My productivity has magically increased since swapping the bedroom and the office. Suddenly I can leave a work in progress midway through and not worry about anyone disturbing it, except maybe the cats. They do love to sit on my projects and nap on my desk. I finished the Tamarack Sweater for my husband on…
natural dyeing
The Natural Dye MAL
Last year I had so much fun hosting the Natural Dye KAL that I’ve decided to do it again. This year, however, I’m changing the name from KAL (knitalong) to MAL (makealong) to be more welcoming to crocheters and weavers, and I’ll be extending the MAL from three months to a whole year, from the…
Thoughts on the Shop Launch + The Natural Dye Knit Along
I meant to cast on for the Natural Dye Knit Along the day it began (April 1st), but I was so absorbed in preparing for the shop launch that I decided I needed to wait. After all, this KAL is running for several months specifically so nobody feels rushed or pressured, so I suppose I…
Modifying with Iron
I’ve been playing with iron water over the past couple weeks, dipping skeins I’ve previously dyed using alum or tannin-rich plants as a mordant and comparing the results. Most books describe iron’s effects as a saddening of color, and although I don’t necessarily agree with “sad” as the descriptor, iron does seem to dull the…
Pomegranate + Avocado Peel
Over the holidays I came across a pack of pomegranates while shopping for groceries and immediately felt inspired to work with them in my dye pot. Pomegranates are usually expensive here so I don’t buy them often, but knowing I was using the whole fruit (snacking on the seeds and dyeing with the peels) helped…
Early Experiments with Madder
I began experimenting with madder last year during the tail end of August, and as it turned out, it was the perfect color to work with as the weather began transitioning from summer to fall. I was very eager to dye with madder at the time because I’d seen such beautiful results from other natural…