Saturday, I dyed

Spent Saturday afternoon with the dye pots.  I chose the fleece from Luxor as he is all white, but not as fine as Warwick, so less susceptible to felting.  I did 7 quart jars, for 7 different shades of pink to blue to purple.  It was very enjoyable, as always.  And the colors are nice and bright.  I am thinking that I will card them all into batts, and starting with the pink, go through the shades and end with the dark blue, all on one bobbin.  My hope is that it will make a very interesting warp when all said and done.

Jars in the dye bath

Locks drying on rack

Meanwhile very cold again.  We put a heater in the hen house as they are very cold in there.  One poor little lady has a bleeding foot, I think because it is so cold that her skin is tender.   I have it up to 31 in there now, but as it is only in the teens outside, 31 is like a heat wave.  I keep telling them that it will be spring soon, and they can go out and run around on grass.  I hope this is true! Even the cats are getting tired of being in all the time.  Maybe that is why I spent Monday morning going over the seed inventory---time to start certain flowers and vegies, believe it or not.

Start again

It turns out that I was extremely short on the merino/silk, in thinking it would do for my warp.  The amount I got, plying it with the alpaca, was just over 100 yards, which is woefully short of what I need. It will make a lovely scarf, I think, and now I am back to square one for my warp.  Toying with the idea of dyeing some fleece in purples and blues, then carding them in varying shades to make a colorful 2nd ply to the gray.  The merino/silk is very subtle, and I think I want a little more color for the warp.

Finished yarn--see the subtle color?

It is very cold and blustery out.  Will do all the errands this morning in the hopes that I can get the dye pot out this afternoon, as no children are expected to be along.  Also am sorting a fleece to get it ready to wash.  This one is Addy, one of my favorites. Long staple, good crimp and a lovely light fawn color.  I love it that I get "paid" by keeping some of the fleece that I clean.  Better than money, somehow.