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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