Experimenting with Mother Nature

While an Etsy update is still pending, I did update my Gallery (look over there -->) with the September yarn and fibre photos.  I've also added, and will show below, some of my Nature Dyeing exercises from the OHS class this past summer.

I have to hand in a detailed assessment of this, but here are a couple of photos of what you can do with wild-gathered weeds and berries.

First, a batch of samples dyed with Elderberries:

Left to right, the different treatments are:

1. Pre-mordant with Oxalic Acid
2. In-Pot mordant with Tin and Cream of Tartar
3. In-pot mordant with Copper, citric acid rinse
4. In-pot mordant with Copper, ammonia rinse
5. Post- mordant with Alum and Cream of Tartar

And, a batch dyed with Goldenrod flowers:

Left to right again, the treatments are:

1. Pre-mordant with Oxalic Acid
2. In-pot mordant with Copper, citric acid rinse
3. Post-mordant w/Alum and Cream of Tartar
4. In-pot mordant with Iron

Though not many of these are "my colours", and the one I thought I'd like because the dye bath turned royal purple is still pretty brown, I'm impressed with the range here.  While samples have to be mounted and handed in, I think I'm going to come up with some sort of stranded work to show these off together.

These were all done yesterday with a classmate.  I spent today mucking around with the spent dyebaths, and have some fainter colours on full-size hanks of yarn.  The Goldenrod exhaust produced greens, and the elderberry started with a purple that browned down to a mauve, and ended with a pale green as well.

Holiday Dye Deals!

Happy Labour Day! To make up for some ongoing delinquency in blog updates, I am posting below all the yarn and fibre dyed this weekend. While more will be coming soon, and hitting the Etsy shop & my wholesale spots, I'm going to make a deal for those of you who took the trouble to look me up.

You see, if you buy my yarn or fibre at an LYS, you're paying a markup, though I think a perfectly fair one, to a second businessperson who takes the chance and the trouble to stock my goods. And if you buy on Etsy, great as I think that service is, I am only able to charge you in US dollars, and a portion goes to Etsy.

So here's the deal. See something you like in this blog post? You have until 8 pm Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday September 8th to email LoftyFibres AT Gmail DOT com (you know how to put that together, right?) with what you would like, and your paypal-enabled email address. I will invoice you in CANADIAN funds, at $20 even per 4 oz braid of fibre or 115 gram sock yarn, plus $5 shipping.

This is a 24 hour deal only - after that, you may find the new items (and lots more) through Shall We Knit in New Hamburg, All Strung Out in Guelph, at the Waterloo County Knitters' Fair (with SWK and ASO) or on Etsy.

Fine print: Please note the fibre photos are of 8 oz or 2 full braids of fibre - 2 of each colour are available, price is per 4oz braid.

Lisa & Karen Special (Seawool, 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Seacell):
Harvest Veggies (50% Superwash Merino, 50% Tussah Silk):

Autumn Splash (50% Superwash Merino, 50% Tussah Silk):

Another Purple Accident (Seawool, 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Seacell):

Watercolour Clown(Seawool, 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Seacell):

Sun Through the Storm(100% Superwash BFL):

Pumpkin in the Pond(Seawool, 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Seacell):

Moody (100% Superwash BFL):

More fine print: Sock yarns may be re-skeined before tagging and shipping. The below photos are "out of the pot".

LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Skies Are All Kinds Of Blue":

LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Green and Jeans 1":

LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Forest Canopy":

LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Green & Jeans 2":

LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Hrmph":


LoftySocks Wave, (SW Merino/Seacell Blend), "Faded Violets":