The Time Between Seasonal Affective Disorder and Allergies

Just in time spring arrives with it's wind-driven pollen blowing away the grey clouds of crappy winters.  But it's just one more red, itchy eyeball and sneezing fit to me.  Luckily the studio is a pollen free zone (although a suicidal stink bug breached the barriers).   I am really enjoying the two day workshop classes, and especially the current Two Day Resist Dyeing Blowout of last weekend and the upcoming one.  Blowout is a weird word to describe the little rays of electricity and puffs of smoke of the quiet but powerful brain waves emulating from student heads when confronted with lilac, grey and orange dyepots!

And just in time for this Blog, I have had two cancellations for this coming weekend's class (April 14 & 15th).  If you want to come and put your brain in the dyepot, please email me.  It's delightful. Here are some results of last weekend.

Yum Yum. It is hard to concentrate on just one thing as the spring picks up strength and knowledge of the upcoming teaching season dawns on me.  I want to live in my dye studio, I wanna open all those containers of awaiting natural dyes; the cochineal, the lac, the 35 gallons of heavenly stinking walnut mash. 

When the resist tools are sorted out, all in their precious little plastic tupperware containers, they get so lonely and cry out to me, disturbing a good night's sleep. "Clamp me, squish me, fold and pinch me!" What shall I do??

And upstairs I hear the grumblings of the book studio, the bone folders clackering in their boxes, the waxed linen drooping.  "Come work with us," the sewing needles plead.  Papers start to silently wrinkle.  Buttons disappear off the table to be at the mercy of the cat.  The scissors decide to rust.

It is a scary house in which to be living and artmaking.  Luckily I am working in one area - that of testing local brews.  Asheville isn't called "Beer City" for nuthin'.

And in the midst of ignoring calls from the studio tools and while enjoying brew test number 12, I hear screams from my side hosta garden where the gnomes are being overwhelmed by leaves, weeds and large ants!

I tell ya, Teaching season can't come too soon.  So please check out the teaching schedule page on this blog - right up at the top, and come and play with the dyes and felts and books and even the gnomes if they haven't gone on strike and wandered off to a more hospitable garden.

Below is my 'gardening shed' with evidence that I have a history of procrastination.  The oil tank was redundant four years ago when I switched to gas; the tools are bound with spider webs and the moose is dead.

Finding Unexpected Joys

early morning surprises

It is exquisite and achingly beautiful just outside my window; full blown spring, temperatures in the 70's, sun full of vitamin D, bugs floating in shadows.  And here I sit determined to catch up with computer-paper.  I've totally given up on the taxes and sales taxes and requests for information I didn't even know I possessed. That's Not a surprise!

A real surprise came from a wonderful friend on Lopez Island, Christie Carter  who has passed on a blogging award - The Liebster Award!  Of it she writes... "in the spirit of fostering new connections, the idea of the Liebster Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.  Just a few rules for the recipient which come with acceptance of the award:

*Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. (check)
*Copy & paste the award onto your blog.(check)
*Reveal your own five picks for the award & let them know by leaving them a comment on their blog.(check)
* Have faith that the love will spread...(future check)"

She also wrote that I did need to write more often.  She probably knows I need constant encouragement and treats to do so!

So here are my picks for passing on the Liebster Award:


Elis Vermeulan - who writes about and photographs her work building global burrows of wool and is included in my list of fabulous women with whom I won't mind being stranded on an island.
Mendy Knott - Writer and poet extraordinare now sending out wisdom and encouragement from the Ozark Mountains.
leigh Wilkerson - Changing the earth/dirt one garden at a time.
Jane Dunnewold -  Smart, wise, fabulous artist and has a great tattoo.

Now some of these blogs are slightly over the 200 follower limit and that is most likely due to my slug-like behavior of not posting this blog months ago when Christie sent me the award. But there you are. And here I am for the rest of the day...

taxes

the dye studio

the resist work

the book studio

Back In The Saddle Again

Taking a break at Art & Soul - Virginia.

