Working with Wool: Working Hard

luvmypets

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Took a natural dyeing class today, it was lots of fun! We used pokeberry, onion skins, and black walnuts. My personal favorite was the walnuts, they are just so pretty :love

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luvmypets

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Nice colors! Did they tell you the pokeberry will fade? But you can re-dye it.

You can grow some of your own dye plants. Madder for red, weld for yellow, woad for blue, and collect wild growing things in your area for colors, too.
Yes, however the lady who was teaching the class put it in vinegar beforehand, and she said the color holds much better :)
 

Bruce

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How colorfast are those natural dyes? I have NO idea if it would hold, but you get a lot of green water when you cook artichokes in a pressure cooker.
 

luvmypets

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Just got confirmation my wheel is repaired and spinning! :celebrateWe will probably pick it up this weekend! The only thing I'm concerned is that she says that it spins slowly as it is ancient. Either way I'm excited for my first wheel!

I already have so so much wool to spin between Rosie's, our first alpacas, and the romney roving I bought, I have so so much work cut out for me. Then I need to get some ceramic pots for dyeing the wools. I also bought indigo and cochineal to do some natural dyeing with!
 
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Bruce

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Spins slow because:
  • "ancient" wheels are a different design and spin slow
or
  • Lots of friction they couldn't get out
?
 
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