Back from NJ and PA

I first have to add the following photos: Vellan has spun some sliver from BWM that I left with her before I headed overseas. I want to grab that yarn through cyberspace!
Eh Voila!

It's so beautiful!!!! Now I'm dying to see what she does with the hand-painted Sherwood Forest I did with some of Wendy Dennis' top! WOWEEEE.

This was an experiment to see if I could dye a floral -- there are photos of this hand-paint, undyed, in a previous blog entry. Her spinning is amazing.

Speaking of amazing spinning -- I've spent the last 2 weekends in the company of the North Country Spinners, NJ -- an fab group of spinners, weavers, and knitters. Survived a very sleepless, but enjoyable retreat, then followed that up with a workshop the following Friday -- topic? Freeforming and the roll/bullion stitch. Of course, I couldn't help but insist that they purchase Prudence Mapstone's Bullions and Beyond -- a must if you want some inspiration on freeform crochet. Most, however, hadn't looked at the book. No worries, as it wasn't required, but I expected 10-12 people would be interested. Imagine my surprise when 30+ showed up, with hooks poised. It was a bit like herding cats, but we had a lot of fun negotiating the hook gymnastics as a group. Some very groovy patches started already!

So it's back to Maryland to prepare for the next SIOz outting!
Catching you later, m

Hand-Painted Sliver

A new batch this week:

I admit it -- I really hate to part with the reds with green. I've been painting garden colours this week and this once just had to be painted.  The top photos -- colours not as accurate as the reds/green floral.  Both lots are hand-painted Bennett and Gregor Sliver. Real South Aussie Wool.

coloured snakes? wool scrolls?

Painting sliver -- again. The scrolls are my favourites -- some coloured sheep wool from Wendy Dennis.

Ok -- nice wool to spin. Check. Time to spin? *sigh* Never mind. It's nice to look at. I'm especially STOKED about the outrageous scarlet red and the sapphire blue that blended with it. (at right in photo) The sliver at the left may be 2 different yarns. The purples and blues go. But the bloodread and paler mauvey colours seem to belong somewhere else. 2 different dye patterns were used for the respective lots. Both colourways are spring florals. And it was 5 degrees last night. 

When coiled, the sliver at the left resembles a fairy's dragon dropping.

Hand-Painted Sliver

A coupla miles of sliver I painted this week:


Wild colours, some monkey in the jungle (?) and 3 blues and a purple featuring a new sapphire blue I've been mixing. Ooooh purdy.