Dyepot - sunny yellow

Large jar full of Showy Goldenrod

Volunteer Sunflower-y flowers I used. If anyone knows what the birds planted in my yard, let me know!

Jars in the sun, no yarn yet.

Closeup of the Marigolds and sunflower-y flowers.

We start chasing the sun.

More sun chasing and the yarn is in there now.

Showy Goldenrod on the top, Marigold and Sunflowers on bottom. I did not take before picture but the yarn was bright white.

There was so much interest in my sun dyeing; I figured I would write it up. I harvested goldenrod – about as much as would fit into the large glass jar I used the dye in. Then added hot water and set it out in the sun. The other color was a combo of marigolds and these volunteer sunflower-like flowers that are growing in my yarn. I did the same to them. I got both jars going early in the morning. About noon, the water had started to color and I added yarn that I had pre-mordant-ed with alum. I left the yarn jars in the sun, and chased the sun around the yard a bit. I left the yarn in the solution overnight. The next morning I allowed the yarn to partially dry then rinsed by soaking in warm water for 30 minutes then set it to dry completely. This was commercially spun mohair.

have fun dyeing - Julia

Welcome to our blog

Hello, I am Julia the newsletter editor and historian for the Spindle and Dyepot guild, New Berlin, Wisconsin. We are trying this out to see how our members like it and maybe you will like it too! Several other people from the guild will be posting on here and hopefully it will become a useful resource.

The above picture is from a recent program we had. Each of us two home seven numbered samples of different breeds and spun them up, we had descriptions of the sheep breeds we received and had to try to figure out which sample was what breed. Here is the view from my wheel. I have a Ladybug wheel and have been spinning for about six years.