Thursday 27 November 2014

Back in the studio


Sea washed shells

In progress

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.

16 comments:

  1. These weavings are gorgeous, Debbie ... I especially love their scale, with the weaving parts not overpowering the objects. You will sell out !
    Question 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.

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  2. 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.

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    1. Christi, 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.
      I 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.

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  3. 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?

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  4. I 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.
    I bought mine a while ago, it is possible the sizes are not quite the same now.

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    1. It is just a straight forward frame loom nothing special.

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  5. Love this work Debbie and the bea utifully subtle colours

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  6. Thanks, enjoying weaving this one.

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  7. Love the rocks in the weave!

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  8. Gorgeous! 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!

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    1. Thanks Iz, I've seen people on other blogs dye with purple carrots, I suspect they are widely available in some countries.

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  9. love 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 !

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    1. Thanks Mo I have to wait until next Halloween now to dye with purple carrots.

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  10. I love the inclusions, here.

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