Well I’m not sure if my head needs examining……but…..I headed back to work … full-time…same field……yeah….I know.  But nonetheless….crazy or not…I’m back at it as of last week.  It has put a total cramp in my time to do what I want to do.  But it’s all good.  I was feeling like I just had too much time and so when this opportunity knocked, I figured I’d grab it; at least for the time being.  So far so good.

Aside from that I’m still busy playing in the dye pots with the natural dyes.  I have decided I will place a few skeins in the Stitches Plus Purls Etsy shop since I will never ever knit all that I dye.  Natural dying is just so addictive!  I find it much more enjoyable than dyeing with chemical dyes.  This past week I didn’t have a lot of time with starting work but managed a few batches.

I love blues so soaked some black beans once again.  This time I put some yarn under the beans and left it over night.

The result was a darker blue tonal.  I also dyed up two lighter blue skeins with the same dye bath once I had removed the beans.

Here are my finished skeins.  I actually dyed two skeins of DK weight and am debating knitting a child sized boys color work sweater from those.

 

 

Next evening I used Logwood.  I have been trying to get a lavender from logwood.  Last dye bath I ended up with grey.  Lovely grey but I want a lavender.  I added copious amounts of baking soda to drop the ph levels.

However, still no nice purple or lavender but instead a periwinkle.  But its still beautiful so I’ll go with it.

 

I have to say my favorite dye so far is madder.  I love the peach hues that I can get from one dye bath just by adjusting time in the bath.  These skeins absolutely glow!

 

I had some beet juice left over from cooking and gave those a try.  I love the soft pinky hues.  I am not sure how color fast beet juice is however.

Here is a picture of my natural dyed stash.  I have mailed a few skeins off and have some wound and cast on for my own project as well.  But what jewels these are!!

I also worked a bit on a few bags for the Etsy shop.  I have been struggling to make these bags as the burn out has certainly been surpassed.  But where there is demand, must needs overcome the burn out.

The weather finally cleared up a bit after weeks of non stop rain.  But hey its the rain that keeps the PNW so gorgeously green…right?!  But with the break I began to get the gardens in shape.  Look at all that miserable shade.  I’m hoping that with the trees cut back I’ll be able to have a little garden area.  We will see what happens this year…

My natural grocery was a score for seeds.  I will also get some starts for a variety of items as well.

I’ve been knitting away in the evenings to keep up with Helen Stewart’s Impressionist MKAL.  Unfortunately I cannot get a decent picture of the shawl as it is all crammed onto my needles.  But the last clue arrived this week so hopefully I will have it completed by the end of the week!  I am absolutely loving this; both knitting it and the way it is turning out.  Helen’s patterns are so user friendly.  I love how they are written and in this pattern she suggested stitch markers for each lace pattern design.  OMG it has revolutionized my ability to knit a lace design!

I am also trying to get some knitting time in on my natural dyed KAL hosted by Lindsay of A Wooden Nest podcast.  I did get a few rows completed on my Jujuy shawl.  I adore how this natural dyed yarn is knitting up!  It just seems to glow!

I finished April’s sock for my Voolenvine Box O Socks KAL and am working away on May’s pair.  I want to make this pair a bit longer as I love the pattern this self striping yarn is creating!  I need to get another pair cast on.  I’m going to make another pair of the roller socks as they are pretty much the only type of socks I wear.

With the good weather also comes my favorite time of year….Yard Sale Heaven!  While out on errands today I chanced upon a sale and found these goodies.

This milk glass basket has a slight blue tint so how could I resist?  I have tried to slow down on my milk glass obsession as it is over flowing with several boxes in the attic!

These will be lovely in the fall filled with nuts and apples or perhaps a bit of candy even…

One grand is going to be having some magic fun with this set!

I thought I had read every Daphne Du Maurier book printed but this is one I had not seen.  I can’t wait to start reading it!  Also who can resist a second copy of Edith Holden’s beautiful journals?  I saw on IG where an extra copy was used to make a bunting and I have been wanting to do the same since!

And as if I did not have enough going on, Alejandra of A Woolen Forest is hosting a book club on Ravelry for the book A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield.  It is one of the books I received for my birthday from my eldest.  It will be fun to explore this book on the history of color with other natural dyers.

And what better way to spend an afternoon after getting the first of the garden in than with a good book and a glass of wine.  Of course I will be knitting later on as well!

Happy warmer days!

Patricia