per creare ‘fancy yarns’ – boucle, spiral, crepe

Tempo per argomenti secondo la voglia dei partecipanti,

 

 

Domenica: Technichi di tintura naturale   6 ore + pausa pranzo

·         Mostra dei campione tinti

·         Piante e altre materiale per la tintura

·         Spegazione dei metodi tradizionali della mordenza e la tintura

·         Il confronto di metodo tradizionale con metodo ‘eco’/solare

·         Dimostrazione di metodo ‘eco’/solare

·         Ogni partecipante pua creare due vasi di tintura eco/solare, da portare via.

·         Materiale incluse

Multi-tasking Beetroot

Yesterday I rinsed out my first experiment solar dyeing with beetroot

With the more traditional methods of dyeing beetroot usually gives tan or brownish shades, so I was really pleased with this vibrant warm brickish red.  It is more intense than in the photo. I was inspired to go down to the local greengrocer and buy 3lbs of fresh beetroot to try a larger batch.

But - what about the golden rule? Which golden rule? My golden rule of natural dyeing, which is - if you can eat something, dont dye with it, eat it!! Which really means, only use the parts you cant eat as dyestuff.

So, as well as preparing a bigger solar dye jar of beetroot dye (that's a 2 litre jar and contains 50g wool tops and 50g silk caps) ......

....... I have made 10 jars of beetroot chutney - yummy!

Here's my recipe for beetroot chutney:

Cook 3lbs (about 1350g) beetroot whole, in 2 litres of water for 1 hour. leave to cool, then peel the beetroot. SAVE THE COOKING LIQUID AND SKINS FOR THE DYEBATH.

Peel and chop 3 onions, place in a large pan with 450ml malt vinegar, put the lid on the pan and start to simmer. Peel and chop 8 apples and add to the onions. Add 250g demerara sugar, 2 tsp sea salt and 1 tbs grated fresh ginger and continue to simmer. Cut the peeled beetroot into small dice, add them to the pan and simmer gently for an hour, stirring occasionally.

When the chutney is nearly ready put the clean jars into the oven at 100 degrees for 15 -20 minutes. Then fill the jars with the hot chutney and put the lids on tightly.

If you want to learn how to do the solar dyeing - you'll have to come to one of my worshops! It will probably also appear as a chapter in my next spinning book, which I am working on.
in the meantime, you can freeze the beetroot  cooking water and skins!

Pavia corso di filatura marzo 2013

Mi sono stata molto bene a Pavia!!  I had a great time in Pavia!!

Entusiasmo e la piacere di lavoro insieme - qui i 'allievi' stanno cardando un bellissimo vello di Shetland. La maggior parte del temo ero troppo impiegnato del insegnamento per fare delle foto!
Lots of enthusiasm and the pleasure of working together - here the 'students' are carding a beautiful Shetland Moorit fleece. Most of the time I was too busy teaching to take photos!

Era un corso base - (sabato) la preparazione della lana sucida, filatura col fuso e (domentica) filatura col filatoio. Tornero' per un corso di approffondamento...
It was a beginners' course - (saturday) preparation of raw fleece, drop spindle spinning and (sunday) spinning wheel basics. I will be going back to do a more advanced course....

Certo, una visita in Italia dovrebbe includere andare al pizzeria...
Of course a visit to Italy must include going for a pizza ...

Ho trovato Pavia  una citta molto bella
I found pavia a lovely town

17 gradi nel sole!! 17 degrees in the sunshine!!

ponte coperto - covered bridge

lavandaia - washerwoman

 

veduta dal ponte coperto

Torre

Strada Nuova

castello viscontino

prato del castello

Elisabetta in castello

Naviglie Pavia - Milano

Certosa di Pavia

laCertosa era chiusa - the Certosa was closed!

 

Grazie alle donne di Cuore di Maglia per la loro ospitalita al knit cafe al Bar Swing

 

ma sopratutto ringrazio dal cuore Elisabetta, Mari e Claudio Bernuzzi per tanto!!

This week's spinning

I've been spinning three different yarns from the batts I posted last week
 top left: natural grey Blue Texel
top right: grey Blue texel overdyed
bottom: grey Blue Texel overdyed, plied with dyed silk

Here they are a bit closer

I'm planning to knit Kate Davies' Scatness Tunic http://bit.ly/144dv5y so the yarn needs to knit up to the same tension as Jamieson & Smith's Shetland Jumper Weight. I've used lots of their lovely yarn in other projects so I'm confident that I've got the thickness right. Although the Blue Texel fleece is not as fine as a Shetland the yarn has the bounce and grippiness needed for the stranded colourwork fair Isle style knitting. I'm going to need a large quantity of the natural grey for my main colour; so far I've spun eight skeins, three more to go. All the contrast colours will be spun from dyed fleece, mainly reds and purples, not all Blue Texel but similar in handle, some natural black Zwartbles and I'm sneaking in a bit of silk too!