Sunday Muse

"Wandering in the winter light
The wind can act the same
They're witness to salvation
And life starts over again"

~ from 'Winter Light' lyrics by Eric Kaz, Antoni Preisner, Linda Ronstadt
  'The Secret Garden' 1993 film (beautiful video here) 

In the Fiber Room

Have you seen Brooklyn Tweed's Winter 14 Look Book?  We really have our eye on the beautiful 'Kelpie' - a 'modern triangular Hap Shawl'.  How pretty is this?

And while it is very lovely in Brooklyn Tweed's fingering weight Loft, what really has us going is the thought of knitting it while replacing 'Stormcloud' with Poseidon's millspun and the contrasting colors with some of our Border Leicester cross millspun that we've naturally-dyed.

What do you think of this combination?  It's (left to right) Poseidon, Goldenrod, Hibiscus, Jewelweed, Hibiscus2 and Goldenrod2.  We just might have to take the leap and buy that pattern today.

Natural Dyeing

Here's a sampling of some of the natural dyeing that has been going on around here.  Blossoms have been abundant this year.  (from left to right)
Goldenrod - alum mordant, long soak
Goldenrod - alum mordant, exhaust
Goldenrod - alum mordant, really long soak
Goldenrod - alum mordant, low temperature
Jewelweed - alum mordant, low temperature
Red Hibiscus - alum mordant, ammonia dip
Red Hibiscus - alum mordant
Red Hibiscus - alum mordant, baking soda dip
Red Hibiscus - alum mordant, long soak
Red Hibiscus - alum mordant, exhaust, baking soda dip
Beet Greens - alum mordant, fermented