Next up, Goldenrod!

Goldenrod is blooming in full glory all around me!  How could I not clip a bundle for the next round in the dye pot?  

I only needed about 2 lbs, but ended up with about 4 lbs altogether.  I sorted the ripest, most vibrant yellow flower flowers from the rest, and started the dye vat early this morning before the sun came up.  

Again, for the sampler, I will dye 2.5 oz of my 2-ply chunky handspun.  

Pokeberry results.

I am so pleased with the pokeberry!

The color shown here is very true to what it looks like in natural light.  It's a deep, vibrant crimson red.  The color is more complex and nuanced than words can describe, and this is what attracts me most to natural dyes.  Nature's palette is far more interesting than flat commercial dyes.  Every color tells a rich story of the plant and it's journey to the dye pot.  

This color reminds me that Fall is upon us!  

Prairie Dye Days.

  If I've been quiet here lately, it's because I've undertaken a big move from coastal California back to my homeland in the Midwestern Prairie!

  I have set to work right away discovering the natural dye plants in my immediate surroundings, and have been pleasantly overwhelmed at the variety and abundance within walking distance from my home.  I am working on a sampler of my local dye palette.  

First up:  Pokeberry!

I dyed 2.5 oz of my 2-ply handspun, which is currently drying in the shade.  I will post pictures of the brilliant crimson red when it is dry!

Adventures in lace-making.

Making this...

...on an airplane.  

Because when you have 4 hours to sit on an airplane, the only logical thing to do is work on your lace knitting!  Yes, that is a tiny tin of beads that are being added to this shawl.  I plan to have it blocked by this weekend. This project has been a labor of love for the past two months, and I'm really excited to be finishing it.

Georgiana Darcy's Fancy Shawl from Jane Austen Knits 2013.

Spinning.

I've been back in the saddle at the spinning wheel.  This is a chunky-weight, 2-ply pile of heaven, made from a blend of silk and Blue faced Leicester.  It's a special enough blend that I probably should have held onto until my skills improve, but I couldn't help myself.  

50 grams of a luscious blend of silk and Blue faced Leicester.  Next stop, the dye vat....

I'm excited to be sharing a studio with my amazingly talented friend Heidi of H Luv Fabrications!
She was chosen to be showcased in Martha Stewart's American Made.  Take a look at what she's doing!  See the cute clouds on the back wall?

New Favorite.

This is my new favorite peice to make and wear. And it's a free pattern available online!

http://www.brooksfarmyarn.com/fringeshawl.pdf

Choose your yarn and gauge and go....

I made this while driving (ahem, sitting in the passenger seat) 2300 miles from Northern California to Illinois.  The souvenir yarn (a luscious merino, silk, linen blend) was purchased in Salt Lake City, Utah at Blazing Needles http://www.blazing-needles.com, a lovely and friendly yarn shop.  

I knit through Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.  This scarf is infused with all the magic I experienced along the way, and wearing it reminds me of scenes like this...

Knit on, through all of life's journeys...