Morning Loyal Blog Readers.  I have been writing and rewriting this blog page totally in my head for weeks - editing in my head, laughing uproariously at my clever turn of word; framing photos for the most wow response, but now it all comes down to sitting here, cold feet and all, poking at these dern computer keys to make the words and thoughts sit on this computer screen - and stay there!  I simply cannot wait for the computer thingy that plugs into my head so the thoughts and words automatically come tumbling out all over this page.  May I live so long - may I remember as well.

A lot has happened since the last post in January.  Spring has come to North Carolina and flowering trees are almost at their fabulous peak.  I am getting sunshine and vitamin D in my body finally and all past rantings and manifestos are fading from my frontal lobe.  I've decided not to follow through with my application to join the Navy Seal Secret Ops Intelligence Section 6.  Mostly because I am not that all intelligent and can't remember three words in a row for the life of me.  I also realized in a startling flash of understanding that the Navy Seals would not be all that interested in a 62 old woman who has a great fear of water and can't swim - and is deathly afraid of most bugs.  I know that if I were captured by the bad guys and tortured for all my spy-type knowledge, all they would have to do is bring in a bottle of Stink Bugs and I'd talk their ears off.

I have been walking every day but telling everyone that I am really running.  I have all the runner's clothing down pat except for the lumps in my pockets where I store extra dates, oranges and kleenex for emergencies. I use an iphone app called i map my fitness that uses GPS to figure out how far I've gone. In January I started puffing around the park at around a mile or so a day, aiming for an end of the year grand total of 500 miles.  Currently I am walking 4 miles/day with two blocks of honest-to-god-running tossed in (if I have eaten all my dates and oranges).  Asheville has a fabulous organization called Riverlink which promotes awareness of the rivers that run through this area, especially the French Broad River.  Right now there are about 7 miles of connected walkways right along the river and that is where I can be found most afternoons, smelling the change of the season, avoiding dog noses and wearing old marathon t-shirts found at Good Will.
I figured I would spend the walking time thinking artistic thoughts about current and future projects but then I was introduced to Pandora radio on my iphone and figured out how to plug the ear buds into my ears without rupturing anything.

'Bookshelf' of books and bindings learned in D. Essig's class.

NEW BINDING NEWS:  In late January I took a class at John C Campbell Folk School with revered book binding teacher Dan Essig. 
There is something so invigorating for a teacher like me to be able to take a class and be totally free of all teaching mindset - the schedule, timing, supplies, etc.  I soaked up new book bindings like, well, a sponge in hot coffee!  My mind was full of "what ifs" and "let's try...".  I brought a box of old fabric samples from my Indigo dyeing and potato starch printing days and I worked and thought on a new book class idea using all textiles.

Cover of the mica book with a hinged binding.

 This is the interior of the mica covered "Indigo" book.  Three different types of mica are used to encapsulate my old indigo shibori samples.  Gold toned composite mica pages have windows cut out and replaced with clear 'real' mica. The pages are "drummed" - glued back to back.

We did another mica book, this with mica pages encapsulating fabric samples I did with potato dextrin years ago.  The binding I am in LOVE with -  a slotted long stitch with covered kettle stitches on either end. (at least that's what my notes say)
On the left is the inside of the potato dextrin print book. Dan showed us how to rub acrylic paints into the cracks of the mica.

The orange leather (sourced from the Tuesday Flea Market in Murphy, NC) book was my version of the class sample of the above slotted long stitch.
I tried to make my own versions of all the books Dan had us make in class (the class title was "A Book A Day") so I would remember how to do the bindings.  At this point, two months later, I find I am having trouble remembering how to put these photos on this blog!!  However there is something that kicks in as soon as I pick up the needle and waxed linen and have piles of neatly folded signatures on one side of me and a giant pile of reference books and notes on the other.

 One of my favorite book we did which I am going to work into the textile book class was my version of a two needle coptic bound book.  The signatures are sewn onto a concertina folded spine guard.  In the original class sample the concertina was folded of paper, in my version I used a length of rather coarse linen from Holland.  The bookcloth is walnut dyed recycled linen.

