Are you blue?

Last week, I attended an indigo dyeing class at the Textile Center of Minnesota. I've dyed yarn with homegrown indigo before and it never really took. But this time, we experimented with pre-reduced Indigo Crystals that made a much deeper color.

The four small skeins in the back came out of a cold water dye and the darker, larger skein came out of a hot water dye vat. Both yarns are hand spun - I think it might be merino.

I also tried a little merino curls  - carding that up and then spinning it is next on the list! 

The class was full of amazing students - some dyeing fiber and hand spun yarn, some commercial yarns, some even dyeing linens and kimono fabric. 

I can't wait to try this on my own!

Midweek cleanout!

If you can't be at Yarnover this Saturday,  the next best place to be would

 be the

 

I did a mid-week Saturday Seven and cleaned out my yarn stash. That was a humbling experience - I have way too much yarn! I realized that I don't really need any more yarn but I do need some patterns for what I have. 

However, I managed to weed out this:

Seven bags of yarn - some are full skeins and some are collections - plus some needles and a bag or two. Hopefully, I'll be able to get over to the preview sale on Friday ($25 donation at the door) because I want to check out their deals in spinning and weaving equipment.

Maybe I'll see you at Yarnover!

Goodbye old week! Hello new week!

Saturday mornings are pretty relaxed at our house. The boys were working hard but I was wandering around the garden with my camera. I'd had the house windows closed for much of the week because the city was replacing sidewalks around my neighborhood. Very dusty work!



What was this mess out on the sidewalk is now this -



this!

Up close, the words read:

Advice to Gardeners

Accept brevity
celebrate decay
Emancipate failed growth. Hope
it'll just keep living. Mulch
near odd places.
Quit raking.
Sleep.
Tend unlimited variegated words.
Xerox your zucchini.

Ah, words to live by. You do know I am the only gardener who is unable to grow zucchini, don't you?




I also found this little guy. Cute but . . . N.I.M.B.Y.!



I've said it before and I'll say it again. The Saturday Seven is easiest when I can convince someone to clean their room. OR clean it for them! Oldest Daughter is away at college (with 98 % of her stuff!) and I needed to clean out her room for a visitor. Say good bye to four pairs of shorts and three tee shirts. All left over from her hockey days and ready to move over the Saint John the Evangelist Big Sale (which is coming up on Oct. 4!)

I'm off to volunteer at the Textile Center of MN. It's Family Day and I'll be at the Minnesota Knitters' Guild table. See you there!