the hand-dyed yarn experiment...

I'm looking to have a source of money for extras...  so I'm looking towards Etsy.com  Since I work around wool and roving, it seemed like the perfect direction to go...  I started with dying roving (fiber prior to spinning into yarn).  I died the roving into autumn colors...  then torn it appart to prepare for felting.

then, using bubble wrap, and a nuno processing (sorry no pictures...  you wet the wool - roll it up in a tube and roll it back and forth...  the process forces the fibers into silk and felts - the silk shrinks and puckers)  This is the result of the first time process:

silk on the underside, felt on top...  hopefully I'll have pictures tomorrow of the finished product that I use this felt for...


I've also got silk scarves coming in the mail...  going to try some unique techniques to use on them...


The next experiment I did was to dye a hank of yarn...  I loved the results...  going to try more this weekend in different colors...  this one I used blue and yellow:

The last days of autumn...

we're having a marverlous "indian summer" this year...  these last few days of sunshine have been amazing! 

Yesterday, I was talking to someone down in customer service when I glanced out the front doors...  it was morning after a night of windy weather...  I know, they are just leaves, but these leaves and the sun dancing on them just called to me...

later in the day, a coworker was playing around with a kaleidoscope tool...  so I had to try...  I put the camera lense up to the eye hole...  interesting results...  first are skeins of yarn...

 next, it's my spider plant!

 this last one is my coworker, Kerin

the camera is so much fun...  I can't wait for the next adventure!

The hunt for autumn continues...

I've been going out whenever the sun shines in the hunt for autumn color...  I think I may have found some beautiful, tranquil spots...

 

now below looks like a perfect place to sit and read a book!

there are pathways all around this lake...  runners and walkers a like were out enjoying the final days of fall...

 this last picture was a surprise...  I was taking a picture of some leaves floating in the water, also the reflection of a tree on the opposite bank...  it almost looks like a Monet painting..  hmmmmm...

In Search of Autumn

Autumn had been quite elusive this year...  the color was slow in coming...  I went out with my camera several times...  Most of the color was found in the strip malls and business complexes...  here's a few found images..

Sunset Magazine said this trail was the place to find autumn...  so a friend and I went for a bike ride (after driving an hour to get here).  The trail was beautiful, I'll definitely go back...  but as you can see - the color green is what you see!

 

but as we came back to civilization - the color started to show up...  like this wall of ivy (the freeway is on the other side!)

 

 aaahhh...  autumn!!!  and blue skies too!!!