The esteemed Book Binding teacher Dan Essig worshiping my little collection of finished books.  (Actually he is just taking a photo and will probably blacklist me from any future classes if he reads this.)

The biggest problem with having a bog and being a slug is that there is so much more I want to write about including a lovely blog award passed on by dear Chrissie Carter up in Lopez island.  So I will write tomorrow with hopes that something extraordinary will happen to me on the 'running' path this afternoon.

The Passing of Days

Let's Roll...

I'm ready to admit that 2012 is here to stay and the days are no different than, say 2010.  But my body wants to stay curled up in that fetal position, a giant mound hidden by at least 3 feather comforters, safe and warm and totally mindless in my bed.

It doesn't help my general disposition that I got an ipad for the holiday (gift from myself...) and discovered Netflix in the next 10 minutes.  I can justify the hours of watching all those BBC programs because, um, ah...well, there is no justification, really.  I just wanted to wallow.

And then, probably because of the tiny background images of England seen between spies shooting each other on on MI5,  I start thinking of being elsewhere.  Anywhere elsewhere.  I start to notice each morning when I  get up around 10 am and fix the coffee, that the day is noticeably brighter. I stumble to the mailbox to find L.L. Bean catalogs and start drooling over a new red toiletry bag.  I wonder about hiking boots and if I really need sunglasses in the lower Alps.  I discover the calender app on the iPad  and start sketching out my year.  I develop an addiction to walking 10 miles every week and find that the best self encouragement is checking out the clothing worn by the runners who pass me several times on my daily 3 mile waddle.  I firmly believe that if I dress like a runner, I will be a runner. (or a weiner)

At that point, 2012 really starts for me.  Each small decision engenders another.  I have decided to forgo my annual spring trip to Holland and visiting my good pal Joke and instead sign up for classes - an advanced book binding class, a week of papermaking, a week with Michel Garcia on natural dyes.
The calendar is filling up, my teaching schedule has form.  I have the dates of the workshop schedules held here at my studio figured out. And that is the point of this blog post really, but I just finished my really, really good coffee and I become hopelessly entangled in words and images.

 -----

Below are the dates for workshops at my private studio in West Asheville for 2012.  Other dates may become available.  Please check my Blog (under workshops) for any additions. 

Workshops for the 2012 season will be two days instead of one.

The extended time will give everyone more time to think, ponder and work on the processes.  We may have dinner together between the two days to give us more time to talk.  And we'll be able to have extended time in the studio that evening and the next morning.  

Since many students come from out of town and have to get a hotel for a night, coming for a two day class makes more sense.  I'll be able to offer bookmaking and other topics that take longer than one rushed day.  

The cost for the two day workshops is $250.  This covers everything you will use in the class.  (wool, paper, dyes and chemicals, handouts and use of tools, etc.).  Additional wool, books and other supplies are available for purchase for home use.

If you wish to register for a workshop please email me to see if there is space.  Classes are small, four students. If there room, you will need to send a $50 deposit to hold your place.

The deposit is nonrefundable. If you are unable to come to that particular class but notify me at least three weeks before the class date, your deposit will be applied to a future class.  If you cancel 5 days before the class and I am unable to find a replacement for your spot, the deposit is forfeited. If you do not show up for the class, the deposit is forfeited. 

 

Workshops will run from 9am - 6pm (or so) on Saturday and 9am to 4 or 5 pm on Sunday). Other dates during the week may be available if groups would like to have a private workshop.  If you can only do a one day class, there may be ways we can organize that.  Please email for more information.

Bring your lunch. There is a lot of standing involved for most classes. There are stairs to use to get to the bathroom and lunch sitting areas.  I have two cats that may visit you but they generally go back to sleep.

