Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Art Fair



This last Saturday our West Shore Ruggers Guild participated at an Art Fair held at the Onekama High School. It was the first time that it was ever held at the school.There was also a Chili Cook Off. The cook off raises money for the local Boy Scouts. The Art Fair raises money for the local Portage Lake Association. It was the biggest and best one I have been to. Our own Jewelee Franklin did a majority of the organizing. Our Guild had decided to participate and share some of our items with the public.

We had hooked mats, penny rugs, proddy flowers, hooked purses, hooked snowmen, woolen snowmen and Santas,lovely Christmas stockings, wool dyed shawls and some jewelery from one of our members. All and all we had a wonderful day, saw lots of friends and sold quite a few items. Couldn't ask for a better day than to spend it with some of our wool sisters.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Winter Blues
Summer is over. A very busy and nice one. So it is now time to get to work and fill my studio shelves back up. If asked what is my leastt favorite color, I would tell you blue. But then I look around and I have blue in most of my rugs and a lot of accents around my house. But that seemed to be one of the colors I was lacking. So I got out the dye pots. I came up with the following formula that I call WINTER BLUES.

In 2 cups of boiling water, I added 1/2 t. national blue #425, 1/16 t. #490 blue, and 1/16 t. #338 red

This will dye over a yard of natural giving you several pieces of dark blue, medium and lighter blues.  I am trying to use more of my recycled wools so also dyed over some lighter grey with some poly fiber  flecks in it and some small checks. The recycled wools may take up a little more dye that the naturals. So the amount of wool you can dye may vary.







In my second batch I changed the formula using 1/4 t. 425, 1/32 490, 1/32 338 and added 1/32 turquoise # 478. I once again used natural, a black and white check, the light grey with the poly fiber and also some camel which which gave it a green/ blue cast.



As I sell wool, I have in the past skipped over many of my recycled wools, because they were odd ball pieces or I am not sure how they will take the dyes. So I am trying to start a new resolution. I will pull those textures and strange pieces off my storage shelves and share with you my formulas and ideas as the fall and winter goes on.


I hope you have a fun, fun time in the dye pots. Don't be afraid to try substitute another dye if you don't have the exact ones that I mention. If you do, you will have made your very own formula.
Not ready to try dyeing your own wool yet? All of the above wools mentioned are available at the http://www.woollytrout.com site. I can also be reached for questions at woollytrout@gmail.com
Come back and see us soon.