Rose and Trellis stole and more fleece dyed

Attracted by a pattern for a Rose and Trellis pattern stole/shawl in "Lavish Lace", I knit something similar - with some variation as I'm using my hand processed and spun yarn and added a lace border each end. I used the yarn in it's natural color and dyed it red when finished. It's just stretched out now, still a bit damp, pinned to a towel on a sweater rack in the porch on this cold wet day. Can't complain though as had some of the most gorgeous weather recently but the warm red wollie is nice to see on such a dull day as this anyway.
However did manage to corral Owen, the ram, to investigate the blood streak on his forehead, put there by his not-so-loving son - well it is tup time and they don't get their jollies until November first. He seems fit and well despite the scars. Phew!





My latest attempt at dying with Japanese Indigo was a flop - big harvest of leaves, seemed to have lots of dye in the pot but the fleece didn't take it up and only partly dyed. So tossed it into the after wash left in the pot after dying the stole/scarf/shawl - (must look up definitions of these things) - and it came out quite interesting:
Looking forward to seeing how it looks after combing - and spinning of course.


Hope to have a dry stole/scarf/wrap.... to try on tomorrow.

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Definitions from Merriam-Webster Dictionary
"Stole
1
: a long loose garment : robe .... MAW!
2
: an ecclesiastical vestment consisting of a long usually silk band worn traditionally around the neck by bishops and priests and over the left shoulder by deacons ,,,,,,,,,,YIKES!
3
: a long wide scarf or similar covering worn by women usually across the shoulders
Origin of STOLE

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin stola, from Greek stolē equipment, robe, from stellein to set up, make ready
First Known Use: before 12th century"
1scarf noun \ˈskärf\


Definition of SCARF

1
: either of the chamfered or cutaway ends that fit together to form a scarf joint...NAW??
2
: an in-line joint made by chamfering, halving, or notching two pieces to correspond and lapping them
Illustration of SCARF...WHAAA??


Origin of SCARF
Middle English skarf, probably from Old Norse skarfr butt end of a plank
First Known Use: 15th century


Definition of SHAWL

: a square or oblong usually fabric garment or wrapper used especially as a covering for the head or shoulders
Origin of SHAWL

Persian shāl
First Known Use: 1662 - ...WELL AT LEAST THIS ONE SOUNDS FAMILIAR
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Busy, busy... yawn

Engaged in spinning a large quantity of black Merino roving.
Bought this because I wanted a softer yarn for around the edges of a blanket I may someday put together (lots of squares, crochet and knit) and also because I wanted a good dense black - and my attempts at black dying on my own fleece have be a bit scrappy with grey bits scattered throughout.

Thing is, there is a lot of it and it lies there - dead. No fight-back as with my own ornery sheep's fleece, no neps, no tangles, no slubs - just plain, straightforward worsted style spinning. It's just what a perfectionist or production spinner wants. Seems I'm not one of those - Is it possible to fall asleep at the wheel?

Anyway - Red dying cheers a person up when it's cold outside.
KoolAid Strawberry came out nicer than I thought it would when I tried one ounce of this years Easy CareXWoolie cross first shear and one packet in the microwave: - it's on the left.
The Landscape Salmon Gum worried me when I tried it inn the microwave - 2.5 tsp for 1 oz - there was a lot of unused dye left even though it appeared well reddened (which cold just it mean it needed less dye powder) and it got about 10 mins high and 15 mins at 30% yet it just kept gently bleeding a very faint red every time I rinsed it - never got completely clear water after rinsing it so i was suspicious it would either fade or bleed later in life. So, back to the pot and stove with it and then I got a clear rinse. It's a deep red like I want for some Christmassey stuff. (middle and right of photo).
Wonder do other have success with microwave and Landscape dyes? Perhpas a query to the dye group on ravely would tell but if it's going to take just as long - well might as well use the stove.
More Buddlia yellow roving being combed (can't really say "Top" as I can't assert all the fibers are aligned just right):

About dogs:
Got an email that one of Oiisn's buddies from NY had passed - Curley, a big black dog - one of the "Blackdogs" that live in Upstate NY with my friend Penny. Curley was of an age with Oisin (he's 12 years old) and they both ran around dog agility courses in all sorts of rural places up there. Both got bad backs as did their owners. Does make for sadness but shear self-indulgence not allowed! Oisin still with us 'though on heart tablets. As long as he's happy I'll continue to sneak in the pills in his grub.
Huddie, aged nine - well as the song said "Still crazy after all these years".
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September/october catch up

Annoying the way life gets in the way of yarn projects! However lots of wool and knit stuff went on regardless - perhaps a little guiltily.
Got some photos to remind me of some of the end of summer and early autumn projects and plonked them here.
The garden has been pretty busy this year too so plonked some photos of that below too.
Surprised cat crochet bag:



Neck warmer - my hand spun yarn dyed with Japanese Indigo leaves. The light orange bit is dyed with the Canadian version of Kool Aid


More J. Indigo leaf dyed hand spun:

700 plus yards of lace weight hand spun dyed with Kool Aid Grape; Hoping to knit a lacy scarf from "Victorian Lace Today" by Jane Sowerby on loan from Lindy.


The second self-striping sock got finished - good thing too as the boiler broke down;


The hand spun stash is gretting out of control. A little of it:
, , etc...

But more on the way -
some Buddlia dyed 2 ply hand spun :


A little weaving:


Lace knitting based on a pattern in "Luscious lace":



Plan to dye this red (using Landscape dye "Salmon") when and if completed

When it gets cold and dark and frosty, these photos may remind me that it all grows back again:
The roadside hedge in berry and leaf:


Gigantic mushroom in the field:

A few spuds:


The trees graced us with a few apples this year:


Can't show the rhubarb as it all went down the red land:

A few goosegobs still in the freezer and quite a lotof blackcurrents too



The hens continue to be very productive and have sorted their differences:

They've taken to sleeping side by side among the branches of a tree above their hen house. The hen house roof has become a manure heap.

Huddie says "So what - can't get a tooth on either of them"


Enough, enough!!!