Possible Workshop topics:

Resist Dyeing on Felt - two day blow out

The Mokume Bark Scarf and The Airey Fairey Hand Felted Scarf

Resist Dyeing (day one) and Bookmaking  - Quick Wrap Journal

Bookmaking - The Coptic Miniature Book

Resist dyeing and Felted Brooches

February 18-19th, 2012 Saturday and Sunday

Resist Dyeing (day one) and Bookmaking  - Quick Wrap Journal

            It's the fabulous Resist Dye Workshop! We will be felting and dyeing merino needle punch felt batts creating dozens of beautiful samples.  Learn how to set up a safe dye kitchen and even have the chance to be the Dye Master.  Discover the resist design opportunities in everyday objects as we dye and re-dye the felt.

And then we'll use that glorious felt to create fabulous long stitch bound blank books for travel journals, daily thoughts, sketchbooks or, well, anything.

March 17-18th, 2012

 The Mokume Bark Scarf and The Airey Fairey Hand Felted Scarf

            This two scarf class will start by students dyeing their own merino roving and needlepunch batts with Dry Dye Powder dyeing.  Then we will learn to felt the batt and stitch it with a traditional Japanese resist stitching method called Mokume to create a bark-like design and texture and re-dye the scarf in a resist dye bath.  The next day we will learn to lay out the dyed merino roving and wet felt the beautiful Airey Fairy scarf.

              

April 7-8th, 2012

Resist Dyeing on Felt - two day blow out

            Spending a day resist dyeing dozens of felt samples with incredible colors and patterns is a day spent it heaven!  Now imagine TWO days!  Enough said.

June 23-24, 2012

TBA 

Studio Workshop - West Asheville

July 28-29, 2012

TBA 

Studio Workshop - West Asheville

September 22-23, 2012

TBA 

Studio Workshop - West Asheville

November 24-25, 2012

TBA 

Studio Workshop - West Asheville

The old bear sees a light at the end of her tunnel.

Light reflecting off dirty wine glasses from holiday party

It's that time of year again when my bear instincts demand that I stay in my bed until the light returns (or Spring and/or paramedics intervene). Because my hypochondriac brain gets nervous when I become a hibernator, unwilling to do anything more than write lists of what I would do if I had more energy or a new body or if I hadn't eaten that last gift bag of rum balls, I start to worry about what will befall me if I continue this downward slide in homeless bag lady syndrome.  It only takes a quick glance into my past journals to realize that this state of mind/body slugdom happens every single year, probably on the same date. It is a curious state of my memory that I forget my wrestling match with bears, angels and daylight every year at this time in favor of sitting in front of the tv, cat on leg, popping rum balls and complaining on this "new" state of affairs.

Leon refuses to let me get off the comfy chair and at least change the channel to PBS.

Today is the Winter Solstice, the time of light returning.  It's time to get out the Manifesto Book - my book of changes (subtitled "If I Ruled the World") and the almost filled journal, gather a big pile of sticks from the garden and have a jolly good fire.  No, I'm not going to burn the books but just mark the beginning of my new year.

The Winter Solstice is the perfect time to reflect what I was able to do this past year although at this point in rum ball testing I will need to check the journal closely for those points of light. It is also that grand ole time of resolutions of which I must say, I don't even need to rewrite anymore, but pick any page of resolutions for the last decade or two. (lose-the-weight-walk-more-eat-more-veggies-get-a-dog-do-quicken-grow-my-own-veggies-clean-paper-files).  So Boring!

This year I'll try something that does not involve changing eating or exercise habits.

1. I will choose PBS as this year's donation.  (giving great gobs of money to the Apple Store is no longer considered a charitible contribution)

2. I'll start working regularly in the new dye kitchen, plucking the moldy pomegrante skins from their bowl and boiling them up into yellow dyestuff.

3. I will remain very happy to have gotten rid of my dryer and hanging my clothes up to dry.

4. As for my professional life (the one that pays the mortgage and buys cat food) I am making changes cutting back on the number of away workshops.  I need more time for my own creative endevours, learning new book forms, natural dyeing, paper making, writing and a few secrets. I have already booked quite a few workshops for 2012, but will start the cut backs in 2013. (sounds like our congress...)

