Monday, September 28, 2009

leaves on the line




Well it's on the line. One good thing about lace knitting is the speed it dries at - and the weather obliged today. The leaves only became really apparent when the shawl was steam-ironed - which flattened and evened out the center of each leaf. Now I've got to add a crochet edge as it's too lightweight as it is. The plan is to add 2 rows of double crochet all around - with an added chain stitch between DC's on the second round and three DC's into each corner.
Another photo hopefully when that gets done - fleece and batts, ya still have to wait!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Buddleia dye


That great blog http://www.jennydean.co.uk/wordpress/?p=1842&cpage=1#comment-2083 gave instruction on how to dye protein fibre with Buddleia trimmings.
I love the results - soft yellows and citrus yellows. Making batts and spinning - but MUST FINISH AUTUMN LEAVES SHAWL BEFORE I GET TO WORK ON IT.
"Catherine, leave the fleece alone - again!"

Anyway - the important thing is the recipe as follows:
*********************
Done end September 2009 when the tree was pruned and flower heads brown.

1 1/2 Liters Buddleia flower heads
3 L chopped stems and leaves
Heads covered with 5 L water
Leaves/stems covered with 8 L water
Brought to boil and simmered 10 mins, heat turned off then left overnight.
-----------------------------

Next AM, reheat, and stirred.
White kitchen paper dipped into the plant water -
the heads gave a liquid like tea, the leaves gave light greenish color.
Noted oil floating on top of the leaf mixture.
Heating for 30 mins + appeared to deepen the colors.
..
Had ready 400 grams of Greyface 09 fleece - a soft but troubled fleece from a Suffolk X type meat sheep, previously mordanted with alum and Cream of Tartar.

Divided the fleece in 4, 100 gms into each pot and simmered for 40 mins then removed and rinsed,
There was still dye present in each pot so another 2 lots of 100 grams simmered after the first.
*************************
The 2 batts above show the first dying in the flower head and leaf pots respct. - the paler batts will be prepared later as will pics of the spun yarn.
QED

Friday, September 11, 2009

An autumn yarn

Hanks of Greyface's fleece spun low-twist single for lace knitting.
Landscape dyes of red, brown, yellow-green mix, grey and a little orange Kool_Aid


Not a good picture - best I can do for now.
Hope to make and Autumn Leaves shawl from this soon.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Rock Flower shawl done



Eruca sativa - this one has a pinkish hue, they are usually whiter but if you look hard at them as I did, you see darker purples in the creamy flower and dark and light geern in the leaves and stems. Tasts good too.

The yarn is fingering weight. Because of it's ability to bloom and stretch, I used 4.5 mm needles to knit the shawl.
It's basically a generic triangle with loops up the middle and by the 3=stitch garter stitich edge.



I like the center part with the swipes of color (like the rocket flower) reminds me of fireworks or a kite. Definitely a summer celebration thing.


The top (where it all started) is inadorned and should sit below the nape of the nexk when worn.


The tip and sides benefit from one iteration from the Luna shawl with scalloped edge (thanks Roseanne aka ZaraRose).


The majority was very easy to knit, with just 4 YO's each RS row. I placed a thread through the stitches before attempting the 12 rows at the end. It took me some calculation to get the right number of stitched to begin the lacey, scalloped edge. I finally realised it consisted of 23 sts to cover the middle and 2 edge sections and the pattern in between was in multiples of 10 so I contrived to have 323 sts on the needle when commencing the pattern. MANY PM's were used. Some fragging - indeed the whole first row attempt - but the thread in place saved me (thanks Lindy). The soft cast off was vital too.
Needless to say, it's a pretty warm, though light shawl - good for over a light dress on a chilly evening - we get planty of these.