Yarn to Dye For

We have been busy dyeing yarn for our last few markets of the year.  Despite the approach of summer, yarn is still in demand.

I think I love dyeing yarn more than I love knitting!

Here are a few of our recent colourways:

The Giving Bunny Project

I love yarn bombing and crafts as a form of public art and expression.

I recently stumbled across a similar concept, The Giving Bunny Project launched about a year ago by the team at Urban Threads (the home of awesome embroidery designs).  Cute little bunnies are hand crafted and then left in public places for others to find and keep.  A funky tag left with the bunny explains the project and of course the bunny's name.  There is even a map tracking many of the bunny finds across the globe.  More details can be found here.

I just had to participate!!  Particularly as no bunnies have been recorded as being found in South Australia!

My first five bunnies have been made.  I just need to name the little cuties and set them free.

Skeining Yarn

I love dyeing yarn.

I love deciding which dyeing technique to use.

I love picking the dye colours.

I love selecting the yarn blanks.

I love the look of hand dyed yarn.

BUT ... I hate reskeining the yarn once it is dry!!  Sure it looks so much better reskeined, but it is a tedious task!  Especially when you have multiple yarns to skein!

This is what I did today ... now the skeining process is over I can once again love my hand dyed yarn!

Hand Dyed Baby Alpaca Yarn

Fibre

I am fibre obsessed, in so many different and unrelated ways!

Sadly, I have been recently diagnosed with a frozen pelvis and neuralgia, caused it seems by past surgery and that diabolical disease, endometriosis.  This means, in addition to managing constant pain, that I must religiously manage the fibre content of my diet and fibre supplements are a daily ritual.  (That is as much as I ever plan to discuss that stuff!  Though you may hear mention of endometriosis, a disease that is too little discussed but has a devastating impact on so many women's lives, like on my own.)

Whilst I have always had a love of crafts and handmade, I have discovered that crafting makes me forget how rotten I am feeling and distracts me from my pain.  I become so focussed on what I am making that I forget for short while how I am feeling.  I also get a great deal of joy out of creating, especially creating something for the first time.

How does this relate back to fibre?  Well, my crafts are all fibre based.  I hand dye wool, knit, crochet, weave and sew.

I am currently making Christmas stockings for my family.  I looooove Christmas!!  More than anyone in my family!  I was the child awake at 3 am, 5am, 7am etc on Christmas morning.  My parents would coax me back to bed but I'd be awake two hours later, I was simply too excited to sleep.

I still love Christmas, but not in the same overly excitable way!

Here is a picture of my very first Christmas Stocking, made for a friend's son.  I am so happy with the way it turned out!  Now I just need to complete a few more!!