5. I will be holding more workshops here at my studio, maybe even once a month.  These workshops will be two day classes as the expanded time will allow for longer study on the topic presented.  We can do the resist dyeing one day and make a book the next for example.  We'll go out for dinner on the evening between and be able to spend more time talking to each other and exploring ideas.  The class number will be reduced to only four students to allow more room and attention for everyone.

6. Most of my resist classes will be held here at my studio as hauling 5,000 pounds of heavy metal, dyes, chemicals and handouts is breaking my back.  Mercy!

7. I think I will only have two teaching venues where I will present my findings in natural dyeing and resist - and they are, of course,  places I love visiting - The San Juan Islands and Holland.  Well, given the chance I wouldn't mind England, Ireland, Iceland and oh...Italy in 2013!  Hmmm, and this is where I get in trouble with all my pronouncements and resolutions and manifestoes!! Ding dang it!!

I would think that this place would be a lovely teaching venue!!

 8. I will listen and watch my cats more, as they seem to have much more sense than I have.

Leon is reminding me to stop writing manifestos and look for the light.

Big olde Bear is rumbling and waddling from her cave, following those teeny bits of light - thoughts, ideas, plans, lists and new calendars on her ipad that make up the path to the tilting of the planet and the return of the light.  It doesn't hurt that I am doing a major wash of all the bed linen and without the dryer, those sheets will take about 3 days to dry!! 

I hope that all of you have a productive, enlightening and above all, creative time during your returning of light.

A brief visit to where I want to be...

Today starts our 14th annual Voorhees Family Art Show here in Asheville, center of the Universe, and I will hang four new pieces - the first (below) really was done in 2010 but never published before.  The other three are created from my first experiments with natural dyes - madder root, lac, walnuts and osage orange.  Working with natural dyes is where I want to be for my personal work.  This was just a brief visit.  Below are the rest of the new work - complete with liner notes!

Page 26 - Welsh Holly Leaves Fall to Earth

Page 26 -  Welsh Holly Leaves Fall to Earth (2010) 
When my best friends and I went to England and Wales in 2009 for a Memorial tour for my adopted mother Millie Voorhees, we visited the Welsh National Museum - St. Fagan’s.  This is an outdoor museum with every type of dwelling from the stone-age on.  Holly bushes surrounded the parking lot so I “borrowed” a few leaves. I had to snip off the points as they drew blood.  They were pasted in my drawing journal until I started this piece.  The “falling to earth” imagery comes from a poem by Mendy Knott where she writes of leaves leaping off the trees in Fall because they are so glad to be reunited with the earth.  She read this at Millie’s memorial service.  The tour, Millie, the leaves and their fall to earth all came together for this artwork. 

6.5” w X 9”h framed to 13.75” x 16.5H 
merino wool, sabreset dyes, glass beads, Welsh Holly leaves,  linen and cotton thread. Hand felted, resist dyed, stitched and beaded construction.

Walnut Page - Peeling Black Walnuts Under October Skies.

Walnut Page: Peeling Black Walnuts Under October Skies.  Squirrels Watch. (2011) 
When my friend Helen brought over 45 bushels of festering black walnuts I knew that it was time to indulge my long time desire to explore natural dyeing.  I have worked with synthetic acid dyes for almost 35 years but was a bit nervous learning a whole new world of plants and chemistry.  We sat on the back porch on a wonderful breezy, sunny day in October, surrounded by squirrels scolding us from trees and peeled the dye-rich hulls from the nut.  They were rotting and some were full of bugs but the smell was divine and I was completely captured by the ancient history of the black walnut dye.  I clamped pieces of hand felted merino wool and fed them to the walnut dye pot.  An hour later I reaped my rewards.  Thank you Helen. 

8"w X 10.5”h framed to 14"W x 17"H 
Australian merino wool, resist dyed in hand gathered walnut dye, glass beads, buttonhole thread, weeping cherry twigs. Hand felted, resist dyed, stitched and beaded construction.

