Clothing ourselves beautifully
Some might think that the chief enemy of a spinner, knitter, dyer, or weaver, is the family members who keep saying “do you really need that?” Or who protest that two Rubbermaid’s of yarn is more than enough. In reality, wool has a far more insidious enemy. This enemy lurks in the shadows, striking at […]
This is the third part in the Preparation for Fibre Art series. Part one discussed the washing part of preparation, particularly for fleece, yarn, and fabric. Part two discussed card and combing techniques for working with washed fleece. In part three I will be discussing some particular preparation issues and techniques for dyeing, naturally and […]
This is part two in my three part series on fibre preparation for successful fibre art. Part one dealt with fleece, roving, yarn, and fabric preparation through washing. This part two deals with fleece and fibre preparation through the carding, or combing process. Often it is not clear what processing fibre does, or it is […]
Material dyed with natural dyes sometimes requires different treatment than material dyed with conventional dyes. Both natural and synthetic dyes form chemical bonds with the fibre, however the bonds that natural dyes form do not damage the fibres and are weaker than their chemical counterparts. The variability and often fade-ability of natural plant dyes is […]
The majority of natural dying is done with natural fibres as loose fibre, yarn, or small pieces of fabric like silk scarves. These preparations are easy to dye due to their loose construction, and small size. Even a large skein of yarn will flow and move within the dye vat to provide even coverage. Natural […]
There are few things more frustrating than buying a raw fleece and finding out it won’t felt. Some sheep breeds have no felting ability in their fleece whatsoever and this is really annoying. Particularly if you have already spent hours washing and dyeing the wool fleece with natural dyes. If you know the sheep breed […]
