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Just a quick note to let everyone know that I was able to change the settings and it is much easier now to leave a comment.  Creating this blog is certainly a learning experience for me.

Natural Yarn Dyeing

On September 1st, a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, about ten students of varying ages came to the Plant Dyeing Workshop at the White Barn Farm in New Paltz NY .
For four hours we prepared our skeins of undyed merino wool, collected plants and learned the basics of plant dying.  Paula was helpful and informative throughout the class and everyone was able to take home several small skeins (five of about 40 yard each).
I am planning to design my own fingerless gloves in a fair isle design to show off the different colors.

Plants used (left to right): Jewel Weed, Poke-weed, African Marigold and Mallow

I am leaving this skein in a jar with Cosmos flowers and water for solar dyeing

After one week it had dyed into a pale citron yellow

I will post more pictures soon. So, stay posted for more pictures and the mystery project I will decide on :)

Recommended reading:

"Harvesting Color"  by Rebecca Burgess 
"Natural Dyeing"  by Jackie Crook
"Wild Color"  by Jenny Dean
All of these books are available at your local library (within the Mid-Hudson Library System).

Yarn bombing

When my husband and I spent a long weekend at Seneca Lake in the Finger Lake region of NY, we came across an awesome sighting of yarn-bombing.  These pictures were taken on the Long Pier in Geneva, NY: