Jacquard weaving on TC-1. Three samples.

 Black cotton warp and white silk weft.

 Natural dyed yarns. Silk warp and silk-linen weft.

Natural dyed silk warp and white silk weft.

Natural dyeing with my granchildren - part two - other experiments

Siiri (9 years) and I cooking new colors from mountain ash and alder leaves in one pot and juniper in the other.

Yarn on the left is from the leaves, mordanted with alum and the gray yarn is from the juniper pot mordanted with alum and iron.

Natural dyeing with my grandchildren - part 1 - Lupine

I was so excited after my first dye pot with lupines that I wanted to dye more. I was in Finland at my summer cottage with my grandchildren and their friend when road sides were full of lupines. The children were eager to help me to pick the flowers and set up dye pots over the open fire place. Everybody were amazed how beautiful blues we got out of the pots.

Natural dyeing - new wave

I red an article in a Finnish craft magazine Taito about natural dyeing and getting icy blue colors from lupine flowers. My old hobby got a new spark and I tried the recipe on silk yarn this May at home in Vancouver.

The yarn turned pink at first, but when it dried it got its final color in beautiful light bluish grays.

The yarn to the right is dyed with left over stems an leaves.