what no pictures!!

Yes, no pics today but tomorrow when everything is drying as I have been mordanting and dyeing wool as I am home sick from work. Too sick to work, not sick enough for the bed, so spent one day doing mordanting in Alum and COT, and today some dye baths. Did some mushroom dyeing and the pale hues are amazing. My water is somewhat alkaline naturally so it brought the pinks out of the sanguinea shrooms, and then part way through the cooking I took some dye bath water, one skein of 50/50 silk merino, out and added a "glug" of vinegar, definitely brought out the orange hues, and the one in the alkaline natural water from my well, was pinkish...love the subtle differences. And then did a logwood/logwood grey bath for some deep purples that will be light and wash fast as the logwood grey has some iron in it which I am thinking, will fast up the logwood. Then did pomegranate and turmeric, my mentors idea, and got a lovely golden color, which the pomegranate will make the turmeric fast of light and wash....so have been busy today dyeing and fun to get into it again. Am using up some of my bought natural dyes, before I dive into the collected natural materials, which I personally find, way more rewarding, especially when I collect them in my garden or the woods around here... I also did an osage and iron bath, cooking for 20 minutes in osage, before lifting and adding iron...oh I will get my camera out as these are too nice to not show you....

Where did spring go...

Everything is moving way too fast, much work in the garden, many things to plant, although it is a cool spring and I am holding up on things waiting for the heat. We have lots of hummers and things are definitely springing forth, thus the picture of the salmonberry shoot, the color of the thorns against the stock is very inspiring..and the Hornby Blues Festival is about to begin and an art show is always the opening...thus the Hornby Blues Rocks...literally that is . I made a series of musical blue felted rocks for the show and have a few more to finish. Lots of fun to make but hard on the wrists, i.e. rocks are heavy.
I am awaiting new base yarn, and will be ready to do my sanguinea mushrooms that I have dried and have been saving for such a time as this. I was actually hoarding them but am hopeful of more next fall, so the time has come. I also have a lovely
wold plant in flower in the garden, and ready to plant more seedlings for dyeing..maybe have my own seed. The weld is abundant this year and I still have my dried weld from last year that I haven't used yet. Perhaps time for a natural dye workshop, as my supplies are getting out of hand. I hope to write more often as my dyeing proceeds this spring, but time has a funny way of slipping by...