The results are in!

The results of the "crock-pot experiment". Fabulous funky colours and really easy to do!

I used my newly purchased vintage (1950's - thanks to ebay) ball winder to produce this wonder! My 11 year old is now trying to attach a lego-motor to it to make the winding-process automatic. Kids!

Play Day

Yes, I know there is a lot of ironing and the dog needs walking but just couldn't resist having a go at "crock-pot dyeing" with the odd packs of Kool-Aid I had lying around. I have used Kool-Aid to dye single colours before and found the results a bit insipid and the process, to be honest, a bit boring - just a prolonged version of making up the drink and sticking a skein of yarn in it. However, on the plus side, doing this with an inquisitive 5 year old doesn't hold the hazards of more conventional dying with acid dyes or mordants! So far the results look pretty much as they should (see picture) and the sickly-sweet smell is being contained within the pot! Proof will be in the knitting up I suspect.

NB: For those fortunate not to know, "kool-aid" is a drink-mix from the States which comes in sachet form in a variety of lurid colours (and flavours!) As I've managed to dye my finger orange by dipping it in the dye-bath I just wonder what it does to your insides!

Melford Green Sweep the Board

Just in from Melford Green Alpacas;

"Alpaca breeders from right across the country travelled to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire to take part in the British Alpaca Futurity 2010, the UK’s premier alpaca show last weekend. Over two days the very best animals in the country were judged by Jude Anderson, who had flown in from the US especially for the event. Animals entered by Melford Green Alpacas from Long Melford led the way from the start, with Claudia, winning a first place rosette and taking the grey championship. This success continued throughout the whole weekend with the team eventually taking 7 rosettes and 2 Championships. Once all of the points had been tallied up at the end of the show, Melford Green were awarded the trophy for “Most Small Successful Small Breeder 2010.”

However, the success didn't stop there! We entered a number of exhibits in the craft show and not only did we come first and third (lace shawl and toddler Gurnsey) in the knitting show (knitted by yours truely!) but Shirley Simpson's handspun yarn, spun from Melford Green's top grade suri fleece, gained best in show. Way to go Melford Green team!!

Unique hand-spun

I'm absolutely delighted that my good friend Sue King, has provided Yarnsmith.co.uk with some stunning hand-spun yarn. Sue, who refuses to knit (!), is a great spinner, calligrapher, exponent of parchment craft and an expert maker of Japanese temari balls (the story goes that these exquisitely decorated spheres were originally created as toys which wouldn't go through the thin interior walls of Japanese houses!). Sue has been a member of the Mid-Essex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers since the 1980s and can often be found demonstrating her spinning skills at the Melford Green Alpaca Open Days.

Mid-Essex Guild inspiration.

The Mid-Essex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers always provides inspiration but this month, yet again, it's provided me with a new spinning wheel. There was a tremendous turnout for the February meeting - the draw being P&M Woolcraft. It still gives me a rush to see so many people sharing their expertise and enthusiasm for yarn-crafts. Long may it last.

We have taken delivery of alot of new stock recently; today's parcel contained the fabulous Fyberspates Scrumptious DK - the softest silk, richly and deeply dyed. Just a must!

First proper attempts at dyeing!

I (we, joint effort with 11year old) are delighted with our first attempts at "grown-up" dyeing! Relatively easy with the Corkwood starter kit and a few hints from You-tube. We started with undyed skeins of 100% merino sock yarn and actually mixed the ammonium sulphate into the dye-baths (not sure if you're supposed to do it this way - but didn't have any violent chemical reaction!) and then used squeezy water bottles to "paint" on the colour. The dyes are really strong once "cooked" (8 mins in the micro-wave) and I felt a bit like an alchemist - really unsure of what was going to happen - but that's part of the fun. I'm definitely going to keep a "dye-diary", and I'm definitely going to be doing some more. I feel a whole new yarn-range coming on!

A technical thing!

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