I love Lucy!!

It has been some time since I wrote only because I have been so busy - and I am having a wonderful time being busy I must say. I will try to bring my blog up-to-date, so it may be somewhat longwinded.
I have been doing a fair amount of spinning and teaching spinning. The fleece I have been spinning most recently is Shetland and I am in love with Lucy's fleece. My friend Alberta, one of the best shepherds I know, has wonderful sheep with wonderful fleece. I have been spinning in the grease and it is like one long staple - it just doesn't end.

I plied it into a boucle and it looks very pretty - stockpiling for a future project. I have been combing different fibres together and getting some interesting yarns - will have to take some pictures.....

Then of course I have been talking about doing some natural dyeing, so I thought I had better stop talking about it and do it.....so solar dyeing came to mind, much like sun tea. I used to do it many many years ago, so now in the day where everything seems to be eco minded, I thought it would be fun. I picked St. John's Wort, bracken fern, yellow dock and sow thistle and put them in jars with water and let the sun do its work.
Ever the educator, I labeled and put examples of the plants next to the jars. I left them for about 5 days and then yesterday strained and put back into the jars along with some mohair/wool from Eastwin Farm. I used alum for them all and put some pennies into the dock and wort....they are quite beautiful already - lovely shades of green.

St. John's Wort - it looks yellow but it is quite green unless it changes tomorrow!!!

And Yellow Dock - which is my favourite - a lovely celery green. A fellow spinner came by and told me about buddlia being a great dyeing plant - so save your spent blooms for me!
Then there are marigolds, coreopsis, St. Anne's Lace, tansy, goldenrod, and on and on, never mind all the seaweeds and lichens - it is never ending and I want to dye it all. I have to look for my copy of natural dyeing by Jane Patrick - a very old publication that I contributed to, and it was full of different dyeplants that were tested for light and colourfastness.

Every day is rich with activity at the Studio and I meet many extraordinary people. Well I also meet other 'people'. I had a student of mine come by The Loom where I was working today and said she had to show me something...................

Yes, a couple of very pretty sheep came to visit - Clune Forest lambs all groomed and behaved as they had been at a 4H workshop for showing sheep. I did keep an eye on my roses that Karen gave me.....

One of the wonderful parts of my daily life at Whippletree is having coffee and goodies from Black Coffee - the best coffee on the island. And their soups are wonderful. My camera is always at the ready and I couldn't resist taking the following picture - Creamy carrot soup in the courtyard - nothing better under the cedar trees where so much happens on a daily basis - whether it be my Cowichan knitting sisters knitting on a Sunday, cool on a hot day because of the trees, to my spinning classes spinning in the rain but very dry under these dear cedars.

Spinning and memories

I was thinking today about how I have been spinning and being in the zen zone - lots of memories coming back. This spindle whorl appeared while I was looking for something else which was odd, as I had been thinking about Simon Charlie ( I believe I took a picture at the museum in Duncan (I'm not sure where I got this photo) and I believe it is Simon Charlie's...anyway...) I was thinking while spinning, about my Cowichan princess daughters and our visit with Charlie in his carving studio which is just down the hill from my studio. The girls really were humbled by this great man and I was glad that they had the experience before he passed away. So that is just one of many memories that passed through my mind while spinning some incredibly beautiful local wool.

Spinning out of control!

Spinning seems to be my new obsession.......can't spin enough and the dyeing is getting a little out of control as well. I have carded wool I have dyed and I am also dyeing in the fleeces - getting it clean at the same time........and just spinning in the grease. I was given some Shetland fleece to play with and I am loving it - the natural colours are amazing - lovely browns. I will post some pictures tomorrow. I will be attending a spinning workshop - spinning with exotic fibres, so I am warming up and I am trying to spin at least 100 grams a day - a goal easily accomplished I think. Then my dear friend Ann came by as I knew she would and did we ever have a good gabfest and she told me about Gotland wool, so now I have to have some of that. My new friend Alberta who has the Shetland sheep knows lots about fleece and was able to educate me about Romney and then my friend Annie gave me this amazing fleece from Wales (the breed is from Wales) called Clune Forest (not sure of the spelling) - but it is amazing fleece...........so much fleece, so little time. Had two students today as well, and wow they made beautiful warps. I am so very satisfied with my life today. And welcome full moon - the Beltane moon.