Dyeing and Knitting and Stitching

I have stalled out a little on my spinning. 

Two Ewes Fiber Adventures Podcast were holding a Summer Spin-Off, and so I was motivated to get through some of my projects for Shave 'Em to Save 'Em. I have chronicled most of those projects here on the blog. However, Summer is over, up here in Minnesota, and so also is the Spin-Off. 

I have a little finished of some very soft, though not particularly organized, CVM which was naturally dyed  a soft sage green and also an undyed bit of lovliness. 

The knitting has continued unabated. 

The Yarniacs Podcast had a KAL for the Colors of Fall as designated by Pantone. 

For the  #YarniacsCOF2020 you had to choose pieces that fit in the color palates of London or New York for 2020/2021. 

I made a bunch of stuff, which you can find on my ravelry page, but the last one was a sweater for The Eldest, and he looks so good in it, I just have to post one photo.

I used the top-down shoulder shaping from Thea Coleman's Greenbriar. Totally genius pattern, and it fits really well! I improvised the rest of the sweater, I made it into a crew-neck, and added pockets and a hood. 

Lastly, I joined a knitalong with Denise of Earthtones Girl Podcast to make Autumnal socks. 

Now, I do not knit socks. 

I have always been more of a sweater knitter than anything else. I also end up knitting a number of Christmas stockings every year, depending upon customer requests.

However, I think I finally see the benefit of a small, portable project that I can work on without paying any attention to it. I have found that it's the perfect knitting to do while I listen to my piano students playing their pieces.

Anyway, I knit two pairs of socks since September 15, and I may knit one or two more pairs before the #fallingleaveskal2020 is over and done with.

In addition to the spinning and knitting, I have been playing in the yard with a lot of natural dyeing. 

This yarn was dyed with walnut, and I am kind of in love. 

It dried lighter, but still a lovely brown. Just a bit warmer than this photo.

I tried some eco-printing this weekend, and I think I'll make a few changes for the next time. I didn't boil it for very long, and I could have let it steep for longer as well.

We are reading Harry Potter, despite the author's abhorrent stance on trans people, and in full knowledge of her asshattery. 

The color of the fabric with just a few leaves was kind of inspiring, so I filled my dyepot with an armload of horse chestnut leaves, and got this nice soft tan. 

Then I made up a second dyepot of more horsechestnut leaves and also some chokecherry branches. 

This linen that I used was premordanted, and so all I had to do was soak it in some water, and let it steep over night. 

It dried a little browner than this, but it came out really pretty. 

My last project that is keeping me very occupied is a giant counted cross stich for a client. It's a good thing that I just got my LASIK touched up. These stitches are teensy.

I hope you're well, all you makers out there. 

Please join me in the Fifth Lamp Friends Facebook group!

See you around.