The results of the morning dye vats. Decided to try dyeing the Wensleydale in the grease. Results were good. It just took some Orvus paste and several hot rinses to clean it all up. The fun part was watching the colors brighten up and start to shine as all the lanolin washed away.

The postman was my favorite person today. Four back issues of Selvedge arrived. Hours and hours of inspiration ahead!

I just made this book mine. I found it on YesAsia.com, along with a host of other Japanese books that I covet. It is en route along with Nordic Knitting, the book I mentioned here.

The texture of the yarn on the cover reminds me of paper. I’ve considered spinning a paper yarn before, but couldn’t figure out what to use it for, so it never made it past the planning phase. For some reason I think Tyvek would make an interesting yarn. I wonder if there is nylon in it so it would take an acid dye? Humm…might have to try that.

The Daily Purl has a beautiful Setsuko Torii example here. I love it.

Sometimes the oddest things can come off the spinning wheel.

Ingredients
A good length of dark brown wool roving from my own sheep
A few yards of hand dyed silk, torn into 1/4″ strips
Two spools of very shiny thread

Instructions
Spin it. Ply it back on itself in 3″ to 4″ sections. Tie off the ends.

Voila’! A very odd, but strangely beautiful fringe with absolutely no purpose whatsoever. Too thin to be a scarf, too bulky to be knit…. Maybe sewn around the edge of a pillow as trim? Or the hem for a very avant-garde dress? Drapery tie-backs? Funky belt?

Or maybe just piled in the center of a table as movable piece of fiber art…