tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19752337298360307202024-03-18T12:52:23.825+00:00Wool - Tribulations of Hand Spinning and Herbal Dyeingprojects with hand spinning and plant dyes, success, failure and digressionsFran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.comBlogger319125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-653763483700017542020-04-11T15:06:00.000+01:002020-04-11T15:06:02.030+01:00Young Dye Plant Seedlings <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Wonderful weather for the Bank Holiday." </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland peered into the trays of seedlings that had been carried outdoors to enjoy a day of direct sunshine. "I think your coreopsis could do with a drop of water."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hmmm. The Impatiens balsamina seedlings are still damp but it's done them no good, they've all flopped anyway. Looks pretty terminal to me. I think their stalks grew too leggy by the window indoors to cope without a greenhouse. Even in this warm weather." </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I slid my glasses back up my sweaty nose to focus on the other trays. "N</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o sign at all of the woad germinating. Possibly two miniscule weld plants are sprouting. Or maybe they're weeds."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ooo, you've got more than half a dozen </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Japanese Indigo coming up</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. That's good isn't it?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Not sure where I can grow Japanese Indigo plants if they do survive. When I tried to dig a hole in the garden to put that clematis in, I found </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a solid foot of builders' rubble </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">two inches below ground. Not exactly a cool moist root run."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor sighed. "The very thought is dehydrating. Get the kettle on, Beaut."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Fancy a walk?" Elinor finished the Diabolical Sudoku and put her newspaper down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Suppose the dog needs an airing." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You could do with some sunshine too, you mouldy old Grouch Bag. Dig your sandals out and let's go and enjoy the lambs in the fields and Spring just bursting up everywhere."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd gladly wear the usual woolly jumper, hat, scarf, coat <b>and</b> bring an umbrella if we didn't have Lockdown. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spring ought to mean going to Wonderwool, shopping for fibre, meeting all my friends and eating cake and I'm just sad that none of that will be happening."</span><br />
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"Chocolate cake! Crack on with the baking Beaut, it's practically Easter." Elinor dumped a bag of shopping on the kitchen floor. "Got all the ingredients for you. Did I mention I've gone Vegan?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Including avocados in both the sponge and the icing had strangely contrary effects. Far from being cooked in 25 minutes, the cake mix stayed gloopy in the middle for over an hour, by which time the frosting seemed to have solidified. Luckily, it softened up again in an improvised Bain Marie over the broccoli soup. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I yelped as the tea towel slipped off a hot cake tin when at last I could turn the sponges out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Couldn't you just have bought some custard creams, Elinor? They're vegan."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Never." She looked at me severely over her specs. "The palm oil in them is not sustainably sourced."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Heaven forbid you should eat an unethical biscuit." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No animals were harmed in the making of this chocolate cake." said my companion with great satisfaction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sucking the burn on my thumb, I reflected that this was not entirely true. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happy Easter Everyone </span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-74903847230408568452020-04-04T15:57:00.002+01:002020-04-05T17:19:35.707+01:00Free Woad, Weld and Other Dye Plant Seeds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Free Woad, Weld, Madder, Coreopsis Tinctoria, Japanese Indigo and Impatiens Balsamina Seeds</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Now all gone, thanks everybody </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Small envelopes of dye plant seeds saved from my garden last autumn are available for free with free postage, because I shan't be taking them to talks and workshops this spring and would be delighted to find them good homes. UK only, offer ends when the seeds run out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*******</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf86WmqEbB14UARbREY_2Ebj52g9Q_vdXZ9OjWkSWlcO0qeOFwJGSvcEDbrc5Akb7M5NV1unGWBGvgtZpWpoLXGOn5uM8PSJ5DaQsfqISwks6byRMjcP0my-7bxgU6fwABIFk9HyTFpg/s1600/P1060139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvf86WmqEbB14UARbREY_2Ebj52g9Q_vdXZ9OjWkSWlcO0qeOFwJGSvcEDbrc5Akb7M5NV1unGWBGvgtZpWpoLXGOn5uM8PSJ5DaQsfqISwks6byRMjcP0my-7bxgU6fwABIFk9HyTFpg/s320/P1060139.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I practically choked on my tea when I saw the envelopes. "However did you find those dye plant seeds?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland just smiled and shrugged.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Perseverance, Beaut. With all those stacks of boxes you've got piled up, I knew it was odds on there'd a few seeds saved in one of them."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I moved house last winter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth be told, I have still not entirely unpacked and was not in the least prepared for visitors. In practice, the whole virus crisis has caused me only the most minor of inconveniences. When</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor appeared on my new doorstep, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">masked and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> gowned </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in sterile whites, m</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y first thought was that himself must have dropped off another loo roll. Then </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">swathed shape </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">swanned indoors demanding tea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You wouldn't believe what a journey I've had. Eerie, the quiet on the streets, absolute nightmare finding a cab across Paris to the Eurostar. Feels like I just caught the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brushing aside COVID -19 precautions as not applicable to sheep, my companion gave me a hug and ensconced herself in the spare room. Next morning she returned home from Asda with a clanking bag of shopping and a sack of seed compost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Life's little essentials for me and a gift for you, Beaut. Probably not peat free, but fair play, needs must. Still reusing those old plastic seed trays?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, that's very kind but I'm not really organised for gardening, Elinor. I mean, there's no greenhouse here, just a north facing yard. In any case, I didn't buy a 2020 biodynamic calendar and I've no idea when the moon will be right."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor tipped the woad seeds into a jar of water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Give the silicles 24 hours to soak, isn't that what you used to do? We can sow your seeds tomorrow."</span><br />
Next day I did find some small seed trays, filled them with damp compost and sure enough, the little yellow woad seeds were easy to strip out of the middle of their sodden silicles. It didn't take long to lay a dozen out in a grid, cover them with a dusting of compost, press it down to get them in good contact with the soil, then label and wrap the tray in clingfilm.</span><br />
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Once in the swing of it, I carried on sprinkling trays with Coreopsis tinctoria, Impatiens balsamina and Japanese Indigo, none of which need to be soaked in advance and even remembered that weld seeds need maximum light and should be surface sown without any top covering of compost. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looking at the filled trays, my cheery mood evaporated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh hell and damnation, Elinor. The only room in this house that gets much direct sun hasn't any windowsills." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What a good job you've got all those boxes. Shove them over to the light, right up against the wall, don't stand there like a lemon." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That was five days ago and things seem to be working out. T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he Coreopsis sprouted after three days and t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his morning, when I turned the tray in which seedlings are already stretching for the light, I noticed that the Impatiens seeds are also germinating. A whole new dye plant garden remains a long way off, but as a start, I think this is good enough.</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-75939832069941945902019-08-02T18:52:00.001+01:002019-08-02T18:52:34.781+01:00A Trial of Dyeing with Dock Leaves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I paused to collect an armful of dock leaves, m<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y companion, Elinor Gotland sighed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Why on earth bring home weeds when you've a whole garden full of dye plant flowers that need picking?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, I know pretty much what colours I'll get from my own plants and I fancied trying something new."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You're such an adrenaline junky, Beaut. Couldn't you go bungee jumping instead of spoiling any more yarn?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"This isn't just some random impulse, it's a cunning plan. Dock leaves could save me a lot of time and effort. In Jenny Dean's book 'Wild Colour', she says dock leaves fix yellow colours onto wool with no mordant." I snapped off one last spike and turned toward home. "Think about it, Elinor, dock is a plentiful wild dye plant so no time spent sowing, watering and tending to it and what's more, no time spent preparing fibres before dyeing them. Quick and easy."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yellow with no mordant? You're sure? All sounds that bit too good to be true."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, I'm going to test these dock leaves out on some wool yarn. I'll try dyeing one unmordanted skein and one mordanted with 10% alum, see if there's any difference."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I simmered 400g of dock leaves in 10 litres of water and left them to cool overnight. When the leaves were sieved out next day, the dye (central sample) looked a very decent yellow. Testing with pH indicator strips showed it had become naturally acidic, adding vinegar to make the sample on the left more acidic made little apparent difference, while adding soda ash to make the sample on the right alkaline deepened the colour to a strong bronze.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Feast your mistrustful eyes on that, Ms Gotland. Looks like a pretty good dye bath to me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion glanced up from the crossword.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Handsome is as handsome does, Beaut."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two 100g skeins of wool went into the 400g dock leaf dye bath and were simmered for an hour and left overnight. Neither came out yellow. The one that had previously been mordanted with alum looked just a little browner, but if Elinor caught sight of this undeniably beige yarn, I was going to have to eat crow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I put both skeins in an alkali rinse, hoping it would bring up the colour and it did shift them to a more golden beige. When one was further modified by heating it in an iron solution it turned a dark khaki green.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion wandered over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's a lot of fuss you're going to with that quick and easy dock leaf dye, Beaut.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh" I said airily "I've dyed loads of this yarn with yellow dye plants already. What I really needed was a bit of contrast colour."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One granny square pattern in heavy wool yarn on a 6mm hook was a quick and easy way to make a substantial footrest. The inside is stuffed with a considerable weight of failed experiments on yarn and fabric. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I name this pouffe 'Crouching Crochet, Hidden Beige'.</span></div>
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-88979808015373172082019-07-05T20:41:00.002+01:002019-07-05T20:41:43.908+01:00A Coloured Romney Fleece to Spin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A trip to the <a href="http://www.somersetguildwsd.org.uk/auto-draft/">Somerset Guild </a>Fleece Fair was the highlight of this year's June Spinning Camp. After a week of rainy days and nights spent listening to the tent flap around me like a washing machine, Saturday dawned fine and full of promise. My last set of clean clothes had remained presentable, even the complicated journey along the lanes across the levels went without a single wrong turn, arriving at Hatch Beauchamp just as the Fair opened. Two friends on the inside, experienced Guild members both, had promised to keep a look out for the perfect grey fleece while the farmers were setting out their stands. As the doors opened, they steered me straight towards it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back at home, I looked up from unrolling my Romney on the lawn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That one's a beauty, but it wasn't the best fleece there, was it Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"How did you work that out, Elinor?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion shrugged.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Call it intuition. You look one plastic toy short of a Happy Meal."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">True enough, even as I arrived at the Ashbury Romney's stand, somebody else had got her purse out and was paying for the exact fleece my friends had pointed out. No matter, the farmer, <a href="http://www.romneysheepandwool.co.uk/romney-sheep-enthusiasts/">Philip Prouse</a>, had plenty of other gorgeous specimens for me to choose from.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Surveying my new purchase, I</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> picked off a few wisps of hay.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I was entirely satisfied when I found this beautiful clean, soft, variegated grey, shearling coloured Romney sheep fleece and it looks just as good now as I when I stashed it in the car boot." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"So what's eating you?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I sighed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"After I bought it, I met another friend from camp who had a stand in the marquee. She'd nipped into the hall before the show actually opened and bought an even finer, absolutely amazing silvery grey Romney. It was under her table and she showed me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion roared with laughter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Don't let the green eyed monster steal your joy, Beaut."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Soon as my sleeping bag was rinsed and drying on the line, I set to skirting the edges of the fleece. It's a shame the darkest colours are always on the shorter leg and belly wool which gets most matted, but this big fleece had few second cuts and no weak points in open locks with a staple of from 10 to 15cm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lustre gleamed along the even crimp. I'd have been happy to spin this fleece with no preparation, just picking apart the freshly shorn locks. Still, having a couple of weeks in hand before the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/groups/tour-de-fleece">Tour de Fleece</a>, though I hadn't got a <a href="http://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2013/07/cleaning-raw-fleece-in-fermented-suint.html">suint vat </a>fermented, I decided to set one up for the summer by soaking the Romney for a week in a 90 litre container of cold water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rP-aPHCoVenlBuWowGhbkOdzZieJ-J0iFKWMlOZbZb2v4x-EYAtIsCF-QYOnrpcGurMCSeFL7foLefc-phmF2-6YjL49IqzMG0rhAJ3l-zQgVRMZqY_YzfJHwXyMiYnV1qTZ3w4LmB0/s1600/P1050586+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1357" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rP-aPHCoVenlBuWowGhbkOdzZieJ-J0iFKWMlOZbZb2v4x-EYAtIsCF-QYOnrpcGurMCSeFL7foLefc-phmF2-6YjL49IqzMG0rhAJ3l-zQgVRMZqY_YzfJHwXyMiYnV1qTZ3w4LmB0/s200/P1050586+%25282%2529.JPG" width="169" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After one more day having a second rinse in fresh water then a couple of days drying out, the fleece had lost most of its dirt and much of its smell, though a moderate amount of lanolin remained. Though the colour variegations could be split into many shades of grey, I divided it into three broad categories. There was never any real doubt in my mind, there would be no combing or carding the wool, this fleece was begging to be spun from the lock. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a few bounces with the flicker was enough to open the tips and butts of the locks. With a small pile of locks prepared, I tried four options, results shown on the card below, described left to right. </span><br />
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Spinning from the fold longdraw, pointing my finger at the orifice of the spinning wheel and pulling backwards was the quickest process, though spinning from the fold short forward draw, with my finger at right angles to the orifice, gave a smoother and more even yarn. Spinning from the butts or the tips produced yarns somewhere in the middle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I spun samples in fingering weight and chunky to compare. </span><br />
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"T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he worsted effect from spinning forward from the fold works well at any weight of yarn, but I think I'd best spin chunky three ply for a thick jacket. This Romney is lovely, but not quite next to the skin soft for knitting the thin cardi I had in mind." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I heaved a sigh and m</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y companion looked stern.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Old Green Eyes, stop pining for that fleece you didn't buy. Make a friend of this one."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've taken Elinor's advice. And I've used the fingering weight Romney sample to make her a friend with green eyes. </span></div>
