I didn’t mean to be so long in posting another entry to my blog, but would you believe I couldn’t remember my sign in name grrrrrrr I had it written on a piece of paper and couldn’t find it anywhere!!!!! It took me about a week to realize I couldn’t find it and then several days trying to remember it. It also meant I couldn’t get on my UK Guild Computer design blog. Needless to say I have now emailed it to myself and I have it in several word docs that I keep email addresses and such in.

Of course the month has gone fast. Thank you to the people who have taken the time to leave comments. This is a way new learning curve for me. As is using a MP3 player. Derek has just bought me one a Sandisk Sansa, I have managed to down load Syne Mitchell’s Weave Cast, which I am enjoying very much. I am also down loading Fibre Cast and Pixie Purls, they sound interesting.

I have set up my dye table (an old door on trestle legs) again to do some dyeing I wanted to try out. I spent last Monday dyeing. I bought a lovely fine Merino fleece a few weeks ago from one of our ladies at guild. I have been combing (using dog combs – 3 held in a small vice) this fleece lock by lock over the last week or two, I really don’t like carding unless I want to blend colours or fibre. And then I do it under sufferance ggggg. The first lot I set out and random dyed like I would roving. Rolled it up in cling wrap and microwaved for about 6 mins. The next two lots I did a cram method into old canning jars. I put a layer of damp fleece in the bottom of the jar spritzed it with water heavily laced with white vinegar and with a face mask on (hate those things, but they are important to ware) sprinkled “Landscape” dye powder on, then another layer of fleece and did it all over again with another colour. Once I had crammed all I could I covered the top of the jar with cling film and microwaved it for about 5 or 6 mins. Microwave dyeing is wonderful. I ended up with about 80gms/2.8oz of fleece crammed into the jar which is about 17.7cm/7” high by about 10cm/4” dia. I did 2 colourways, one in various blues and the other in what I call Royal Autumn, it turned out quite stunning I think, it was exciting and quite unexpected – moss greens, deep rose, touches of pale sandstone, and more.

The first photo is my random dyeing – set up ready to dye.















The dyed fibre.
















The same dyed fibre re-combed
















My crammed fibre after cooking














and again ready to be washed











dried, waiting to be re-combed

















My Royal Autumn little puffs dried and ready to be combed again













Here they are re-combed
















A new bead shop has opened up near by and I went for a visit on my way home from work on Friday and bought some more beads. These included 3 glass starfish in blues, some matching glass beads, a string of small freshwater pearls in a smoky blue and another in blue. I have put them all together, plus 2 strands of very tiny white pearls, all the strands are wrapped together. I am really very pleased with it.
Here are some photos of it, please note my antique linen cloth under it. gggg




I have been asked to stand as president of our Spinners and Weavers Guild again. I was president the one before our current one. I think it is too quick, although a couple of other girls suggested I should stand last year. I took over as secretary in December and our last one had to step down suddenly due to the fires and drought situation here, as they live quite a distance away and have a large farm. So that is something I am thinking about at the moment, our AGM is at the end of April.


Spread your Wings and Soar



Judy