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| Sea washed shells |
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| In progress |
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| Waiting to be washed, purple carrot dye |
I am so pleased to be back in the studio, we have had a heating malfunction and it has been very cold in there. I am making a few small pieces for the North Somerset Arts pop up shop.
As you can see I have also been doing a little dyeing, we only get purple carrots in the shops at Halloween though I did try and grow them recently without much success. A vast difference in colour, the darkest blue is nettle yarn, the palest silk and the purple/browny colour is wool. I am hoping they will keep their colour once out of the washing machine.
These weavings are gorgeous, Debbie ... I especially love their scale, with the weaving parts not overpowering the objects. You will sell out !
ReplyDeleteQuestion about your nettle dye, if I may? Your color appears very *teal* on my monitor - how did you prep your brew? Or was pre mordant used on the yarn?
Thank you & best wishes for your fine pieces.
Goodness Christie, I only just posted this, thanks for your lovely comments. In regard to the nettle yarn I don't use alums but do soak all plant fibres in soy milk to add protein (as suggested by India Flint). I think I boiled the carrots first and then added the yarns which would have been simmered for an hour or so and were left in the water until the next day. I really ought to take notes but I am not that bothered about trying to recreate the colours.
ReplyDeleteChristi, the colour is bluer than it appears here and has washed very well, no loss of colour that I can see, though they are still wet at the moment.
DeleteI am really pleased that the natural dyeing works so well on the nettle yarns as they are one of my favourites to use. I wasn't sure that they would as the yarns are browny to start with, I also had good results with the dead buddleia flowers which produced a lovely rich yellow.
Ok, I am no getting a better sense of your loom, and I did check the links you,posted. That you, only one more question. How big is this loom?
ReplyDeleteI measured my loom it is 54cm height x 43cm width approx. It is the largest size that Great Art do in the school frames which they say is 40cms, I don't know what else to tell you.
ReplyDeleteI bought mine a while ago, it is possible the sizes are not quite the same now.
It is just a straight forward frame loom nothing special.
DeleteLove this work Debbie and the bea utifully subtle colours
ReplyDeleteThanks, enjoying weaving this one.
ReplyDeleteLove the rocks in the weave!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy
DeleteGorgeous! Just love the woven pebbles, and I'd never think of dyeing with carrots. I know they were originally purple, but I've never seen them in the shops - lucky you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Iz, I've seen people on other blogs dye with purple carrots, I suspect they are widely available in some countries.
Deletelove the weavings and the colours you have achieved from the purple carrots I tried to eat one a few months ago but it was very woody, better for dyeing !
ReplyDeleteThanks Mo I have to wait until next Halloween now to dye with purple carrots.
DeleteI love the inclusions, here.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dee
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