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-29606155672694562282019-06-29T16:32:00.001+01:002019-06-29T16:35:31.801+01:00Dyeing with Weld Plants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A week ago I stood a tray of weld seeds in full sun on the greenhouse shelf because I'd decided long hours of daylight would germinate the seeds fast. N</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o sign of life today, but </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">no surprise because I found the compost dry as a Ryvita. My companion, Elinor Gotland, called from her deckchair on the lawn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Were you right about a bit of sunshine getting your weld seeds started then, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A full ten minutes watering the greenhouse had left me</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> gasping in the humidity. I staggered out and veered across the lawn, attempting to dodge the question</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What a dramatic change this heat is from all the cool weather we've had." I reached the dye garden and stood there dripping sweat and trying to look nonchalant. "Rain then sun has really suited the weld plants, just look how many new flowers have grown." </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wHc2X6FSuReLkT7TTPrGcDfGSsGcUdIlD6d8570LDI3wKnam9jaQce9fEWRufCOtg2TAuystI6dEZ9Hyt6j71X6bjTY-c9vQDd6XGaDYVK8sjyPIOIs560_mEEXMoijDHUsufe7Mtrg/s1600/P1050501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wHc2X6FSuReLkT7TTPrGcDfGSsGcUdIlD6d8570LDI3wKnam9jaQce9fEWRufCOtg2TAuystI6dEZ9Hyt6j71X6bjTY-c9vQDd6XGaDYVK8sjyPIOIs560_mEEXMoijDHUsufe7Mtrg/s320/P1050501.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsvsPWdJ4L-NJxCdf4JIsy6D5-kZg94VOyFvLdCzVyO8yDYRAHwY2R3Oua20T9ET2dHJNayXNmTk7tDFFxUjHt26VWiwnknzXr_Bc1BzMnmfGMQVZrLRdldufRiVfhlgWUS6AR8WQiUc/s1600/P1050564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsvsPWdJ4L-NJxCdf4JIsy6D5-kZg94VOyFvLdCzVyO8yDYRAHwY2R3Oua20T9ET2dHJNayXNmTk7tDFFxUjHt26VWiwnknzXr_Bc1BzMnmfGMQVZrLRdldufRiVfhlgWUS6AR8WQiUc/s320/P1050564.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyKMUeHXbQGLGoyEpo1YXzEFB72tkufIVBu_Nn-9FHxS4NfMq_lJRRAfSTEmgb2dtRwvtYVGTKMIaF31NvrpV7cdqe8m1onXPMhjWi_4sNREibhso82xt93NSybk6sIJP4vGJbqis6aw/s1600/P1050563+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyKMUeHXbQGLGoyEpo1YXzEFB72tkufIVBu_Nn-9FHxS4NfMq_lJRRAfSTEmgb2dtRwvtYVGTKMIaF31NvrpV7cdqe8m1onXPMhjWi_4sNREibhso82xt93NSybk6sIJP4vGJbqis6aw/s320/P1050563+%25282%2529.JPG" width="289" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since its main flowering spike was cut two weeks ago, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my biggest weld plant</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> has sprouted </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">over a dozen lateral flower spikes. Quite an impressive effort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That first main spike weighed 125g and has gone on to dye an even more impressive 250g wool yarn. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every batch of plant dye turns out a little differently, but since this one went particularly well, it seems a good point to record my current method.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0I-bIuVf1gXDsJxuTZ9XzGCkHJ2PG8KdJhAC2QbDN176vkWTOJXhtWPss_ZIAczvpJswWvWnQCQraUJ2MWpiOaYSrOR_bXwg5OuqPEmBPrYNNqfVDAnUjES2Cq2L3nj0juO9-mf2-_ds/s1600/P1050500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0I-bIuVf1gXDsJxuTZ9XzGCkHJ2PG8KdJhAC2QbDN176vkWTOJXhtWPss_ZIAczvpJswWvWnQCQraUJ2MWpiOaYSrOR_bXwg5OuqPEmBPrYNNqfVDAnUjES2Cq2L3nj0juO9-mf2-_ds/s320/P1050500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have found the strongest dye comes from chopping the plant material into large chunks and leaving it to ferment in cold water for at least three days, preferably a week. The water becomes faintly cloudy, slight frothy and properly stinky. Simmered for an hour, the dye bath looks only pale yellow and will test acidic at about pH 4 if you have indicator paper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adding enough dissolved soda ash to bring the pH up to neutral 7 will turn a weld dye bath deeper yellow and I think leaving the plant material in the pot while dyeing also adds to the strength of colour. Starting with 125g weld, I first added two 50g skeins of wool yarn mordanted with 10% alum, simmered them for an hour and left them to cool overnight. Next day, they were a deep golden yellow, more like the colour from Dyer's Chamomile than the acid yellow I usually get from weld. I heated one skein with some dissolved iron to sadden the yellow to green and repeated the whole process with another two skeins, which went a more typically lime yellow. A last 50g skein was simmered soaked for a few days while I was away from home and even that turned primrose yellow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I think the first flower spikes give the strongest dye, Elinor. As they've given me plenty of dyed yarn, do you think I should do some contact printing with this second lot or just cut the spikes and hang them up to dry?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Best you let those flowers set seed, Beaut. Somehow I suspect you need to sow another weld seed tray."</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-5694850673178415312019-06-21T12:46:00.003+01:002019-06-21T12:46:47.098+01:00Cultivating Weld Plants for Dye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I walked out into the garden thinking this could be the perfect day for sowing weld seeds and as I reached the greenhouse, my companion jumped up in delight. The miserable June weather has forced her to move her deckchair inside and while the interior of the new greenhouse does provide an exclusive orangery ambiance, mobile phone reception is so dodgy that the poor soul often has to trek back to the house to order her tea and biscuits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Feeling parched and peckish again, Elinor?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A gust brought rain in through the greenhouse door and mud splattered the gravel as I dumped down </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">alf a sack of sodden seed compost. My companion shuddered and stepped back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Do shut the door - if you care nothing for me, at least spare a thought for your chilli peppers. I can't think why you're bringing in</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> compost, Beaut. This weather might feel like April but it's far too late to be sowing seeds.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wiped my hands on my jeans and the rain off my specs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The summer solstice is upon us. Weld seeds germinate best with lots of light and since this is the longest day of the year, it must surely be a good time to start sowing next year's weld plants."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I usually sow all my dye plant seeds in March. The seed trays sit on the underfloor heating in the bathroom and within a matter of days, tiny shoots appear and off they go, out to the greenhouse to grow on. Weld is the only plant with delayed germination. I've found that even when seeds are sprinkled on the surface of the compost with no earth or vermiculite on top, they remain inert until they get not only warmth but really decent light. Still, sooner or later, weld seedlings do appear in the March sown trays and although officially a biennial, with an early start, most of the plants will flower the same summer. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbn1w9IUfjCtc13U5e5GRd2MYkKa8ZrxSwcpF62k7WAwtGNA8p_iIfKA3ylSTQqXKY6sooCq7mjIwWLOY1UtpdOCqVwG2PWxsgZfn2YcPOfk_0uJ-IF1gtbcOgsbu29epxuk0xG3pV2A/s1600/P1050531+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1054" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbn1w9IUfjCtc13U5e5GRd2MYkKa8ZrxSwcpF62k7WAwtGNA8p_iIfKA3ylSTQqXKY6sooCq7mjIwWLOY1UtpdOCqVwG2PWxsgZfn2YcPOfk_0uJ-IF1gtbcOgsbu29epxuk0xG3pV2A/s320/P1050531+%25282%2529.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HMZwCw-pCFXgw6dvJE603bf-jrxiO7YNeeP12Ip_ZEipWJltv0O5FbvH5kxA7mswtxUfLpwsptmg5DKvYF-yGSzkb8eTkFHbhRwxc1ZzWr9eihJyaotoufd8Ge5XmgDzsv0lSeItwtU/s1600/P1050436+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HMZwCw-pCFXgw6dvJE603bf-jrxiO7YNeeP12Ip_ZEipWJltv0O5FbvH5kxA7mswtxUfLpwsptmg5DKvYF-yGSzkb8eTkFHbhRwxc1ZzWr9eihJyaotoufd8Ge5XmgDzsv0lSeItwtU/s320/P1050436+%25282%2529.JPG" width="107" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year's March sown weld plants are presently modest clumps of leaves, half of which have put up flowering spikes about 40cm high. They'll grow bigger and when I cut the main spikes, plenty more will shoot from the lower leaf axils. A few young weld plants won't flower, they'll just remain as low rosettes of leaves. Next spring, those will grow into plants 1.5m tall which start flowering by the end of May.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Weld flower spikes provide a great weight of material and thus a better harvest of luteolin dye than picking individual leaves from young clumps. Spikes are also simple to hang up in bunches to dry and dried weld leaves store their strong yellow dye for at least five years. Once they have finished flowering, the weld plants die. Since the second year plants grow so much bigger and generate ten times as much material as those that flower in their first year, i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t has become clear to me that though you have to wait longer, it's altogether more productive to cultivate weld as a true biennial. I've tried sowing fresh seed in September, straight from the last of the weld spikes, but once again, have found germination is uncertain. Maybe that's because the plant has been forced to go on flowering unusually long because I've picked spikes til the end of August and by September, the light levels are diminishing with the season. Left unpicked, early weld flower spikes would be setting seed already which would be scattered by the wind around the summer solstice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So theoretically, I reckon today could be the ideal time to sow weld. Even if there's little sunshine, we do have have long hours of daylight. Next week it's due to get warmer and I'll try to remember to put up another photo of that seed tray. See how long it takes the seeds to germinate.</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-63789861172466941592019-06-14T22:56:00.000+01:002019-06-14T22:56:49.195+01:00Dyeing with Dried Indigo Leaves Again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhd_mMDZZxlJZBeBOBRfNIr4RtqV5GAztwETjeuJLx46X7Je2AR4JtUFVdJcFDl17vDClX8YAHuojCip6yahenrclGnR45kztJQLo22IHDoKlBql5-Wo9HGQ6bcRnFvSKl3m6jLKrL6Q/s1600/P1020412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhd_mMDZZxlJZBeBOBRfNIr4RtqV5GAztwETjeuJLx46X7Je2AR4JtUFVdJcFDl17vDClX8YAHuojCip6yahenrclGnR45kztJQLo22IHDoKlBql5-Wo9HGQ6bcRnFvSKl3m6jLKrL6Q/s400/P1020412.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since salvaging <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/02/dyeing-wool-with-dried-japanese-indigo.html">dye from the neglected Japanese Indigo plants of 2017</a> proved such an unexpected success, I felt much less pressure to use all of last summer's harvest in fresh vats. Following <a href="https://debmcclintock.me/2015/09/14/dried-leaf-japanese-indigo-process-take-1/">Deb McClintock's method</a>, whenever I had a surplus, I cut stems and tied them in bunches to dry in the greenhouse. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These have been stored in big paper bags under the spare bed. When I saw a beautiful pale blue shawl on a display at Wonderwool, I bought the pattern, thinking to myself I could recreate that colour using the dried indigo. Also, what a great excuse to buy some silk blend yarn to catch the light and show off the complex cabled border pattern. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once I dragged the first bag out and started to crumble the leaves off the stems, what appeared to be a large volume of dried indigo soon shrunk down to a modest net bag full weighing 200g.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YhVxdP2mK6McyqgMVWBW696bB9blw9UwH8IEH7GGYtKa42jsmDt14pzTSSwWLtR1mI51kaUAitNtVLY1MkjjrbKJHe4he4rXvR31VcHdhiFq6UsesnRlBTcS3UqRX4kmXRlWdwlUKd8/s1600/P1050462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YhVxdP2mK6McyqgMVWBW696bB9blw9UwH8IEH7GGYtKa42jsmDt14pzTSSwWLtR1mI51kaUAitNtVLY1MkjjrbKJHe4he4rXvR31VcHdhiFq6UsesnRlBTcS3UqRX4kmXRlWdwlUKd8/s400/P1050462.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even so, that was twice as much as I had before. Once again, I followed John Marshall's instructions as described in <a href="https://debmcclintock.me/2015/09/14/dried-leaf-japanese-indigo-process-take-1/">Deb's blog</a>, just doubling all the quantities. Previously I had dyed 200g wool tops with 100g dried leaves, so I expected a strong blue on my first 100g skein of yarn and a medium blue on the next and intended to dye a pale blue skein last. In practice, it took three dips each for two skeins to reach two shades of mid blue. Possibly the weight of dried indigo was deceptive, because I did leave lots of small stems in with the leaves. I exhausted the vat with a bit of wool blanket and have saved my other skein of fancy yarn for another time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dyed yarn is knitting up with stitch definition just as nice as I hoped and though this pattern takes all my concentration, it's a pleasure to make. Here's a link to an online source, Ravelry of course, the designer is Helen Kennedy and it's called <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/closer-to-the-edge">Closer to the Edge.</a></span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-56186540870033478042019-06-07T17:24:00.004+01:002019-06-07T22:08:14.692+01:00Using Madder Root and Water Only to Dye Alum Mordanted Wool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion and I stood on the doorstep, bracing ourselves to step out into the June rain drenching the garden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"At least you won't have to water the pots, Beaut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I never water the madder barrels, those roots need sharp drainage. Mind, I don't know if that hot summer last year might have been too dry, even for madder."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, you'll find out soon. Didn't you just use up the last of the dried roots?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The remaining 100g of dried madder root from<a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-madder-plants-in-containers.html"> last spring's harvest</a> had indeed been chopped in a food blender, covered with boiling water and left to soak overnight. In an attempt to replicate the success of <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/05/madder-root-dye-with-alum-rhubarb-and.html">my previous madder dye session</a>, I followed the same minimalist process, simply adding more water next morning before putting in an equal weight of yarn mordanted in 10% alum. The pot was heated to more than hand hot but not boiling, kept hot for an hour, then left overnight. Despite the dye bath being naturally mildly acidic, the 100g skein of 4ply Falklands Merino/Silk blend came out a decent colour, though not as blood red as the alum mordanted skein of Blue Faced Leicester wool I dyed last week (shown balanced on top).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had simmered the other half of that original skein of Blue Faced Leicester in the afterbath, just to see if the yarn itself might hold the key to success. Of course, there was less colour left in the dye bath for it to take up, but I do think it is somehow redder than the first. Apart from being a different kind of wool, I remember that that particular skein was among some that got neglected and accidentally left in a cold alum mordant bath for five days rather than two. It is dawning on me that the longer things soak in alum, the better they seem to dye, even though <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/06/reusing-alum-mordant-bath.html">increasing the percentage of alum doesn't seem to make much odds</a>. To exhaust the dye bath, two skeins of coarse wool yarn in pale shades of grey were heated briskly and left to fester for a couple of days before I poured the mouldy gloop onto the compost heap. By that time, it had fermented down to pH 5 and the yarn looked distinctly orange.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After we had walked the dog, I laid out the products of my two madder dye baths and sat back to contemplate them. Rain hammered on the skylight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Were those madder roots worth waiting three years for, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yes. I think so. I like all the colours and I'm a bit further forward with understanding the dye. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next time, I shall do an experiment dyeing yarn that has soaked in 10% alum for two days versus yarn soaked for five days.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"So, when you're dyeing </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with the roots you dig out of the next barrel, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you won't be trying</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> calcium carbonate or bran or rinsing the roots or changing the pH or the temperature?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Just adding water is good."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor emptied her Wellington boot out into the sink.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Not if you're a sock."</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-75744770625229735682019-05-31T17:21:00.000+01:002019-06-01T16:16:26.302+01:00Madder Root Dye with Alum, Rhubarb and Iron as Mordants on Wool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Perhaps I could </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mordant six small skeins of yarn, two of each with alum, iron and rhubarb, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dissolve the calcium carbonate a day in advance, get hold of some real bran instead of using porridge oats, give the madder roots a boiling water rinse before chopping them up, then divide them into two dye baths and process one by heating to 80 degrees Centigrade and keep the other at room temperature for a week. Then I could compare the results and find out which works best, hot or cold madder dyeing. Only the cold bath would ferment over time and get more acidic than the hot one and that would affect the dye colours. I could keep adjusting it every day - what pH do you think I should aim for?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I looked at my companion, Elinor Gotland, who got up from her chair.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Madder, madder, bloody madder. It's all you think about."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Exactly. I mean, I'd love bloody madder." I called after her retreating back. "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You might be a bit more supportive. You'll see, when </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've decided how best to optimise all the variables, I </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">will</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> get blood red out of these madder roots."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor turned and blew me a theatrical kiss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Why not keep it simple, sweetie?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Three 50g skeins of wool yarn were mordanted, one with 10% alum, one with 2% iron and the third was simmered with three rhubarb leaves to soak up some oxalic acid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An equal weight of 150g dried madder root was chopped up in the kitchen blender, boiling water was poured over it and the pot was left to steep overnight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next day, I added the three skeins, heated the pot until it was properly hot but not boiling, kept it hot for an hour and allowed it to cool overnight. No rinsing the roots beforehand and no additives at all, not even soda ash to raise the pH of the dye, which proved to be naturally mildly acidic when tested with indicator paper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are the results, fresh from the dye pot. The alum mordanted yarn, which was Blue Faced Leicester wool, had turned the truest red I have achieved with madder in ages. The rhubarb mordanted yarn was far more orange and the iron mordanted yarn was milk chocolate brown. I've read that alkaline modification can turn that brown to aubergine, so the iron mordanted skein had a soak in warm water with a teaspoon of soda ash before being hung up to dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The brown one hasn't really gone quite purple enough to be called aubergine, but I'm astonished and so pleased with these colours. Particularly the red. Wish I'd used ordinary old alum mordant on all three skeins. I'd never have believed that you could get a good red from just madder roots and water."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I turned to my companion and to do her credit, detected no trace of smugness in her expression. She</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> shrugged.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Less is more, Beaut."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I put 100g of my finest alum mordanted Falklands Merino and Tussah silk blend 4ply yarn into the madder root bath and heated it up again next day. Even the afterbath gave a truer red than I have become accustomed to. Maybe I'll find I can't replicate the conditions and do as well every time, but it's tremendously heartening to get a win when you least expect it.</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-15322046130655758862019-05-24T15:25:00.002+01:002019-05-24T15:25:29.355+01:00The Secret Garden Crochet Pattern - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Look at those foxgloves, Elinor. I am so on trend. Vertical impact galore, my Dye Garden border is totally Chelsea."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The stems aren't straight though, Beaut. The judges would mark you down for that."