Honey Fibre

I've spoken many times on the love I have for colour and how the dyeing process never ceases to amaze me.  I know that this passion is not unique  to me, take a look at ravelry at the dyers there and there is passion with a capital P in bucketloads!

In our winter black, it's wonderful to have bright splashes of colour to cheer up the dull days and lets face it, there have been many, many gloomy days that desperately needed a bright pick me up over winter.

So, now that the spring is starting to edge it's little nose carefully out of hiding, I've decided to dye something a little more delicate, something that is a contented smile rather than a big old shout.

Inspired by the singular bee I found in my kitchen, I thought of the difficult time the bees are having, my parent's well cared for hives didn't make it through this winter, and I picked on honey shades

As usual, I do want to spin these myself, but they're on my website instead and I'll be dyeing more over the next few days.

http://www.lazy-kate.co.uk/bluefaced-leicester-hand-dyed-fibres-13-c.asp


Please let spring stay.

The Unveiling of The Wool Room

So, while my daughter was off school over the Easter holiday and my husband was crippled with the lurgy for what seemed like years, we decided to move rooms.  It really was a seemed like a good idea at the time moment.

At the time, my workroom was on the first floor, with my daughter's bedroom in the attic.  Unfortunately not being able to have a wardrobe because of the sloping ceiling got her down and she needed  a 'normal' room.

A wardrobe was purchased from an antique centre (from the back actually, where you can buy for less money and do it up yourself) painted and dragged up the stairs by teenage lads who were indeed dragged away from the Atari or whatever the young people play these days.

Poor lad, the strain nearly killing him, although he is young and the wounds will heal with time.

Here's a before peak:

So here's my new room.

The room does seem to be leaning over to the right, which is down to the leaning curtain rail which could fall down any minute, so don't feel queasy.

The room looks out over the fields, I have a little heater and a cushion on that chair.  Could I be happier, no.

So I took some merino fibres from my stash and felted a little square,  stencilled, then machine embroidered a little welcome message.

This stencil set, available from Waterstones, just gives the outline to your text, allowing you to machine embroider over the top of it, really handy.

Can't wait to fill my new room with spinners and feltmakers.  Now where to put the kettle....

Fibre Surprise

How many times when you're dyeing do you look at the finished fibre with a sneer, purse your lips and think 'I may stuff a cushion with you matey.' 

I'm sure it doesn't happen that often, but, it does happen.  Over Easter when I was working, looking after children, a dog and an ill husband, my daughter and I came up with the most excellent plan of swapping rooms, her being on the second floor in the attic and my wool room being on the first floor.

During the move I found a bag of previously sneered at fibre and decided I might as well give it a go.  Taking it to the local Knit'n'Natter, everyone else seemed to be quite positive about it.  Strange.

So I've spun it up and Navajo plied it, (not my favourite of the plies) and it looks lovely, all heathery and subtle.  So we live and learn.  This has happened to me before.  I do sometimes refuse to learn, but I also love the surprise when a less than promising fibre is spun up and looks gorgeous!

I also stole the Aeryn fibre for my own spinning delictation over Easter, the silky threads through the fibre were just too yummy to resist.  This was a stunning fibre and is a lucious yarn too.

See you soon
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