So, another update this month, I suppose I'm getting used to this blogging regularly routine....
Since my last post I have now filled the shelves at work with stock, ready for 'Gower Wool Week' which starts on Saturday (eeek!)
I have been very busy washing, dyeing, carding and sorting wool into batts, rolags and scrap bags...
Dyed weaving yarns (ryeland wool - 2 ply)
Handspun Ryeland wool
Dyed ryeland Knitting wool (some of the twist from the weaving yarn was removed to make it soft enough for knitting!)
Today, among other things I have been dyeing some more fleece frantically trying to increase stock levels for Saturday, I have one more set of shelves to fill as well as a whole separate shop!!!!
Rinsing exhaust dye from the fleeces, I like mixing them in together because you get a little bit of dye transfer and it makes the colours less 'sharp' I don't do this with yellow though as it can make it a bit 'dingy'.
Double dip-dyeing jacob wool locks, these will be left as-is for people to felt or comb or spin as they wish.
I also undertook some projects the other day and have not yet shown people the results....
I followed two recipes from here:
and here:
This is the result of the gelly air-fresheners, the definitely work and my house now smells lovely! Shame I only had pink food colouring at home though....
Secondly, this is the lip balm recipe. I did not have any cocoa butter and have ordered some on ebay, but was desperate to give it a go anyway so left out the cocoa butter and made up the difference in beeswax and coconut oil. I cooled them in the fridge and they seem to work really well, I like them but I will see what some other people think before I make another batch. I did try and use powdered beetroot for colouring but it didn't seem to work so I will try hibiscus or alkanet next time.
Here are some more jacob locks drying in the sun after being double-dip dyed today
and more photographs of the 'art yarns' I have been experimenting with, this was the 'ravelry' batt with coloured ryeland and green rayon plied with it
And this is one I dub 'foxglove' in which I used lime greens and purples, with dayglo green and purple sewing cotton plied in.
Now on to the very sad part of this post.....our little orphan lamb Frodo passed away last night, 1 week after I was given him. He seemed to be getting fitter and healthier, but suddenly went off his bottle and was unable to stand up. Within 20 minutes of bringing him indoors, he went to sleep and stayed asleep. We are all a little shaken and upset at the moment, and I can't help but feel I did something wrong, or that I could have done something about it, despite being told that I couldn't have. Part of me desperately wants another lamb to try again, but another part is still not willing to accept he is gone so I don't think I will for now. So I will leave you with a photograph from Saturday, where we played in the garden in the sun together (with my husband's ATAT).
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