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This week, my companion and I have been glued to the TV coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Fabulous foxgloves are everywhere and half the designers seem to have been fretting over wiggles in their spikes. My foxgloves are just the ordinary kind, <i>Digitalis purpurea</i>, which self seed every summer. All I have to do is move the young plants to the spots where I fancy having flowers the following year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Down at ground level, this year's weld and coreopsis plants are settling their roots in. My greatest gardening efforts go into raising dye plants from seed - Dyers' Chamomile is the only perennial in that border.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Earlier in the year, I went sorting through a pile of double knitting wool yarn I'd dyed with plants in previous summers. Lots of single skeins and no two shades quite the same. Small projects are all very well, but I find the preliminary chopping and changing and false starts can become wearing. It's good to have a bigger objective, something to fall back on when inspiration runs short. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-secret-garden-7">The Secret Garden by Catherine Bligh</a> was a wonderful find</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> amid the jungle of patterns on the Ravelry website. Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett's book, the central squares of this crochet blanket show snowdrops and daffodils representing early spring, with successive circuits of squares working outwards to high summer with roses and lilies. Thrilled by the concept and delighted to find the pattern was available as a free Ravelry download, I pressed print and soon realised I'd need a file to keep the whole thing in order. Fifty pages of clearly illustrated and carefully written crochet instructions came spilling out of the printer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crochet may not be my forte, but even I can be gently led through the steps to create these delightful squares. The amount of work that Catherine Bligh has put into documenting and sharing her patterns is breathtaking. I sighed with satisfaction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I love this blanket, Elinor. Each flower is a new and absorbing puzzle."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It takes you all evening to make the first one and by the time you've got it cracked and knocked out a few squares, you're on to a new flower."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Wonderful, isn't it? I'll never get bored. A perfect way to celebrate my dye garden in a blanket of naturally dyed colours."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yours is hardly a Secret Garden."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor remains far from convinced that it </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">has been a good idea to </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">take out more and more hedges and fencing to let in more sunlight. I'll admit, the neighbours do tend to stare at the sight of a small grey sheep doing yoga on the back lawn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It'll be more private when the sweet peas and beans have climbed up the trellis."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion sniffed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The central square of this blanket is supposed to show a key, but you don't even lock the back door at night."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I shall adapt the daffodil square and make a camelia with silver birch bark dyed pink yarn. That's often the first colour we have in the garden as well as my first dye of the year."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"How are you getting on with your round of crocuses? Got that pattern sorted yet?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It took a few goes, but I can do the little squares by memory now."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"White ones, yellow ones ... you've done an awful lot of blue ones. What about the purple crocuses?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You know I don't grow any purple dyes. I'll have to miss them out."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What's the next round going to be then?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Primroses and delphiniums."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No delphiniums in this garden."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, the same pattern square could work for other tall flower spikes that I do grow."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What, like foxgloves?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yes, exactly."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Purple foxgloves. I thought you couldn't dye yarn purple." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucky for me some of my foxgloves came out white. Lucky for me that Catherine Bligh is such a skilled and generous soul. It will take me a while and the finished blanket will be a hotchpotch of different yarns, but I'm enjoying crocheting every square, learning a lot and grateful for every page of instructions she wrote.</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-77858381703468043582019-05-17T13:43:00.000+01:002019-05-17T17:12:42.665+01:00Silver Birch Bark Dye - Fresh versus Dried Bark<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland and I climbed over a huge silver birch fallen right across our path through the woods.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Isn't it odd how trees withstand great storms coming the same way as the prevailing wind, then topple at a few gusts blowing in the opposite direction?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"There's a metaphor in there somewhere, Beaut." M</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y companion leaned against a branch and lit up while</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the dog headed off after a squirrel and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I got my penknife out. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Planning to peel the whole tree?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"One percent of this bark would be far more than I could fit in a pot. It's a shame really, when you think of all the times I've gone hunting for birch to dye with and found nothing freshly broken."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What makes you so sure the bark has to be fresh? Couldn't you just come back here when you need some more? Or bring a bag of peelings home to store? I remember seeing dried wood dye stuff on sale at Wonderwool." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That was logwood and fustic, not silver birch. I think bark does need to be fresh."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor stubbed out her fag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, I shan't argue. You know best."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Naturally, her unwonted complaisance quite toppled my convictions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the way home, we passed a silver birch tree that fell last winter and I stopped to examine the part I had peeled to <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/02/exhausting-silver-birch-bark-dye-bath.html">dye a great pile of chunky merino wool </a>and knit the <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-betula-jacket-knitting-pattern.html">Betula Jacket</a>. Over the intervening months, the exposed layer between the core of hard wood and the silvery outer skin of the bark had dried, changing colour from pale green to a pinkish brown. A dozen tiny beetles scuttled for cover when I prised up a section to get a better look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dye bearing underlayer had turned russet brown and friable. It was easy to flake off a few big chunks. Back in the kitchen, I put 100g of this old bark in one pot and 400g of the fresh bark into another, added water and left them to ferment for a week. On day eight, both pots were simmered for an hour and left to stand overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Testing with indicator paper showed both dye baths had fermented equally, dropping to pH 5. Once I had added enough soda ash to raise the pH back to neutral, there was an obvious difference between the two samples, the fresh bark dye being a warm orange while the old bark dye looked pale yellow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here are the results of dyeing two 50g skeins of unmordanted Blue Faced Leicester yarn by simmering them almost at the boil, one in each bath for over an hour. The old bark gave no pink at all, just a hint of tannin beige. Perhaps over time as they</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">turn the bark itself visibly russet brown</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, the dye molecules in silver birch bark oxidise or otherwise change their state. Presumably the dye </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">becomes insoluble once you can see it in the wood, since no pink was</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> extracted </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">into the dye bath </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">from the old russet bark, while plenty came out of the pale, fresh peelings..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To make it a fair trial, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in each bath </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dyed fibre totalling half the weight of the bark. One hundred grammes of old bark dyed (or didn't dye) 50g Blue faced Leicester wool. The 400g of fresh bark dyed 50g Blue Faced Leicester and also 150g 'British Wool' - tough old carpet yarn of unspecified species - another of my Wonderwool bulk buy bargains in three base colours, cream and two shades of pale grey. I think overdyeing grey robbed the pink of some of its warmth, giving it a faintly mauve caste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All this dyeing was done with the bark still floating at the bottom of the dye pot. I've noticed that after repeated heating with new batches of fibre, the dye bath becomes a stronger orange/pink rather than appearing paler and weaker. I guess that more dye is being released from the bark with more time and warmth. While fibres don't need mordanting, they do need to be taken almost to the boil before the dye latches on. Silver birch bark is both curious and generous dye stuff. I put another 150g carpet wool in the pot next day and it dyed at least as deeply as the first lot. Felted wool blanket weighing 300g was turned a peachy pink the day after that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXhLsPqtKJLQ_zAAsRUCKPVpGXUXQtN8hWg53kfGakJOTlmawHu1EK8Tee-PlREvN66AP0cgg02IqtNqQHtE4vOocdFeRU7Dcx49_nrQlHkHjXgvKTIUAGUqo1h17uiGgbOH33XrBIc4/s1600/P1050347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXhLsPqtKJLQ_zAAsRUCKPVpGXUXQtN8hWg53kfGakJOTlmawHu1EK8Tee-PlREvN66AP0cgg02IqtNqQHtE4vOocdFeRU7Dcx49_nrQlHkHjXgvKTIUAGUqo1h17uiGgbOH33XrBIc4/s400/P1050347.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I turned to my companion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"See I was right, silver birch bark does have to be fresh to give pink dye."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"If you recall, Beaut, I said as much myself. Still, credit where it's due, that's a considerable result from 400g bark."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I noticed today the fresh bark has turned dark red in the dye pot. Funny how the initial orange dye bath turned wool deep pinky brown, and now the bark and the bath both look dark red but don't dye things half as strongly. This morning I took out this big skein of two ply merino and Tussah silk blend and the colour on the yarn is much paler now, but I think a soft pink shawl might be rather lovely. There's a cotton Tee shirt I might dye too. It takes a lot of fibre to exhaust a silver birch bark dye pot and I do like the paler pinks."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No need to push your luck, though. That whole tree is still lying in the woods and the bark can't have dried out in just two weeks. Get your penknife, put the dog on her lead and let's see if we can beat the beetles to it."</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-45902425754504071102019-05-10T18:43:00.000+01:002019-05-10T19:10:09.260+01:00A Dye Gardener's View of Malvern Flower Show<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I strode up and down the patio picking pots up and putting them down again, not sure which plant to put where, undecided what border to sort out first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Flower Shows are so packed with inspiration, I always come home with my creative juices in full flood." I clasped a small helianthemum to my chest. "You know that show garden we saw, the Malvern Telectroscope? Just imagine how brilliant it would be if I built something like that next to our front door."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland, looked at me and sipped her tea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"All those creative juices just washed a dead horse downstream. A Telectroscope here - himself would have a fit."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Maybe just a small periscope sticking up out of the lawn, as if a submarine were about to surface?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Wouldn't it be a 'subterrine'? A lurking pat</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">é</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> de fois gras, perhaps? Why don't you stop crushing that poor plant and find it a place in the sun."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The opening day of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival may have been damp and grey, but it fizzed with ideas. As well as the Show Gardens, there were five Green Living Spaces, all of them joint projects between interior designers and garden designers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Wouldn't you have loved to have one of those studio gardens, Elinor? I can just imagine you lounging artistically on the divan inside that one with the cob wall."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Looked like a shipping container left next to a pile of mud and bones."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, don't be so mouldy, upcycling an old container is good for the planet. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I loved it, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">everything within that space was natural, sustainable and handmade, lush textures of wool and linen, wood and glass. Even the planting had a soft palette."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Soft palette? That garden was lisping for the lack of a palette, it could ask for tea but heaven help its plosive consonants if it fancied a bit of cake."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion wasn't entirely wrong. That Green Living Space would have sprung to life if the designers had added just a couple of textiles woven with bright, plant dyed yarn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"People don't always appreciate that natural colours can be vivid and varied. Plant dyes are still pretty niche. Still, reasons to be cheerful, now Monty Don has started growing dye plants on Gardener's World, I bet they'll get a much higher profile."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What's he planted then, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Madder, so there'll be alizarin scarlet. Only he put his plant in the border, not a tub, so I'm worried the roots might rot like my first plants did when we had a wet winter. There was a woad plant, only since it's ready to flower, he'll have to save seeds ready to grow lots next year. Otherwise, I think he had hollyhocks, marigolds and St John's Wort."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh good grief, what a plonker."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Don't you call Monty names, he's my personal hero."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"This summer, your hero is going to show the world some sadly fugitive colours. Hollyhocks and marigolds won't set the nation alight. Feeble and ephemeral. He'd better save half his St John's wort to make a tincture to cheer him up when all his Fair Isle knitting fades to beige."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dug a hole and firmed the heliathemum in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I suppose you could be right, Elinor. Monty Don does need some proper dye plants. Weld, coreopsis tinctoria, anything with 'tinctoria' in the name."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, he won't find them at Malvern Show. All those hundreds of trade stands we went round, thousands of plants and not a decent dye among them."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's not quite true. I did see one Dyer's Chamomile plant."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The exception that proves the rule and I bet Monty won't find it."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"One day, Elinor, dye plants will cover the front of the displays, people will demand them because they are so beautiful, fascinating and useful."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finished weeding the herb border, placed a few more of my new plants in the spaces and stood back to consider the effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"We had a grand day out at Malvern. I was pleased to buy old favourites like this sage and thyme, but much more excited to pick up six kinds of chilli and talk to the nursery owners about conditions for growing sorrel and old school herbs you'd hardly ever have seen on sale in the past. Tastes change, things get rediscovered and growers and suppliers respond. Dye plants won't be forever hidden in the farthest corners of the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form">RHS Plant Finder</a>. One day, there'll be whole trays of Dyers Chamomile and shelves full of Japanese Indigo at every flower show." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor finished her tea and dusted the biscuit crumbs off her front.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And one day, Beaut, you too shall have your own Telectroscope."</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-32376198490023926592019-05-03T15:34:00.000+01:002019-05-03T15:34:12.055+01:00Re-lining a Sewing Box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Enjoyed yourself at Wonderwool, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland, hadn't waited for an invitation to go nosing through my shopping bags full of lovely new yarn and fibre. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I finished wiping the dust and dirt off the most precious of my purchases.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I always think Wonderwool won't be as good as it was last year, but every year, it just gets better." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"And every year you go further over budget. That old box must have cost a fair bit more than the vintage rug bodger you came home with last time."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"This is a cantilevered sewing box trolley. It's priceless. The stuff of dreams."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I squirted a drop of oil into each castor and spun the wheels. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I've wanted to own something like this for nearly fifty years. I remember asking for a cantilevered sewing box for my tenth birthday and having to plaster on a happy smile when dad gave me a plastic tool box. To be fair, it has hinged trays that rise up when the lid is opened and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do still use it,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> very handy for keeping scissors and pins, but it's never been an object of beauty and it isn't nearly big enough. Once I've given </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">my new sewing box</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> a polish, it will be a marvel of </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">utility </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">and </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">authentic art deco ornament."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"More like a marvel of 1960's repro, Beaut.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Its </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">original features include a salmon pink nylon lining - bit of a giveaway."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Elinor, no!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Too late. My companion had already stripped off the tasselled braid, torn out the lining and was inspecting the base of the box.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"As I suspected, vintage hardboard. Never mind, it'll fit in the sitting room, hold your knitting and you can stand a mug of tea on top." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"My lovely sewing box!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is difficult for Elinor to look sheepish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Come on, Beaut. Best we replace that nylon with some of your nice natural fabric."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I followed her upstairs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Silk would be too thin, wool would collect dust and cotton is just ordinary and uninspiring."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"How about this silk and linen blend?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elinor pulled out the legs of a pair of trousers that I had unpicked and contact <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2017/06/cultivating-and-dyeing-with-weld-plants.html">dyed with weld plants</a> a couple of years ago. The fabric was just wide enough to cover an oblong of card the size of the base of the box. All very neat and professional. Using a hot glue gun to stick the other leg to the sides of the box, I burnt my thumb and welded a fold of fabric into a hard lump.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh I've ruined it now." I slumped down to examine my blistered thumb.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Don't forget you need braid to go round the top, that'll cover a multitude of sins." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I crocheted a matching trim of pink yarn dyed with silver birch bark and green yarn, possibly dyed with birch leaves. Gluing that on with UHU was easy enough.</span><br />
