MORE DYEING ~ ~ ~

This is kind of an interesting piece that was in the dye pot last week! A gal that I met at a fabulous yarn shop outside Marblehead, told me that she dyes with all kinds of natural things and one of them was rhubarb leaves!! There were still a few stalks of rhubarb remaining in the garden, so I boiled up 4 large leaves, strained out the mush that was left and put a piece of white wool in it and voila !! This nice soft yellow emerged ~ next year, I'll definitely try it again ~ using more leaves and more wool!! Interesting, don't you think?

These are from last Thursday's dying and the colors are really beautiful! Yesterday, I got four batches done and also spent the day, cutting and wrapping many yards of as-is wool. I cut it in 1/2 yard pieces and then fold, roll and tie it in a bundle. There is really a lot of work involved in getting ready for a show and I get so energized just trying to get it all together!

I have done shows for over 27 years ~ in the years our kids were in college, I did between 15 and 20 shows a year! My husband is so happy that, now, I only do two!! I used to be a doll maker ~ cloth dolls, using vintage fabric, lace, buttons, etc. to fashion their clothes. They were primitive back before primitive got all the attention it gets now. I've made baskets, bears out of old quilts, shirts out of bluejeans with quilt yokes ~ if it sold, I made it!! But now, the rug hooking and the wool dyeing are the real love of my creative life ~ as I've said before, I wish I could hook all day, every day!!

The show I'm doing Saturday is at Quailcrest Herb Farm, north of Wooster ~ if any readers are in this area of Ohio, it's a wonderful folk art show held in their herb gardens. There is nothing better than an outside show when all conditions are right!! And I hope they're right this Saturday ~ it's supposed to be mid 70's ~ which will be heavenly ~ and a chance of rain ~ which won't be so heavenly!!! We're hoping for the best!! At any rate, I'll have lots of nice, soft wool and some hooked pieces, my husband's frames, Hartman hooks, prodders, and a few odd things to offer ~ my booth is in the tent by the house ~ stop by and see us and say hi!!! Off to the dye pots!

Alice