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All that remained was to transfer the contents of my old plastic tool box, rediscovering in the process </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">such</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> lost treasures as an envelope holding locks of my children's baby hair from their first haircuts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, yuck, how Victorian can you get? No wonder your old tool box was always overflowing with crap."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I took the envelope from my companion's hoof.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I think I'll just tuck it away down at the bottom of the new box. That's not a problem, this sewing box trolley is so capacious, I've got plenty of room for everything."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Everything? In that box? Really?" said my companion, swinging open the door of the sideboard ....</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-9891599800942452122019-04-26T19:12:00.001+01:002019-04-26T19:12:47.003+01:00Pob Lwc Knitting Pattern<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJc46q5zkrQ4TPxPtALIwIu4rRVJC0VQUc0AdkzunL4I3vZWA6i_Xk276DCReJu1FeCo6UeRvTD8sTtfZdgqA-kq1lwMAZj4dwqNYFM-JFbBmX0bWTK560ZC9267ynwYSWCErUHsynrM/s1600/P1050149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJc46q5zkrQ4TPxPtALIwIu4rRVJC0VQUc0AdkzunL4I3vZWA6i_Xk276DCReJu1FeCo6UeRvTD8sTtfZdgqA-kq1lwMAZj4dwqNYFM-JFbBmX0bWTK560ZC9267ynwYSWCErUHsynrM/s400/P1050149.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Iv0xFFiIxYRpTynfjR3lOn6SUKan-cekOziLhqf71FTRFRglkp50ztHRVhYnCRTzPuMvMK5BBN7GkVQ4y1D-QDEdi7MG8abhCC8TFz6OrCwrQL0KpwHEjr88whgR3vIKXkdWEQu_P4/s1600/P1050186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Iv0xFFiIxYRpTynfjR3lOn6SUKan-cekOziLhqf71FTRFRglkp50ztHRVhYnCRTzPuMvMK5BBN7GkVQ4y1D-QDEdi7MG8abhCC8TFz6OrCwrQL0KpwHEjr88whgR3vIKXkdWEQu_P4/s320/P1050186.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Nice pouches, Beaut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oooo, do you like them? They're prototypes for an entrelac basket pattern I've been working on, which has the same basic construction method."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"A pouch or a basket - what would you call such a thing? A POB pattern?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Hadn't really thought about it. The curved shape just happened when I made a mistake knitting a flat piece of entrelac, so I could call this the Fortuitous POB Pattern."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Go native, Beaut, call it 'Pob Lwc'. That means Good Luck in Welsh."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes my companion comes up with a pearl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Love it, Elinor. Happy and snappy."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Materials</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This pattern can be used to make any size of pouch or basket (pob) in </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">any weight of yarn</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. The final roundness depends on washing to cause at least a little felting before the pob is stuffed while damp and left to dry in the desired shape, so your yarn will have to be minimum 50% real wool without superwash treatment. A pob would be a good way to use up small amounts of leftover yarn from other projects if you knitted each of its eight sections in different colours and completed the top with a ninth yarn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To choose the correct <b>size of long circular needle</b>, twirl three strands of yarn together, match the width of the twirl against the width of a knitting needle, then go down a size and use a needle which is slightly narrower than the three strand twirl. This should knit a reasonably tight fabric to make a secure container after felting. Nothing should be able to work its way out of your pob - that would not be much lwc at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To make handles, you will also need <b>two double pointed needles </b>in the same size as your circular needle, which will be used for knitting free lengths of icord, plus scissors and a <b>tapestry needle</b> for finishing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Size and Quantities</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Entrelac is knitted in rectangles and triangles, each of which has the same stitch count. The greater the unit stitch count you choose, the larger your pob will be. To get a fair idea of the final size and the amount of yarn you will need, cast on ten stitches, knit ten rows of stocking stitch and cast off, then wash the piece to felt it slightly. Measure the width of your gauge piece and multiply by six to find the widest circumference that a pob would be if made in your yarn on your size needles with units of ten stitches. The depth of the pob, not including the icord rim, will be about 1.5 times the width of the gauge piece. Use these measurements to decide what your unit stitch count should be to achieve the size of pob you'd like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Example - your ten stitch gauge piece measures 7cm wide. Therefore a ten stitch unit pob would be 42cm at its widest circumference (the brim will be narrower) and 10.5cm deep (not including brim). You would prefer a larger pob, so now you can calculate that if you use a fourteen stitch unit, that would make a pob of 59cm circumference and 15cm depth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Weigh the gauge piece and multiply by 12 to find the weight of yarn you would need to make the body of a ten stitch unit pob. The construction lends itself to working in four colours and if you decide to do this, you will need three times the weight of the gauge piece in each colour. You will also need more yarn for making the top of the pob, the amount depending on whether you plan a simple brim or multiple turns of brim plus long handles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Method</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhego1PCFS0rXWE9V9AtzjZ80cgNgYVjntlY3o5C_CQ2qepAnro9vnWCKaROPYmmLnw5DbP0YMY7ynwR7sR009mB6gS6ynXRpUeXUFjHKpmZRCtbxLfB1mAHmeeMcql0-S01DyDYUK8aSY/s1600/P1050238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhego1PCFS0rXWE9V9AtzjZ80cgNgYVjntlY3o5C_CQ2qepAnro9vnWCKaROPYmmLnw5DbP0YMY7ynwR7sR009mB6gS6ynXRpUeXUFjHKpmZRCtbxLfB1mAHmeeMcql0-S01DyDYUK8aSY/s400/P1050238.JPG" width="326" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dotted lines on this schematic show which sections become knitted together in which order. The labels A, B, C and D refer to four colours of yarn if you are working with four colours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the following instructions, X represents the number of stitches in a unit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K = knit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P = Purl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P2tog = purl 2 stitches together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RS = right side</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SSK = slip one stitch as if to knit, slip the next stitch as if to purl, then pass the left needle through the front loops and knit the two stitches together</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WS = wrong side</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section One</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour A, cable cast on X stitches loosely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P2, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K2, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P3, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K3, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">continuing as above to KX and then break yarn and tie on Colour B</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Two</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour B, with RS facing, turn work clockwise and pick up X stitches along the knitted edge of Section One</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PX, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Knit X stitches, turn and purl back* repeat (X-1) times</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and tie on Colour C</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Three</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour C, with WS facing, turn work clockwise and pick up X stitches from the edge of Section Two, passing the needle from the RS to the WS so that the new stitches appear on the RS and the selvedge is hidden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Knit</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> X stitches, turn and purl back* repeat X times</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and tie on Colour A</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Four</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour A, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">with RS facing, turn work clockwise and pick up X stitches along the knitted edge of Section 3.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Knit X stitches, turn and purl back* repeat X times</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and tie on Colour D</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Five</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In colour D, with WS facing, turn work clockwise and pick up (X+1) stitches along the edge of Section Four </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">passing the needle from the RS to the WS so that the new stitches appear on the RS and the selvedge is hidden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K X + 1, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*P2tog, P to last stitch, then P2tog last stitch of Section Five with first live stitch of Section Three</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K back to end of row* repeat until only 2 stitches remain of Section Five, then purl those two together with the last stitch of Section Three.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and fasten off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNR06rmYsI2xaB6j5crNBUgVNsdKiXX0gqutQ1oR9mNta9cnHqcdFQQvsM_qufL8B8Jyd09xMP4HWyXGs505xeiMZx5Z3HYxQvWwcufKtvZ1U40VvVAE2i5iyGz2ZjT8Bbk-4HBfQWxg/s1600/P1050164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNR06rmYsI2xaB6j5crNBUgVNsdKiXX0gqutQ1oR9mNta9cnHqcdFQQvsM_qufL8B8Jyd09xMP4HWyXGs505xeiMZx5Z3HYxQvWwcufKtvZ1U40VvVAE2i5iyGz2ZjT8Bbk-4HBfQWxg/s320/P1050164.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this stage, your work will look like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The live stitches of Section Four (on right of photo) now need to be transferred to the opposite needle, which puts that needle into position to pick up stitches from the free edge of Section Four.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Six</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour D, with RS facing, rejoin yarn and pick up X stitches from the free edge of Section Four.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P X, turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Knit to last stitch, then SSK last stitch together with a stitch of Section Two</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P back* repeat until you have completed the knit row in which the last stitch of Section Two is used.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and tie on Colour C</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Seven</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour C, with RS facing, pick up (X+1) stitches from free edge of Section Two.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*P2tog, P to last stitch, then P2tog last stitch of Section Five with first live stitch of Section Three</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K back to end of row* repeat until only 2 stitches remain of Section Five, then purl those two together with the last stitch of Section Three.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and tie on Colour B.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Section Eight</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Colour B, with WS facing, pick up (X+1) stitches from free edge of Section Six, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">passing the needle from the RS to the WS so that the new stitches appear on the RS and the selvedge is hidden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K (X+1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*P2tog, P to last stitch, then P2tog last stitch of Section Five with first live stitch of Section Three</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K back to end of row* repeat until only 2 stitches remain of Section Five, then purl those two together with the last stitch of Section Three.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Break yarn and fasten off.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNth3-o81rN0AJDVBhX5GgR4vKey6C_1xmsB0aXoYj7PKlXwQLHgJFPKNoxpGvIFkc4yY4VzeKi_ErCCG45NB2xSNp1s7DAUfPCjNvyECh0o0MnS_iEii0k8c7vw3OXe9uGXxyuLDIdY/s1600/P1050196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1600" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNth3-o81rN0AJDVBhX5GgR4vKey6C_1xmsB0aXoYj7PKlXwQLHgJFPKNoxpGvIFkc4yY4VzeKi_ErCCG45NB2xSNp1s7DAUfPCjNvyECh0o0MnS_iEii0k8c7vw3OXe9uGXxyuLDIdY/s200/P1050196.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzvVj8IytNYY7i0Dyfja6vzu2JA0UnpfO_0i8wHpBxrq1Is_gFsVDW9aRWidqJFCxn39V_yqBCew4mWVfsWfxSm0E6mEdn6VVv7qfnmafJoR9NUTa-ir9Pkta-F1x8XAGTeTIrg0vqOI/s1600/P1050195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzvVj8IytNYY7i0Dyfja6vzu2JA0UnpfO_0i8wHpBxrq1Is_gFsVDW9aRWidqJFCxn39V_yqBCew4mWVfsWfxSm0E6mEdn6VVv7qfnmafJoR9NUTa-ir9Pkta-F1x8XAGTeTIrg0vqOI/s200/P1050195.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your work will now look like a shallow box.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The brim will be knitted as an icord bind off, which will draw in the edges and provide a firm and inelastic top for the pob.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Basic Brim</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the Brim Colour yarn, with RS facing, pick up (X+1) stitches from the free edge of each of the four triangles using a circular needle. Do not turn your work, continue as if knitting in the round.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cable cast on three extra stitches from the first stitch on the left needle and knit an icord bind off right round the top of the pob - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEbaZ6COOYk">here is a helpful video tutorial.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To complete the pouches, at the end of the first round of icord, I simply picked up another stitch from the top of the start of the icord before passing all four stitches back to the left needle, knitting two, then knitting two together through back of loops, picking up another stitch from the top of the icord and passing all four stitches back to the left needle. This builds a spiral of icord at the brim of the pob which you can continue to knit for as many rounds as you choose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To make icord handles, you will need two double pointed needles, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+knit+icord&oq=how+to+knit+icord&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.9843j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1">here is a helpful tutorial</a> on knitting free icord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At any point on the brim, knit an icord as long as the handle you want, then loop it in half as you return to the point where you started knitting free cord and continue knitting an icord bind off around the brim. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a single strap, when you reach the opposite side of the bag, knit an equal length of free icord and pass it through the loop of the first before returning to complete the icord bind off. Sew the two sides of each icord loop together to make a sturdy handle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For two handles, make four loops, one at each quarter of the brim circumference and interloop each pair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sew in ends and put the pob through a hot washing machine cycle to felt it. The misshapen lump that emerges should be tightly stuffed with towels and pummelled into a nice round ball shape, then left to dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used a <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daisy-coasters">free Ravelry download crochet daisy pattern</a> to make the decoration on the daffodil dyed basket which is shown near the top of this post. Haven't quite decided what I might add to this silver birch bark dyed shoulder bag. Maybe some green birch leaves?</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-40937504472428469102019-04-19T19:28:00.001+01:002019-04-19T19:28:51.762+01:00Dandelion Flower Dye - One Yellow, Three Greens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the first of April I turned the page of <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/10/2019-calendar-twelve-months-of-plant.html">my calendar</a> to see a picture of dandelion dyes. The day was</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> sunny and light of heart with the promise of spring, I grabbed a bag and set off for </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my usual hunting ground, a wide verge beside the A48. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sure enough, the grass was ablaze with dandelion flowers. I used to feel horribly self conscious crouching to pick them as fast as I could, imagining people driving past might consider me foolish. This year, that galvanising thought had barely occurred to me before the verge was stripped. Once I got home, I found I had only 700g of dandelions, rather less than the usual kilogramme. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTv1-mrWTw1bzqikOby5rlspJqDEHckCmn1KgJTdZV30zSdQYQxGwefz9AjvXMcy_8D1NC_O9jH9_8DHQblez-6uR2TXVwVqko799Vw06sYsx2hz5g_HnDbiXc_liYz49UCF_goRIdlIk/s1600/P1050107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1600" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTv1-mrWTw1bzqikOby5rlspJqDEHckCmn1KgJTdZV30zSdQYQxGwefz9AjvXMcy_8D1NC_O9jH9_8DHQblez-6uR2TXVwVqko799Vw06sYsx2hz5g_HnDbiXc_liYz49UCF_goRIdlIk/s320/P1050107.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I simmered the flowers for an hour and looked for some fibres to dye. This 200g of <a href="https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/collections/yarn-super-chunky/colour_natural_white?sort_by=manual">super chunky singles wool yarn from World of Wool</a> was mordanted with alum a couple of years ago and has been lurking at the bottom of the basket because I've previously found the white Cheviot yarn didn't seem to take up much from plant dye baths. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following day, the skeins of yarn were simmered in the dandelion dye bath for an hour and left to cool. The day after that, I hooked them out for a look at the result and my companion, Elinor Gotland, glanced up from doing her crossword.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Of all the weeds in all of Wales, that is the most weedy yellow you've ever dyed, Beaut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mmm, not enough sunshine yet, not enough dandelions and not the ideal yarn, either. Still, I've not given up hope. This dye bath has been fermenting for a couple of days, it's bound to be acidic. The colour will look better after a rinse in plain water."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though my companion looked dubious, I wasn't wrong. The skein on the far left of this photo was simply rinsed and dried, the second was reheated in half the dye bath with a splash of iron solution before rinsing and the third was reheated with copper solution, which modifies colour best in an acidic environment. The fourth was originally the grey skein, proving once again that <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/01/overdyeing-grey-yarn-with-yellow-plant.html">yellow + grey = green</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All four skeins were knitted into an entrelac bag which was felted in the washing machine with colour washing powder. I expected the alkaline powder to intensify the dandelion dye colours even further and I'd say the plain yellow, the grey base and the copper modified greens did get marginally stronger. One surprise, the iron modified skein shifted to a rather beige toned green variation, which hasn't happened before. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'd never claim to be astonished by beige, that just seems to be the default state for amateur natural dyers. I stared moodily at the beige sections of the bag.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My companion waved a hoof.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Cheer up Chicken, it's Easter, the family are coming and it's time to hide chocolate in the garden."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elinor will not be missing a trick from her eagle's nest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suspect all my eggs may end up in one basket.</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-72826013430157443372019-04-12T14:50:00.000+01:002019-04-12T14:50:39.393+01:00An Entrelac Tablet Cover <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Have you found the button to turn it on yet, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Gotland, always finds my technological ineptitude a source of </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">great </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">entertainment. I bought myself a tablet - absolute bargain - then was appalled to find there were no instructions in the box. Apparently, no-one needs such things these days, it's all 'intuitive'. Eventually, my 'intuition' had led me to search online for directions on how to charge the thing up. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Are you planning to write your blog on that tablet?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"No." I blew my nose with a loud and snotty trumpeting sound. "It's first function is going to be carrying a powerpoint presentation to Gloucester. I've been invited to talk to the Guild there about dye plant gardening and I was really looking forward to it, only now I've got a filthy cold and I'm absolutely bloody dreading having to link this thing up to their projector." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, go on with you. What could be easier? It'll be fine when you get there." </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor positively skipped across to the kettle.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the perfect time for you to talk about growing dye plants. The green fuse has been lit, leaves are about to unfurl from the trees and seeds are bursting to germinate." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I stopped tapping and swiping at the screen of the tablet and shoved it away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Feels to me like someone pressed 'pause' on the Spring. That cold East wind is still blowing and I've been rained and hailed on once too often this week. My throat is sore and my head's in the shed. I want to write my blog on the computer, but I've lost the bit of paper with my notes on the knitting pattern for this entrelac tablet cover. What's more, I didn't even remember to take many photos."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion passed me a mug of lemon and ginger tea and a box of tissues.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"See what you can remember. The pattern will have to be 'intuitive'. You can always google 'entrelac' if you want to make another."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs193JnTzbyjyg4LhV8iT3wecpY0qKGXLc4ZHbs6L566qRzRyrKvSsfRzGdGBwq1sn06tOmnGBLWQQAOfji2VoTsaCyibZAy9m0O0eJWVHMzG-PM6LMluFrGnPAc-BrOp4GAFAc6KgZJw/s1600/P1040948+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs193JnTzbyjyg4LhV8iT3wecpY0qKGXLc4ZHbs6L566qRzRyrKvSsfRzGdGBwq1sn06tOmnGBLWQQAOfji2VoTsaCyibZAy9m0O0eJWVHMzG-PM6LMluFrGnPAc-BrOp4GAFAc6KgZJw/s400/P1040948+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Materials</b> - four 50g skeins of handspun Shetland wool, high twist, chain plied somewhere between double knitting and worsted weight, dyed with madder, weld and meadowsweet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3.5mm and 4mm circular needles with a long cord, darning needle for sewing in ends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fabric to line the case, needle and thread and two buttons.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9UkzuIye9bHdTWS7hTRDknIqExOiHo3_xByjng8P6trX_mQqeFwtSoE4i-hzPeFm_ChzsLHENkWb451CT1v5JTzsg0RsvJ0UNDPC2m84i69ioYyNOOKo5S-GXH_4kGm6OHrJivp0-Dg/s1600/P1050108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9UkzuIye9bHdTWS7hTRDknIqExOiHo3_xByjng8P6trX_mQqeFwtSoE4i-hzPeFm_ChzsLHENkWb451CT1v5JTzsg0RsvJ0UNDPC2m84i69ioYyNOOKo5S-GXH_4kGm6OHrJivp0-Dg/s400/P1050108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Method</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cable cast on<b> </b>60 stitches loosely on 3.5mm needles. Knit six entrelac base triangles each 10 stitches wide. Changing colour for each row, knit seven rows of entrelac rectangles, then finish with a row of bind off triangles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I-cord will shrink more in the wash than entrelac fabric. Change up to 4mm needles and pick up 11 stitches from each of the 10 stitch triangles and three extra stitches at each corner. Cable cast on three more stitches and knit an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEbaZ6COOYk">i-cord bind off</a> to edge the entrelac. To make button hole loops, on one of the short sides, knit three added rows of free i-cord at two of the rectangle points.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To felt the fabric, put the piece through a hot cycle in the washing machine and pin it out flat to dry. Cut a piece of material 2cm wider and longer than the knitting, turn back a hem all round and sew it against the inside edge of the i-cord on the wrong side.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0sHrRdv-uxteLeZcFfZJZ0hvrEw9Ex53xAlF_R3yjEcw2Xc232mfaqBjCQr8meVFn84Bkv3ymTcGDcjEN9deU7NpE-VM-K57J3V1dq4Bwif_M50idxFOxi1B5A87GF7d115s_M3ANzo/s1600/P1050138+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0sHrRdv-uxteLeZcFfZJZ0hvrEw9Ex53xAlF_R3yjEcw2Xc232mfaqBjCQr8meVFn84Bkv3ymTcGDcjEN9deU7NpE-VM-K57J3V1dq4Bwif_M50idxFOxi1B5A87GF7d115s_M3ANzo/s400/P1050138+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fold the piece into a envelope with a flap, sew the icord edges of the pocket together and set in two buttons in line with the button loops on the flap.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_22zvHLcIbT30NAzI3iKPEs-nLOufHcmqrUgXzFIAQExRgIOwO7daZVQhdnaxtv-R8XqA2kLGkDLOcju1bcBbI9v8LZ3XCXoN0BdoduKXqUMCO_F6uXyHpvAtG51Gy0bfOeYbV6gdhU/s1600/P1050171+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_22zvHLcIbT30NAzI3iKPEs-nLOufHcmqrUgXzFIAQExRgIOwO7daZVQhdnaxtv-R8XqA2kLGkDLOcju1bcBbI9v8LZ3XCXoN0BdoduKXqUMCO_F6uXyHpvAtG51Gy0bfOeYbV6gdhU/s320/P1050171+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ah, brilliant, completely brilliant."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You've cheered up, Beaut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sally rang me from the Guild. She only knows how to work their projector from her laptop and wondered if I'd mind bringing my presentation on a memory stick. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can stop fussing about with this tablet. A</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ll my worries are over."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Not quite, Beaut. You'll be wanting to crochet a cover for the memory stick before you go."</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-25747464016009626872019-04-05T11:34:00.000+01:002019-04-05T13:50:43.554+01:00Plant Dye Greeting Cards with Free Seeds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Delighted to introduce these dye plant cards, which come with gardening instructions and free seeds. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now available <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/p/greetings-card-shop.html">here</a> if you'd like one to send to a friend who'd enjoy natural dyeing.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn3Sq00tYP3OLKZCWIvIoMmPqNTuuyfLZu8NFgEte4bM39TZvoOqj4BgnDl98WMobiHUKZ9fo2khVRiIsqch7mUBBxSBac0erE_rcyBn9q0rmXU5hffq0IjKY-H2FyBNOwj2HzantFaw/s1600/P1050089+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEn3Sq00tYP3OLKZCWIvIoMmPqNTuuyfLZu8NFgEte4bM39TZvoOqj4BgnDl98WMobiHUKZ9fo2khVRiIsqch7mUBBxSBac0erE_rcyBn9q0rmXU5hffq0IjKY-H2FyBNOwj2HzantFaw/s400/P1050089+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A sharp East wind kept me out of the garden this week. Thanks to an equally sharp prod from my companion, Elinor Gotland, I have braced myself, got to grips with html coding and set up a Dye Plant Card Shop Page. As well as the gardeners' choices, there are three cards in a 'Live Fast, Dye Young' series; simple instructions are written on the back with a view to encouraging beginners to try natural dyeing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here's how the online card shop began ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBrlN22hbcH9EECL5eej0cMSy9LgDJ1QoGuISkzL76ApwyDno5ctGG98TfVx5yqqXXiv0EjlcnGRVz95ohiJHRfiJ-SUdolGbgy486l620QMnOibjrSb4yj4tnALATcZMcCg8TgbnCZg/s1600/P1050082+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBrlN22hbcH9EECL5eej0cMSy9LgDJ1QoGuISkzL76ApwyDno5ctGG98TfVx5yqqXXiv0EjlcnGRVz95ohiJHRfiJ-SUdolGbgy486l620QMnOibjrSb4yj4tnALATcZMcCg8TgbnCZg/s400/P1050082+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rain poured off the greenhouse roof while inside I gently dripped water onto my dye plant seedlings. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion,Elinor Gotland, sauntered along the workbench inspecting the trays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Looking good, Beaut. What are you going to do with all the extra seeds you saved last autumn? Seems a shame they'll never have their moment in the sun. Assuming we ever get any."</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfIVj7559fE-pZuahKOvKu6Uj6j3Oy8eAmZXA7Co_-qF5IRDdAGpbRcP_b8tvl_LUE7TYU4OBVU-0Bdu3vpIqoItX_BoHiDy3cbNsF5aH55SuZXWVp7yj34qRbDJCLUUKQmPJhLDrdLI/s1600/P1050085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfIVj7559fE-pZuahKOvKu6Uj6j3Oy8eAmZXA7Co_-qF5IRDdAGpbRcP_b8tvl_LUE7TYU4OBVU-0Bdu3vpIqoItX_BoHiDy3cbNsF5aH55SuZXWVp7yj34qRbDJCLUUKQmPJhLDrdLI/s400/P1050085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I'm giving little seed packets away free with every dye plant greetings card I sell at <a href="https://www.craftsbytheseashop.com/">Crafts by the Sea</a>. Advice on sowing, growing and harvesting the plants is written on the back of the cards and people round here seem to be taking to the idea of dye plant gardening. Even so, I've got far more seeds than will ever get planted in local gardens."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You should try selling those cards online. Send free seeds all over the country."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That idea pleased me very much. So I've set up the online card shop and will see what happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, back in Ogmore by Sea ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVvHBIzHUicjNs7OFW9rjPp1JKPdeUDzZ5c5y1cSVAi78NfLrFVCDSeuAPlg8C-3QH7DHkJRr79-PPxBh8k6GwcPeJz7u9elnIXvcs7MWaGnaLkSd1QVDYSDL-YTYchL8UhfQOjomUlc/s1600/P1050077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVvHBIzHUicjNs7OFW9rjPp1JKPdeUDzZ5c5y1cSVAi78NfLrFVCDSeuAPlg8C-3QH7DHkJRr79-PPxBh8k6GwcPeJz7u9elnIXvcs7MWaGnaLkSd1QVDYSDL-YTYchL8UhfQOjomUlc/s400/P1050077.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A pan of onion skin dye has taken up residence in Crafts by the Sea's kitchen and so far, no eggs have been broken by the kids who come to try their hand at printing small leaves onto eggs. My companion was impressed with the instructions on the Egg Printing card.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Fair play, you've cornered the market for Easter Cards with this one, Beaut."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Actually, I think fluffy chicks are still the Craft Shop's best seller." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor looked up from her reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Do you think silver birch bark dye is really suitable for beginners?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, it does need a dedicated pot for dyeing, but no mordant is needed and I've found I can get away </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">without any heavy duty scouring,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> just soaking my fibres before dyeing . Plus it makes a lovely looking card."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"True, but Cath's art looks even more gorgeous. Her Dye Garden painting has printed out like a jewel box."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I went to the same printer as did the Dye Plant Calendar for me last year. FSC Accredited and Environmental Impact Certified and still achieving that lustrous, glowing, quality finish."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor put down the card and moved on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What on earth persuaded you to make these two?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh. The poetry cards. Sentimental, I know. Those are the poems that come to mind whenever I walk in those woods by Merthyr Mawr or Dunraven Walled Garden." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor looked at me askance. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Surely I can't be the only one who likes a poetic kind of thing?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Mmm, well, you're going to find out the hard way." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion had reached the last card.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Speckled Face Beulah sheep? When you could have had a glamorous Gotland in your photo?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My blood ran cold, how to explain that away? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfGaJn8uXVROB85-OkRiBbMdveUrEuv0vDqwvYPo5oDe8zIPpnJG_KgWN3o6uTkaaLQT6pQPq_IEHTwXluq9qRLy7_XgZWCmkHPmVjV6pI9j3SLQ1KXUyfHaYKu70CiAVQPs1DnxunX4/s1600/P1050097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvfGaJn8uXVROB85-OkRiBbMdveUrEuv0vDqwvYPo5oDe8zIPpnJG_KgWN3o6uTkaaLQT6pQPq_IEHTwXluq9qRLy7_XgZWCmkHPmVjV6pI9j3SLQ1KXUyfHaYKu70CiAVQPs1DnxunX4/s640/P1050097.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Elinor, don't you see, <b>you</b> are of course the 'Missing Ewe'.</span><br />
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<h3 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
To buy any of these cards, click </h3>
<h3 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/p/greetings-card-shop.html">here</a> </h3>
<h3 style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
to get to the Card Shop page.</h3>
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-61866521096783337652019-03-29T16:05:00.000+00:002019-03-29T16:05:48.338+00:00Red Onion Skin Dye Colours Modified with Alkali<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZBGRTpXuEIXDeLCVm0j5r0S2iM51WFHET7cDZGVLScJ1nyp0AbG86RjIV237vkMW6_np35uOecJTl4dn8OSY3brklbfeC0F7veS3t9QtkADwedA9h3xOwlX21nQ8BqcljbCt-PNMfb4/s1600/P1050045+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1355" data-original-width="1600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZBGRTpXuEIXDeLCVm0j5r0S2iM51WFHET7cDZGVLScJ1nyp0AbG86RjIV237vkMW6_np35uOecJTl4dn8OSY3brklbfeC0F7veS3t9QtkADwedA9h3xOwlX21nQ8BqcljbCt-PNMfb4/s400/P1050045+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The onion skin bag turned out alright, didn't it Beaut? No need for all that doom and gloom." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">drank my tea and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">admired its colours, all warm and autumnal in the Spring sunshine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oh, I always thought I'd get there in the end." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion lit her cigarette and blew smoke rings into the green air.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXd1-gkqoT3s5wsjY_lv611NRN2BtZOf8aZTxyzrPjuI08YETq1gugpH-DimJDdUlGzYAZWiOB8_NYhNo8h4BX_xvJIjwtTFPlh2Rtav0WnF9Z2hraT87OCMYDyCNOiQ9US4toL9yUjM/s1600/P1050048+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXd1-gkqoT3s5wsjY_lv611NRN2BtZOf8aZTxyzrPjuI08YETq1gugpH-DimJDdUlGzYAZWiOB8_NYhNo8h4BX_xvJIjwtTFPlh2Rtav0WnF9Z2hraT87OCMYDyCNOiQ9US4toL9yUjM/s320/P1050048+%25282%2529.JPG" width="287" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You didn't look too confident to me. Only a couple of days ago, I recall you</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sobbing and moaning and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">threatening to fall upon your own knitting needles."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, it was a struggle. I'm not sure I'd try this method again."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the absence of a long colour change yarn, I had decided to knit entrelac using a load of 25g skeins I'd dyed with <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/01/dyeing-white-and-grey-yarns-with-brown.html">brown onion skins</a> and <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/02/red-onion-skin-dye-on-white-grey-and.html">red onion skins. </a>My intention was to work each square to give the appearance of one colour weaving under and over the next. Which meant an awful lot of ends to sew in. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyuyPsOalgoFkUMsPmvXioDxegNpj-bO-_mVgStFDBukYZBH1zvUydwUcdeA7KnCXwxaMVU-wnpD4eV74D-T3hDEDb7u3t2UZ3A2sgfpHf_tNG7nv2sZYRYWaQ7Zdabqr5IVD7PEou3I/s1600/P1040917+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyuyPsOalgoFkUMsPmvXioDxegNpj-bO-_mVgStFDBukYZBH1zvUydwUcdeA7KnCXwxaMVU-wnpD4eV74D-T3hDEDb7u3t2UZ3A2sgfpHf_tNG7nv2sZYRYWaQ7Zdabqr5IVD7PEou3I/s320/P1040917+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Instead of casting on for the entrelac, where</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I've found it hard to make the initial edge sufficiently loose, my other great idea was to knit a strip of cable to become the gusset and the handle. Then I began by picking up stitches for the entrelac from one side . First problem was over-enthusiastically making too many starting triangles and having to unpick the edges of the top ones back off the gusset. </span><br />
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Second problem was the lumpiness of joining entrelac cast off triangles along the bottom edge, which I did by picking up a stitch from the gusset at the end of alternate rows and purling three together, instead of two. Third problem was making the joins of each triangle along the opposite side equal in length to the cast on triangles - it should have been straightforward, picking up one stitch from every other row of the gusset, only somehow, it wasn't, and had to be frogged and reknitted, repeatedly holding the two sides together to check they were equal. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0mVKFINnUWZHYt0yli2u0FgVJlV9NaXKqTyCIix9kEWWYahruTopFALVoNYHC0NIs9UhdFCDh4Fyn7plxXVQ-eTf_kKBFfZFcI8JFeiZY5JI6FhZhTYX14aEEfM9EFOF79muQINmwhU/s1600/P1040933+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL0mVKFINnUWZHYt0yli2u0FgVJlV9NaXKqTyCIix9kEWWYahruTopFALVoNYHC0NIs9UhdFCDh4Fyn7plxXVQ-eTf_kKBFfZFcI8JFeiZY5JI6FhZhTYX14aEEfM9EFOF79muQINmwhU/s320/P1040933+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Knitting the front of the bag, it was easier to copy the spacing. I planned an i-cord edging to finish the entrelac panels and for once in my life, I did knit and edge a swatch, which was intended to become an inside pocket. In the wash, the i-cord shrunk more than entrelac, so I learnt to pick up nine stitches across each of my eight stitch triangles and add three stitches for going round corners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A more unexpected lesson of felting the swatch was finding out how significantly the colours of the red onion dyes would shift when washed with colour washing powder. I know washing powder is alkaline, but when felting, I prefer to use it even with plant dyes because I believe the roughening caused by alkali helps wool fibres felt better than simple hot water and friction. However, I didn't anticipate much colour change. Previous experimentation with soaking brown onion dyed fibres in alkali solution hadn't modified the colours perceptibly. As you can see from the photo above, unlike the brown, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the dyes from red onion skins did all shift toward yellow o</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nce the bag was exposed to alkaline washing powder. Most obviously, the green wool, used for the i-cord edging, which had been alum mordanted before dyeing, had turned a rich orange yellow and the unmordanted, deep chocolate yarns had become more red. The various shades of ginger yarn, which had been dyed with brown onion skins, did not change nearly so much. Two kinds of onion, two kinds of dye.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68YeDxXmxK1B1DoiPlecIrCWmWVJ2RZmTGssPMioMAQpopQJeZIr0Aotc-hP6Mzf2AZISiyNaa7mBK9nfiNx8NGrPUV3ym6gCITvVQdlK8UGeQT-0qzRu1fdhkDY7MJ7eemml8hGzg1c/s1600/P1050067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68YeDxXmxK1B1DoiPlecIrCWmWVJ2RZmTGssPMioMAQpopQJeZIr0Aotc-hP6Mzf2AZISiyNaa7mBK9nfiNx8NGrPUV3ym6gCITvVQdlK8UGeQT-0qzRu1fdhkDY7MJ7eemml8hGzg1c/s320/P1050067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Mmm, I love the bag lining. Feels like suede."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It's a remnant of that fabric Mum used to upholster my armchair. There's still some left. I might try another experiment with entrelac, see if I can knit a bag in a ball shape. Like that time when I accidentally joined the wrong edges of the squares together and the fabric curved round."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion explored the handbag, emerging from the inside pocket like a young marsupial.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Like childbirth really, isn't it?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thinking of kangaroos and joeys, I failed to make the right connection.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"How?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Elinor waved a hoof. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Making up knitted bag patterns, Beaut. You forget all the pain soon as you have it on your arm."</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-24406843198689033362019-03-22T17:14:00.002+00:002019-03-22T17:14:25.912+00:00Dyeing with Dried Madder Root<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCca2oc3elsE2WXZoIF0MAhjfE88N3FH7XCzJKo3epAs_3F5RMvOG437m61995OLPmTTYBHrSj3YfJNG6DoWFBdaIlCFV8wsrwqXNdxfvNvQppn26cSR5xlUhDH1mwjGz5BDkwpz3fc/s1600/P1040986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCca2oc3elsE2WXZoIF0MAhjfE88N3FH7XCzJKo3epAs_3F5RMvOG437m61995OLPmTTYBHrSj3YfJNG6DoWFBdaIlCFV8wsrwqXNdxfvNvQppn26cSR5xlUhDH1mwjGz5BDkwpz3fc/s400/P1040986.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A shoe box full of dried madder has long awaited its moment of glory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Ooh, Elinor, </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">it must be </span><a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/03/growing-madder-plants-in-containers.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">over a year since I dug these roots up</a>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm so pleased they haven't gone mouldy. S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ome gorgeous red yarn will really liven up my knitting."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Fair play, Beaut, can't fault your optimism. Just bear in mind the last few madder vats. Considering your track record, I expect you'll end up moaning over balls of orangey brown wool."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Conveniently ignoring my companion and a store of less successful muddy orange fibres,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I pulled out the best leftovers from my past madder dye sessions. Proof that blood red was possible, if not probable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New shoots are already coming up from the plants in the garden, so I could as well have dug up some fresh material. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I hoped my stored supplies would work better, s</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">ince I've read that the dye gets stronger once roots have been dried out,. With 100g of yarn to dye, I decided 150g dried root would be a generous amount and guarantee me a strong red ... if I could get the method right.</span><br />
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My experience suggests that breaking down the roots at the beginning does help release their dye. Though I've spent ages slicing and macerating fresh roots, when I put these desiccated bits into a blender with the blade for chopping nuts, they buzzed down to a gritty powder within seconds. Which was great, til I remembered they hadn't been scalded yet. </span><br />
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Madder contains other dye colours as well as the red alizarin. Pouring boiling water on the roots and leaving them to soak for a few minutes quickly releases a considerable amount of dye. Since more of this is yellow than red, scalding can clear some of the orange tones. Sadly, if I'd decanted the fluid I'd poured over my buzzed up madder, I think I'd have lost half the powder. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I understand that alizarin red isn't easily soluble in water, so even though I hadn't managed to remove any of the yellow dye, I hoped leaving this bowlful on the underfloor heating in the bathroom for 24 hours before dyeing would at least get a better percentage of the red out of the roots and into the water. Next day, my dye bath looked dark brown. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is said that bran will take brown dye out of a madder bath, so I put some rolled oats in a gauze bag and dropped them in the pot. Then I stirred up calcium carbonate in hot water and added that, since hard water is supposed to improve the red. Finally, I added enough soda ash to raise the pH to 8. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alkaline conditions favour redness. The sample of the dye bath on the left is alkaline and I thought the acidic sample on the right did look less red, more scarlet. My best results so far have come from slow dyeing over five days without much heat, but I have also had disappointing results with the slow method, so heat and time aren't absolute factors. Anyway, I didn't want to hang about.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Adding warm water to the pot to float the first 50g skein of wool, I heated it on the gas to about 50 degrees Centigrade for an hour and left it to soak overnight. Next day, the pH had dropped back to neutral, probably because the roots were still fermenting in the bath. This yarn started out as a long colour change from white through grey and brown. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The white parts of the wool had become reddish, but not powerfully so. I think I actually prefer the brighter tone on the second skein, shown on the right, which was dyed in the afterbath under acidic conditions (I put a lemon in). Overdyeing madder red onto the brown and grey parts of the yarn does seem to have added interest, but the overall result is quite muted. All in all, despite my best efforts, I haven't achieved the rich blood red or bright scarlet I hoped for.</span><br />
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My companion joined me in the green house, where I was stolidly planting more madder seeds. She raised an eyebrow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It'll be years before you get to reap what you're sowing in those pots."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It'll be years before</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've tried out all the different madder dye methods." I sighed. "Best guesses aren't getting me the best results, but there are so many variables to consider, I hardly know where to begin. Never mind when I shall reap these roots, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the Grim Reaper may come for me before I manage to get</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> all the elements just right." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion chortled to herself, which I thought rather unkind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Talking of the Grim Reaper, this'll cheer you up, Beaut. They call my friend, Cleopatra Jones, '</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Quim Reaper'. S</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">he's a beautician, marvellous knack around the bikini area."</span></div>
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-15522515593059236592019-03-15T16:43:00.000+00:002019-03-15T16:43:24.604+00:00Spinning Shetland Wool Tops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcK-dzdYPiYKklWXIBnObaQVwtvuakI8weX9Jtln4MoXeNE9tsR2xGsLsIh9ypiJCSjcPjpXIlIpUVQhzassB20D4dwSIKkmTp348rlPmZB43YLCDewst3DdmTODoAuGI96SNDDSK5imA/s1600/P1040864+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcK-dzdYPiYKklWXIBnObaQVwtvuakI8weX9Jtln4MoXeNE9tsR2xGsLsIh9ypiJCSjcPjpXIlIpUVQhzassB20D4dwSIKkmTp348rlPmZB43YLCDewst3DdmTODoAuGI96SNDDSK5imA/s320/P1040864+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion watched me stuff all my yarn back into hiding. Few balls were made of really tough, durable fibres and none of them had a long colour change. I knew that really, I'd just been checking. I sighed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">"How is it that I never own exactly the yarn I need?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Face it, Beaut, you're addicted to knitting </span><a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/03/belt-and-braces-knitted-bag-construction.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">those entrelac bags</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. No quick fix, if you want to make another one, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you'll have to spin some of this wool first." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Turning to my fleece stash, plenty of the raw wool looked hard wearing enough to become a bag, but I'd failed to get it washed while the sun shone last summer. I did find four bumps of combed Shetland wool tops in natural colours. B</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eing coarser than I'd expected when I bought them online, these had</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> been facing an uncertain future from under the bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shetland sheep grow a wonderful range of coloured fleece and the tops were intended for making cosy thrums, only the hat I made with them turned out really itchy. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On closer inspection, the white wool looked and felt considerably finer and softer than the other colours, the dark chocolate being next softest while the faun and grey felt properly hairy. OK for a bag though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spinning on a high ratio, I spun short forward draw with high twist, aiming for a dense, smooth yarn. After spinning a 20cm portion of one colour of tops, I tore off a short piece of another and blended it roughly with the first, just by splitting and drafting the two between my hands. The resulting single had the sort of long colour change I so enjoy knitting as entrelac. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It wasn't until I had chain plied the first bobbin that I noticed I'd also spun a long weight change. Watching the Six Nations Rugby on telly, it wasn't the exciting moments of the games that had affected my drafting, so much as the different qualities of the four Shetland tops. The coarser fibres had tended to run more thickly through my fingers and once three plied, that effect had been trebled. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqJAwDFLd8HKhkzKZ2tSOT_LH1P152a5DWxF40I88heC5_b4BdkxeMqKC3KA5TRK1otixtNkP6_rrVodx37377jNoD-oRN_uD24UOgSgtk8TkUerRlZl2uIXu4cYgOkcSpiBnPql50ZM/s1600/P1040868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1374" data-original-width="1600" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqJAwDFLd8HKhkzKZ2tSOT_LH1P152a5DWxF40I88heC5_b4BdkxeMqKC3KA5TRK1otixtNkP6_rrVodx37377jNoD-oRN_uD24UOgSgtk8TkUerRlZl2uIXu4cYgOkcSpiBnPql50ZM/s320/P1040868.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The white sections of the yarn had turned out about double knitting weight, while the faun and grey were nearer aran. Even when paying greater attention while spinning the next bobbin, consciously aiming to draft all the colours equally, this intrinsic tendency of the fibres to do their own thing proved surprisingly hard to correct. After spinning four 50g skeins of irregular weight yarn, I was still fighting the tide. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I've had it with spinning this Shetland, Elinor. I'm going to start knitting. There's enough yarn here for a small bag in sepia shades. Call it a rustic clutch."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Which sounds like the last dance at the village hall, only less fun. You've been craving the thrill of entrelac colour play, don't give up now, mordant that yarn and make it fabulous."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure how spectacular an uneven, natural coloured, tightly spun Shetland yarn can become, but I'm giving it my best shot. Never say dye.</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-18438930414468817032019-03-08T16:01:00.000+00:002019-03-08T16:01:24.567+00:00Spinning a Durable, Long Colour Change Yarn from an Indie Dyed Braid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"This craft room looks like a bomb site, Beaut." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion, Elinor Entrelac Gotland, stood in the doorway with a cup of tea in her outstretched hoof. Sitting back on my heels to reach for the cup, I managed to spill tea on a heap of plant dyed fleece. I winced and my companion shrugged. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"To be honest, those colours look mouldy anyway. Tea could only improve them."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, it's not the right wool to take on the Cronkhill spinning weekend. I want to spin tough yarn to make a firmly shaped bag and that Down type fleece would be too bouncy and elastic. This coreopsis-dyed Polwarth is a great colour, but much too soft." I opened another box and pulled out a handful of corkscrew locks. "If I combed some Wensleydale it would be strong and smooth, only this isn't dyed yet and I want to spin a long colour change yarn."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"How about these?" Elinor profferred two 100g braids of fibre dyed by <a href="https://hilltopcloudshop.co.uk/">HilltopCloud</a>. I read the label.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Oooh, perfect. A blend of Romney wool, silk and linen, all smooth, durable fibres and I love the colours. Is this what you'll be spinning at Cronkhill?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You can have it. I'm not coming, Beaut. Got a better offer."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I clutched the gorgeous braids of fibre, both delighted and baffled. What could be better than a weekend away with friends, spinning, drinking Damson Gin and nosing round Shrewsbury? </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor started humming <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5a-SdS4JI">Calon Lan</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Go on then, tell me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I've been given a ticket for the Six Nations Rugby. This Saturday, I'll be rubbing shoulders with Sam Warburton in the South Stand Lounge at the Principality Stadium, drinking champagne and watching Wales v England." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wasn't sure Elinor would be tall enough to rub shoulders with any of the players, but she was chuffed to bits and so was I. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While the crowd were singing </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-EKY7z_jeE" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hymns and Arias</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> in Cardiff</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, I was sitting in an English farmhouse spinning short forward draw with high twist, drafting to and fro across the top of the braid to make my single transition as slowly as possible from one colour to the next. Chain plied with equally high twist, the yarn turned out smooth and as hard and inelastic as string. Although only aran weight, the grist was so high that 50g fibre made only 56m yarn. Somewhat to my chagrin, despite best efforts, the colour changes in the yarn were of only moderate length and muddier than the braid. On the upside, news of a convincing victory for Wales had me bouncing on the sofa, discommoding adjacent spinners. </span><br />
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It took my companion several days to recover from emotional exhaustion brought on by the rugby. Once she had her voice back, she asked to see what I'd done with her braids.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Fair play, Beaut, that yarn is harder than JPR Williams. There'll be years of wear in that."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knitted on 3.5mm needles to create a tight fabric, I think</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the six stitch squares of entrelac have given the best possible definition to the colour changes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using two inch jute upholstery webbing and <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/03/belt-and-braces-knitted-bag-construction.html">the same construction method as for the first bag</a>, yarn spun from the second braid was knitted into covers for the brim and the handles. I knew the bag was a success when I found Elinor packing it with her overnight things to fly up to Edinburgh. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm led to believe that she's been invited to sing Ar Hyd Y Nos at tomorrow's game with the </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-EKY7z_jeE">troubadour of Wales, Max Boyce</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-71344372104816029402019-03-01T13:10:00.000+00:002019-03-01T13:10:04.009+00:00Belt and Braces Knitted Bag Construction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Like the daffodils, already</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">flowering in this unseasonably warm February, my companion, Elinor Gotland, has decided Spring is</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">upon us. Fuell<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed by a</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> couple of episodes of Marie Kondo, the</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Spring Cleaning Urge </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">has galvanised her into radical action and none of my wardrobe is safe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Is that battered old cardigan really 'sparking joy' for you, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I picked at a sleeve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, I don't feel joyful about the felting and pilling on the cuffs, but I am really fond of this one."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor was not so easily to be thwarted. She intends to take a full bag of my clothes to the charity shop.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Consider, would you dream of wearing that cardigan outside the home or are you just wasting cupboard space on an item of limited function for foolish nostalgia?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hugged my</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> droopy knitwear </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">round me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"This is precious. And vintage. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I remember buying t</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he yarn </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in the 1990's at</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Liberty's and it cost me an absolute fortune. Back in the day, I'd never seen knitting wool like it, quite irresistibly gorgeous. I think the yarn must have been Noro and I think maybe it can still be salvaged."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once the collar and cuffs had been cut away, the body of the cardigan unravelled quite readily into about 450g of aran single ply yarn, looking like a loose blend of wool and silk in a long colour change. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion positively snarled when she caught me heading upstairs to tuck it away in my yarn stash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Surely storing a cardigan as balls of wool must be a step up on folding your Tee shirts really small?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Elinor dragged the charity bag into the hall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Use it or lose it, Beaut."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With plant dye baths, I find i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t jolly difficult to achieve slow transitions of dye on yarn. A vague idea of using a long colour change to knit entrelac, as suggested in <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2015/10/early-worm-cowl-knitting-pattern-and.html">Margaret Radcliffe's book, The Essential Guide to Colour Knitting Techniques</a>, has been on the back burner of my mind for some years. O</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">n a wet Saturday afternoon,</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> I took the book off the shelf and read through the instructions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Looks a bit fiddly to do. Have you ever tried this, Elinor?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion was bolt upright on the sofa, transfixed by the rugby. She turned to me as they reset the scrum.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaAZGKq1jZp7ocN4Oe7_f-BD_QzvpL57vp8cASh1Bx03EIIZipuuh_h48jngdKJ4YGBNczbgFttWb_CYlOb2LP5SF062L8zQNgy42LEweoRnZZkfqZshcedjtUOwCT0p2pXVojQRUbqs/s1600/P1040502+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaAZGKq1jZp7ocN4Oe7_f-BD_QzvpL57vp8cASh1Bx03EIIZipuuh_h48jngdKJ4YGBNczbgFttWb_CYlOb2LP5SF062L8zQNgy42LEweoRnZZkfqZshcedjtUOwCT0p2pXVojQRUbqs/s320/P1040502+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Entrelac is my middle name. Get a backbone, you'll be fine."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Casting on 60 stitches on 4mm needles, I followed the instructions to create six 10 stitch base triangles and spent happy hours rapt in the pleasure of seeing what colour would appear next and how it would play with the adjacent sections. Entrelac is satisfyingly interesting knitting, holding my attention just enough, but not too much to critically appraise controversial decisions in several successive Six Nations Rugby games. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJU28YbFmH9hGss8kSU3UiZxXEnrlx7QZUfzFyfZX2DId1pNL6e2Vk6WJBmiiI3TEwbdFD1ZnZ45aBWrVcYvBahyFXaSlk2P0cdXjpKI7wtmrfwAaGkI30Ml_RDqJKeYwsZb4o4nMm6w/s1600/P1040534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="1600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJU28YbFmH9hGss8kSU3UiZxXEnrlx7QZUfzFyfZX2DId1pNL6e2Vk6WJBmiiI3TEwbdFD1ZnZ45aBWrVcYvBahyFXaSlk2P0cdXjpKI7wtmrfwAaGkI30Ml_RDqJKeYwsZb4o4nMm6w/s320/P1040534.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Referee! Knock on!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion bounced on the sofa as George North charged up the field. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like the French team, I'd have done better to start with a game plan and stick to it. When more than half the yarn was used up, I still had no idea what to do with my piece of entrelac fabric, 52cm wide and now 45cm long. Time to finish with a top row of triangles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Folding it in half, crocheting the long edges together and tucking in the corners to create a squat, oblong box shape, I decided that with a wide brim on top, the piece could become a bag. Casting on 20 </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">provisional </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">stitches and knitting a strip in stocking stitch, when it was just a little shorter than the total distance around the top of the bag, I joined the two ends with a three needle bind off.</span><br />
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"<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I doubt you washed that cardigan very often." My companion watched the dirty water swirl away after the two knitted pieces had had a thorough scrub.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I heaved a sigh as I laid them out flat to dry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The strip for the brim has curled up and though I hoped hot water would tighten up the entrelac, it seems to have got looser. Hey ho, lining the bag with some of Mum's leftover upholstery material might firm up the construction."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"What about folding some of this jute upholstery webbing inside the brim piece? That'll uncurl your knitted strip." </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSxOu8gEoOK_8IhOv8OsS6mtpp1C38aBVzV6NlWQ4ML4DJazy9suvH5J_06eaxyw8uyMbEwmx_rhY9bOMXubfEsVFw0aGxZZ8cnv4Ygcbpg2TE52ZkC4FdLyMOwGWzUR9e2_KQL7Ew98/s1600/P1040811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSxOu8gEoOK_8IhOv8OsS6mtpp1C38aBVzV6NlWQ4ML4DJazy9suvH5J_06eaxyw8uyMbEwmx_rhY9bOMXubfEsVFw0aGxZZ8cnv4Ygcbpg2TE52ZkC4FdLyMOwGWzUR9e2_KQL7Ew98/s320/P1040811.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two inch herringbone webbing fitted perfectly inside the folded circle of knitting I'd made for the brim, forming a stiff belt from which to suspend the entrelac bag. To give the bag shape, I sewed another length of webbing against the seams on the short sides and tacked it to every junction of entrelac squares across the base, folding each end of the strip over the belt for the brim. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz757wtmwohVWU3rjOnY3x42H9mW0eM6l6Z-oabbryDZ206G2XLmx7M57gr6IjCr7QdGB_460KV5AXv5_m7UKQbs1MphRpq99WQx-IxPnFOvBVDMLPwBrPkr7rWD7bzVtSyLDXxEzolo/s1600/P1040555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIz757wtmwohVWU3rjOnY3x42H9mW0eM6l6Z-oabbryDZ206G2XLmx7M57gr6IjCr7QdGB_460KV5AXv5_m7UKQbs1MphRpq99WQx-IxPnFOvBVDMLPwBrPkr7rWD7bzVtSyLDXxEzolo/s320/P1040555.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A third length travelled up from under the base webbing, crossing outside the brim, looping over to form a handle, passing back down under the base and coming up on the other side to loop over as the second handle and finishing under the base. Wherever they touched, the strips of webbing were sewn against each other, except where the handles crossed the brim.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobQyc9JCDFmsKLEZgtcB4kJpPwa94KLzW_cLkAqJ8gHUFEfXRPXxMq5B7Aqmq3olxvfQYUaRz7h857dSUj4DjLEo3PGfvyexclSQcMyNHJZsfVN4JxyGJvqwmzziZKXyld9qBP3so74Y/s1600/P1040557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobQyc9JCDFmsKLEZgtcB4kJpPwa94KLzW_cLkAqJ8gHUFEfXRPXxMq5B7Aqmq3olxvfQYUaRz7h857dSUj4DjLEo3PGfvyexclSQcMyNHJZsfVN4JxyGJvqwmzziZKXyld9qBP3so74Y/s320/P1040557.JPG" width="271" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It took an unconscionable number of pins to hold the lining against the brim, the brim against the top of the entrelac and the knitted strip over the brim, but once everything was in place, a single circuit of running stitch sewn with button thread through the lower edge of the brim webbing held all these elements securely together. Next day, I was due to travel up to Edinburgh to visit my daughter. Desperate to find a project to keep me entertained on the journey, my companion watched me scuffle about, madly rejecting patterns and casting aside unsuitable skeins of yarn.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyRSontGMOCAKKH-tircS01t0HZ05fOfSOnh6mubOGaDWDOL224aK2_ZaNu_qbPbREcN7_Q-KtvVeGbU4PCTm8nr4BVFko_GiRb9nYzDIZe5eu797WIc9d5IUwDHs8apG0EC0JHsPvvQ/s1600/P1040560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDyRSontGMOCAKKH-tircS01t0HZ05fOfSOnh6mubOGaDWDOL224aK2_ZaNu_qbPbREcN7_Q-KtvVeGbU4PCTm8nr4BVFko_GiRb9nYzDIZe5eu797WIc9d5IUwDHs8apG0EC0JHsPvvQ/s320/P1040560.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Calm down, Beaut. Why not take the entrelac bag with you as hand luggage and use up the last of your recycled yarn knitting covers for the handles while you're away? You could even use the buttons off the old cardigan to reinforce the handles flat against the brim."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sounds improbable, but this plan worked perfectly well. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhYp2wf2ira4MCpz4doJ7rk7sfUjp7IlPUj8Z7FWjYm0rugwHx7txiXwSLwwp9ZdpIfopitqhw2jKCkX1jHWCMT_xQMCeWSP7KHylWqJTW_oRyVAysMP05rpfEzqZGgpOTADeKxx6tdk/s1600/P1040797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhYp2wf2ira4MCpz4doJ7rk7sfUjp7IlPUj8Z7FWjYm0rugwHx7txiXwSLwwp9ZdpIfopitqhw2jKCkX1jHWCMT_xQMCeWSP7KHylWqJTW_oRyVAysMP05rpfEzqZGgpOTADeKxx6tdk/s320/P1040797.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When crocheted inside a ten stitch wide strip of knitting, the webbing didn't so much roll as crumple into a tube shape, but the handles are both sturdy and comfortable to hold. I even had enough time and yarn to knit pockets for inside to hold my purse and phone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This could become my basic construction method for all sorts of knitted bags, upholstery webbing making them strong and giving them shape without needing to felt the knitting. All in all, I'm v</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ery pleased to have recycled something old and learned something new.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">E.E.G. Elinor Entrelac Gotland. I never would have guessed.</span><br />
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-15146289897898104562019-02-22T10:37:00.002+00:002019-02-22T10:37:35.758+00:00The Betula Jacket Knitting Pattern<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FdLjblfHS8J6ydaj7eqZN_zdTy-e09ZKJEsA0FOn8x89HJoobRjmipa0comfDyE6aMU_VDvEBw0RoywAJtgaUJvEWxu4oTpPeXq9C6y3_MJdvnBNMJvGnsx8GvU04gXR-MGC3IEf1n4/s1600/P1040623+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FdLjblfHS8J6ydaj7eqZN_zdTy-e09ZKJEsA0FOn8x89HJoobRjmipa0comfDyE6aMU_VDvEBw0RoywAJtgaUJvEWxu4oTpPeXq9C6y3_MJdvnBNMJvGnsx8GvU04gXR-MGC3IEf1n4/s400/P1040623+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Betula Jacket is a variation on the <a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2018/10/shorelines-shawl-collar-cardigan.html">Shorelines Shawl Collar Cardigan</a> pattern and I'd say it's an improved version. M</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y daughter liked it so much, i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t now belongs to her. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one is knitted in<a href="https://www.worldofwool.co.uk/products/yarn-merino-superwash-tussah-silk-chunk-weight"> World of Wool Chunky Superwash Merino and Silk</a> which I scoured and dyed with<a href="https://wooltribulations.blogspot.com/2019/02/exhausting-silver-birch-bark-dye-bath.html"> silver birch tree bark.</a> The yarn is quite heavy and drapey and the knitted fabric actually increases in size after washing. Maybe not for the purist, but good news for my daughter, superwash yarn does have the great advantage of making knitwear less likely to be accidentally shrunk in the wash.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Materials</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">300m chunky yarn in Contrast Colour (CC)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">600m chunky yarn in Main Colour (MC) - my MC is actually 200m of three shades of pink knit in stripes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4.5mm and 5.5mm circular needle with long cord</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pair of 5.5mm straight needles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4 Stitch Markers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4.5mm crochet hook</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tapestry needle for sewing in ends</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">35cm open ended heavy duty zip</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sewing needle and thread and 40cm x 20cm fabric for facing zip if desired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tension</b> after washing - 10 cm squared = 14.5 stitches and 18 rows </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Size</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Finished jacket has a bust measurement of 108cm and a hip measurement of 98cm (with ribbing intended to stretch to fit).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the photos, it is worn as a loose jacket by my daughter who is size 10, though it was actually made to fit me, size 16, with 100cm hip and 105cm bust measurements.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZlJ8BtYeZ3abSdQMAF3UaXoF5UdqhEX14fXlF9yjllakknYpO4Sd9KApjuh4cQurqXLUmhOmR83Z_qCZDmbzgDOfcc2_-LVy5PCNFcpscyzQFaGxsgk9tZySmuE4_CsBAFpIDSXYvdI/s1600/P1040739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZlJ8BtYeZ3abSdQMAF3UaXoF5UdqhEX14fXlF9yjllakknYpO4Sd9KApjuh4cQurqXLUmhOmR83Z_qCZDmbzgDOfcc2_-LVy5PCNFcpscyzQFaGxsgk9tZySmuE4_CsBAFpIDSXYvdI/s640/P1040739.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Abbreviations</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">CC = contrast colour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">k = knit</span><br />
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">k2tog = knit 2 stitches together</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">M1L = make 1 stitch angled left</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">M1R = make 1 stitch angled right</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MC = main colour</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">p = purl</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PM = place marker</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">RS = right side</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">ssk = slip 1 st as if to k, slip the next st as if to p, slide the left needle through the front loops of the two slipped stitches and k together </span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SM slip marker</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">st = stitch</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">w&t = wrap yarn around needle and turn to work back in the other direction</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WS = wrong side</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #fff9ee; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yo = wrap yarn over needle before working next stitch</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pocket linings (make two)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using 5.5 mm straight needles and MC, cast on 22 stitches and knit
4 rows of stocking stitch, then break yarn leaving a long tail for sewing up
the pocket later. Keep both pocket linings on a straight
needle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Body</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Using 4.5mm circular needle and CC, cast on 133
st (I used a</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfFadEumBak" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> twisted longtail cast on</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> method)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(WS) Edging Row One </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P1, *P1, K1* repeat from * to * to
last two st, P2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(RS) Edging Row Two </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K1, *K1, P1* repeat from * to * to
last two st, K2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Work this pattern for 13 rows to make ribbed edging, ending
on a WS row.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Change to 5.5mm needle and MC (if you are making stripes, change colour every two rows,
carrying yarn up alongside fabric edge).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 1 k</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 2 p</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 3 k</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 27, pm, M1L, k 25, pm, M1R, k 25, M1L, pm, k25, M1R, pm, k27 (137)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 4 p<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 5 k</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 6 p</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBkcZVUpOqNxg3w7ER4A-CzLcfNfZ4jCbIcA2lO5zrH-ATxabDw5QZQifruMWZay-tIZv4Gs2Xq8u5ZuCbwNCBnyfWyf_vMiz6Od_I6hV8hXYbvvknKsc5BbG09kTdmSx077UD028ETs/s1600/P1040695+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="780" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBkcZVUpOqNxg3w7ER4A-CzLcfNfZ4jCbIcA2lO5zrH-ATxabDw5QZQifruMWZay-tIZv4Gs2Xq8u5ZuCbwNCBnyfWyf_vMiz6Od_I6hV8hXYbvvknKsc5BbG09kTdmSx077UD028ETs/s320/P1040695+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make pocket fronts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 7 k 23 and turn, leaving the other stitches still
on the circular cord - you will now be knitting only these 23 stitches to create the front
of the right pocket.<br />
Row 8 p back to edge<br />
Row 9 k 21, k2tog (22 stitches)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 10 p back to edge</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sloping opening of the right pocket is created by repeating rows 9 and 10 another 10 times. Slip the remaining 13 stitches onto a holder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using a straight needle, slip 23 stitches off the other end
of the circular cord. Attach yarn at the edge which will become the pocket
opening to knit the front of the left pocket.<br />
Row 7 k<br />
Row 8 p<br />
Row 9 ssk, k to end (22 stitches)<br />
Row 10 p<br />
Repeat rows 9 and 10 another ten times. Break yarn and leave the remaining 13
stitches on a holder.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Making more of the body and completing the pockets:<br />Row 7 Using the needle at the opposite end of the circular cord to the right pocket and starting from the far edge of one pocket lining, with its RS facing, knit across the 22 stitches of the pocket lining from the straight needle, then knit across the stitches on the
circular cord, slipping the markers as you reach them, to the junction with the left pocket front. Take the straight needle with the remaining
pocket lining and knit across these 22 stitches to finish the row.<br />Row 8 p (135 st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 9 k to marker, M1L, k to marker, M1R, k to one st before marker M1L and
slip marker, k to one st before marker MRL and slip marker, k to end
(139 st)<br />Row 10 p</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continue working in stocking stitch for another 6 rows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 17 k to marker, M1L, (k to marker, slip marker)
repeat, k to one st before marker, M1R, and slip marker, k to end (141 st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Row 18 p removing markers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continue working in stocking stitch for another 4 rows</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once the work across the pocket linings and the main body
reaches the same height as the pocket fronts (a total of 22 rows stocking stitch),
slip the stitches from the pocket tops off the holders and onto two separate
straight needles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Start the next row by knitting 1 st from the right pocket front,
then for the next 12 stitches, holding the pocket top in front, knit together
one st from the right pocket top with one st from the main piece. Knit across
the work to 12 stitches from the end, knit together one st from the left pocket
top in front of one st from the main piece and finish by knitting the last stitch from
the left pocket front (143 st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Continue working in stocking stitch until the work measures
32cm in total finishing on a WS row<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sleeves</b> (make two)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using 4.5mm needle and CC, cast on 33 st <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(I used a</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfFadEumBak" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> twisted longtail cast on</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(WS) Cuff Row One P1, *P1, K1* repeat to last two st,
P2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(RS) Cuff Row Two K1, *K1, P1* repeat to last two
st, K2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Work this pattern for 9 rows to make ribbed cuff, ending on
a WS row.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Change to 5.5mm needle and work in stocking stitch for 2
rows, change to MC and work another 8 rows, ending on a WS row. (If you
are making stripes, change colour every two rows, carrying yarn up alongside
fabric edge.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sleeve Increase Row K1, M1L, K to last 2 st,
M1R, K1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Work this increase row on the eleventh row and every following eighth
row until you have 49 stitches on the needle. Continue working in stocking stitch
until sleeve measures 41cm. Place first two stitches and last two stitches on
safety pins, cut yarn allowing an end for weaving in and leave remaining 45 st
on needle.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Yoke</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Starting with a RS row on 5.5mm needles in MC, k 34 across
body, place 4 st on a safety pin and PM. K 45 across one sleeve and PM.
K 67 across body, place 4 st on a safety pin and PM. K 45 across the other sleeve and PM. K 34 to the end of the body. (225st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purl back across all st, slipping markers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Decrease Row for Neck and Yoke<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K1, K2tog (neck decrease) *K to 3st before marker ssk, k1,
SM, k2tog, K to 2 st before marker, ssk, SM, K1, K2tog* repeat from * to *, K
to 3st before end, ssk (neck decrease), K1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purl back across all st, slipping markers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Repeat these two rows 9 times in total (135st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Decrease Row for Yoke only<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*K to 3st before marker ssk, k1, SM, k2tog, K to 2 st before
marker, ssk, SM, K1, K2tog* repeat from * to *, K to end<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purl back across all st, slipping markers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Repeat these two rows 12 times in total (39st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Final decrease row<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K1, ssk, K1, remove marker, K2tog, K1, SM, K1, K2tog, K19, ssk,
K1, remove marker, K1, ssk, remove marker, K1, K2tog, K1 (33st)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Purl back across all st, slipping 1 remaining marker and
leave 33 st on needle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRfV6jC5wNoFOw8iXSorJA_bpg_6OPtGlQ1PCI_I9aXHH3TNj5PnsnlKk8umUKexI40qicS14DMPYEewk0weQx0Q4BjVj19Kf1PQVsFzPujqNhwJerDnju9M0I3rEkLDONGLMHZKolgQ/s1600/P1040683+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1088" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRfV6jC5wNoFOw8iXSorJA_bpg_6OPtGlQ1PCI_I9aXHH3TNj5PnsnlKk8umUKexI40qicS14DMPYEewk0weQx0Q4BjVj19Kf1PQVsFzPujqNhwJerDnju9M0I3rEkLDONGLMHZKolgQ/s400/P1040683+%25282%2529.JPG" width="331" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Front Edge and Collar</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using 4.5mm needle and CC, with RS
facing, starting at the bottom of the right front edge and working through the
spaces between the first and second columns of stitches, pick up one st through
the first four row interspaces, miss a space, continue picking up 4 st from
every 5 rows up the front, along the neck angle and up the straight edge of the
neck, knit the first 5 live st from the needle, SM, K 28, pick up 4 st from every
5 rows of the straight edge of the neck, from the angled edge of the neck and
from the left front edge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First Row (WS) P1, *K1, P1* repeat from * to * until you
reach the marker. Remove marker. If you just made a purl stitch, w&t now,
if you just made a knit stitch, P1, w&t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Second Row (RS) *K1, P1* repeat from * to * for 24 st,
w&t<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Short Rows for Collar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Working in the established rib pattern, when you reach the
wrapped yarn, knit it together with the next stitch, P1, w&t. Repeat this
for 40 short rows, at which stage the collar will cover the entire slope of the
neck line.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next Row<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Working in the established rib pattern, when you reach the
wrapped yarn, knit it together with the next stitch, then continue P1, K1 rib
to the end of the row at the bottom of the right front.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next Row<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Working in the established rib pattern, when you reach the
wrapped yarn, knit it together with the next stitch, then continue P1, K1 rib
to the end of the row at the bottom of the left front.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhat0Q1P2N5BtNa5mGUiFP6jz3bltVj-_C8s3CYZBhyrBYO_GL3qYe_hDhL8dqms3IRdjfYiT_T0bNSlgb7PnLJBcwnEjtYARdrOW8RbexNSIdev7mUCZjir9Ov7MGo1vGj_DRB7eenfLc/s1600/P1040737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1600" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhat0Q1P2N5BtNa5mGUiFP6jz3bltVj-_C8s3CYZBhyrBYO_GL3qYe_hDhL8dqms3IRdjfYiT_T0bNSlgb7PnLJBcwnEjtYARdrOW8RbexNSIdev7mUCZjir9Ov7MGo1vGj_DRB7eenfLc/s400/P1040737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Work in rib for 9 full length rows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Either, cast off in rib and bend the width of the straight edge of the front border in half, sewing
the cast off edge to the front of the work on both sides, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or use the
working end of the yarn and a crochet hook to fix each live stitch of the straight edges of the front border into the stitches of row one
of th</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e border, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cast off all the collar stitches loosely to allow it to fan out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Pocket Edging</b><br />
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With right side facing, pick up 20 stitches evenly across opening of
pocket.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Knit one row<br />
Cast off knitwise and sew down edges.<br />
Repeat on the other pocket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaWYNjmT7TAKR182rZtHdOlj7l6L0wIuqr1iEyFU_YeEGINkhW0R0caLfctqb4uj-OFZ_BwxvPz92IbEPe05k2a9Yn56heNLCagssgfjynPDw1qrvzniRDSDzRr7y-Q7fdAsETnQoycU/s1600/P1040706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaWYNjmT7TAKR182rZtHdOlj7l6L0wIuqr1iEyFU_YeEGINkhW0R0caLfctqb4uj-OFZ_BwxvPz92IbEPe05k2a9Yn56heNLCagssgfjynPDw1qrvzniRDSDzRr7y-Q7fdAsETnQoycU/s320/P1040706.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Finishing</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Using Kitchener Stitch, graft together the four safety pinned
stitches from the sleeve with the four stitches from the body at each underarm.
Sew up the sleeve seams and sew in the pocket linings. Weave in all loose ends. Wash and block then set the zip in to the WS of the straight edges of the border, completing the job with fabric facings.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note to Self - I do want one of these jackets - the fabric would be fuller and bouncier knitted in a yarn woolen spun from a Down type sheep fleece and the collar could be fab made in a mad art yarn, possibly even with tail spun locks.</span></div>
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Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-46085454147238749602019-02-16T00:10:00.000+00:002019-02-16T00:11:35.990+00:00Exhausting a Silver Birch Bark Dye Bath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87QQ_GsWOxJXTD7LgWaGInnnmyXc5kKMpx5hQ_JiI0siR1NN0Y4mcwzvjAWtBziHMH_YVVJZmJGxUa6nvFY3TMeTfewbqCtL1ZRqVRACPIGY329evW7knnCREJ9CO1buoBcB64PA-YEA/s1600/P1040306+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87QQ_GsWOxJXTD7LgWaGInnnmyXc5kKMpx5hQ_JiI0siR1NN0Y4mcwzvjAWtBziHMH_YVVJZmJGxUa6nvFY3TMeTfewbqCtL1ZRqVRACPIGY329evW7knnCREJ9CO1buoBcB64PA-YEA/s400/P1040306+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though I know silver birch bark contains enough colour to dye an equal weight of fibre, I prefer to start with twice as much bark, so as to be sure of a deep pink result. After peeling 600g bark off a fallen birch branch, I planned to dye 300g yarn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The peelings were left to ferment for a week in a bucket of water, then simmered for an hour or so and left overnight. The process of fermentation had reduced the pH of the dye bath to a fairly acidic pH 5, so I added enough dissolved soda ash to bring it up to neutral pH 7 before simmering my scoured yarn for an hour. After soaking overnight, the yarn came out a nice deep pink and the dye bath was still so dark I could barely see the peeled bark floating around at the bottom of the pot. Retesting with indicator paper later that day, it seemed that the bark must still be fermenting despite having been simmered, as the pH had dropped again. Over the next five days, I kept adding a little more soda ash to keep the pH neutral and dyeing successive batches of scoured yarn by simmering for an hour and leaving them in the pot for an overnight soak. By the time the dye bath was giving only palest pink, the original 600g bark had dyed 1.4 kg of fibres - some of them shown in the photo above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The fluid still looked dark. Nonetheless, I feel clear the dye bath is exhausted - or possibly, vice versa.</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1975233729836030720.post-38627880884492802522019-02-08T15:30:00.001+00:002019-02-08T15:30:16.687+00:00Red Onion Skin Dye On White, Grey and Alum Mordanted Yarn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPGnnNn2IatIvgmkgFDbPvJkyaZukhlE0uP9vdK4IgvoYbEccMgbGzjs5pkqc1VWr41JyoYAbBiHR_egK_NlaWRiXr2ilJoRX49Dvg9x36uPkzLnuQJTNkFkG4QiI96X3R6CYIXhtRuc/s1600/P1040485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1585" data-original-width="1600" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPGnnNn2IatIvgmkgFDbPvJkyaZukhlE0uP9vdK4IgvoYbEccMgbGzjs5pkqc1VWr41JyoYAbBiHR_egK_NlaWRiXr2ilJoRX49Dvg9x36uPkzLnuQJTNkFkG4QiI96X3R6CYIXhtRuc/s320/P1040485.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"More onion dyes, Beaut?" My companion heaved a sigh. "Whatever could you want more ginger wool for? Thinking of knitting yourself a uniform and joining the Brownie Guides?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his week, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to try dyeing white and grey wool with red onion skins. I expect red onions won't give me ginger so much as plain brown wool - which might do for a Brownie cardigan, except I'm just that little bit too old and I think my niece is in the Rainbow Guides."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Never seen any brown on a Rainbow, Beaut. Brown is just a muddy old mixture and brown overdyed on grey wool will be as dull as ditchwater. Why don't you mordant this yarn with alum? They say alum makes red onion dye turn green."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the great things about onion skin dyeing is that you don't need to mordant your fibres beforehand to get strong and lightfast colour. Dye things well in the first place and I've found onion skin dyes only fade much if they have to be washed. Still, I had to agree this experiment would be more interesting if I divided my three balls of yarn into two skeins and mordanted one of each with alum, before dyeing all the skeins in the same dye pot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QqPJlpUR_rAqZOt7xtmD5to49FTnDfVYBdipNh3VmWif-l_d3P8QhHWyjAVX5GUxaV0ypzUHRNl1AD1e433VAp7bHMlLgZ94s4XxKIk1_Pmhsvcoj_cNPCzbYSc-7iKNLaiT3zgOVyA/s1600/P1040467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QqPJlpUR_rAqZOt7xtmD5to49FTnDfVYBdipNh3VmWif-l_d3P8QhHWyjAVX5GUxaV0ypzUHRNl1AD1e433VAp7bHMlLgZ94s4XxKIk1_Pmhsvcoj_cNPCzbYSc-7iKNLaiT3zgOVyA/s400/P1040467.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To extract the dye, 80g red onion skins were boiled in water for an hour or so and left in the pot overnight. The six skeins, weighing 150g in total, were simmered in the dye bath for a couple of hours. Big disappointment when I fished them out next day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Overdyeing grey yarn with red onion skins may have given me dull and predictably darker browns, but I might as well not have bothered with the alum mordant. There's barely a hint of green to be seen."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You probably did the mordanting wrong. Wouldn't be the first time, would it, Beaut?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I did my best. Three of those skeins had an hour simmering in a 10% alum solution and then 24 hours to soak afterwards."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"You wouldn't have reused that alum solution that's been sitting on the patio for weeks?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"So what if I did?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My companion wandered off sighing and tutting under her breath. I don't usually store mordant solutions for more than a few days, but I've heard people say they keep theirs indefinitely. Though perhaps not outdoors in the snow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApjaBx92c5a-CDYd1cQc6-lTpPC-3ZPMKDTQQH3EvFvBZtoTw7fZOC_F_3VDAEB65OXr9SZfNPJAF2jlUJdO5IGaRMgsmLHIlBNzul_cZ3Bw9ccjv0NDP2Bd_0ojQJH1zhhzaz6Djwpc/s1600/P1040471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApjaBx92c5a-CDYd1cQc6-lTpPC-3ZPMKDTQQH3EvFvBZtoTw7fZOC_F_3VDAEB65OXr9SZfNPJAF2jlUJdO5IGaRMgsmLHIlBNzul_cZ3Bw9ccjv0NDP2Bd_0ojQJH1zhhzaz6Djwpc/s320/P1040471.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did actually have some of the same white DROPS Alaska yarn that I accidentally mordanted with 15% alum, ages ago. A 50g skein went into the red onion skin afterbath for a simmer. Result next day was quite definitely green, so poor mordanting must have been the problem previously. Remind me not to bother keeping used alum solution hanging about. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe05NDvq-4jVJbMIUnqtw9k5s4U7lJvjfhCvV60pbVpCdTaLW9blTkUqsUu5E8InqxPNE7JefT22zUTwmbO2GVLCHX5YK_G7I97xmmLvTjj-dP8jysLFtAUOaVAc-3GlLAnYL7A5nOaU/s1600/P1040477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1519" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe05NDvq-4jVJbMIUnqtw9k5s4U7lJvjfhCvV60pbVpCdTaLW9blTkUqsUu5E8InqxPNE7JefT22zUTwmbO2GVLCHX5YK_G7I97xmmLvTjj-dP8jysLFtAUOaVAc-3GlLAnYL7A5nOaU/s640/P1040477.JPG" width="606" /></a></span></div>
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Looking at my onion skin dyes of 2019, after all that experimenting, my companion pointed out that both the brown and the red onion skin colours look nicer on white than grey wool. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Still, the alum mordanted skein from the red onion bath makes me think green and ginger brown colours could go well together. Instead of</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> dyeing the last few balls of this wool with bark like I planned, I might w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ait for the trees to come into leaf. Greenish yellow leaf dyes should come out well if I'm overdyeing grey yarns."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Yes, Beaut. So long as you mordant them properly."</span></div>
Fran Rushworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09742656242582509967noreply@blogger.com0