Page 28 - Seeds Sense the Change (chance) of Seasons.

Page 28 - Seeds Sense the Change (Chance) of Seasons. (2011) 
One of my favorite resist tools is a handful of circular steel paper clips from Holland.  They don't work very well as paper clips but I love the beautiful circles they create on wool felt.  I tried them for the first time on a piece of felt that was first dyed yellow from Osage orange heartwood and then dipped into a dyepot of purplish Lac.  The pumpkin seeds, left over from another project of five years ago, jumped into those beautiful yellow circles and instantly had halos. Lots of tiny "seed" stitches around the halos created active and jumpy pumpkin seeds eager to make the transition from stationary storage to life.  (It's almost like how I feel when learning to make my transition from synthetic to natural dyes!) 

7.5” w X 7”h framed to 14”W x 17"H 
Australian merino wool, resist dyed in Madder root, Lac and Osage Orange natural dyes, glass beads, gold painted pumpkin seeds,  button hole thread. Hand felted, resist dyed, stitched and beaded construction.

Page 29 - Madder Root, Osage Heartwood.

Page 29 -  Madder Root, Osage Heartwood.  (2011) 
Sometimes the pieces of resist dyed felt talk to me before they are arranged a certain way.  Sometime I stumble blindly, stitching this piece to that and then doing it over again and again.  For this artwork, rather helplessly named Madder Root, Osage Heartwood, the Madder dyed side pieces demanded to enclose the lovely circle patterns created with Lac dye over Osage orange.  And then naturally, the circles became the Osage heartwood and the madder developed glorious wings with matching hearts of spiral metal sequins.  I hope they're all happy now! 

8.25” w X 7”h framed to 14”W x 17"H 
Australian merino wool, resist dyed in madder root, osage orange and lac natural dyes, glass and metal beads and sequins, button hole thread. Hand felted, resist dyed, stitched and beaded construction.

Thanks for lookin'.

It's my birthday!

This is the view I'd love to spend every day looking at - the view straight up from my daybed on the screen porch - looking up at the yellow leaf maple in the clear blue skies!  But even a fairy princess or old crabby step mother as myself has to scrub out the cat box every once and again. Today is my birthday and while I normally postpone this celebration to the doldrum days of February, I am planning a lovely day with cats, dyes and friends.

Madder, walnut and osage dyed merino felt

I attended a lecture by Catherine Ellis on Tuesday and could barely sit still in my seat.  Just to hear those enchanted words...indigo...madder...dyes of antiquity... makes my heart race.  And another thing she mentioned - how she started working with natural dyes about 10 years ago when she retired from teaching and found it wonderful to know that one can still become so excited about learning even at a "later" age.  My feelings exactly! 

Felt in the osage orange dyepot

This week I have been sampling the yellows from Osage Orange and reds from Lac, Madder and Brasilwood.  After several weeks with the "Festering Walnut" it was a shock to the eyes to see the color bloom on the felts in the dyepots.  I am not a very good "sampler" as one should be when starting new dye ventures.  I see the rich browns of the walnut and put in whole Mokume tied scarves!  But I feel so many changes coming upon me that I am now 'sampling' - doing smaller dyepots and trying out the colorways on smaller felts.  But all those tiny felts are going in with resist tools a-bristling! 

One of my new challenges with the natural dyes was to see if I could use my knowledge with resist dyeing to create those seductive patterns on the surface.  I am finding that each one of the natural dyes I try out - be it an extract or made by me from the root/hulls/dyestuff itself, each dye has a personality.  Each one has such different ways it colors the wool.  Walnut manages to sneak under even the tightest of knots.  My former resist tool favorite - hair pins from Sally Beauty Shops - cause interesting iron stains on madder and brazilwood if the alkali is higher in the dyepot but no reactions with the gentle Lac.  I swear these dyes are alive.  Well, really they are, coming to me as gifts from Helen's Walnut trees, or squished and extract by human hands in France.  I don't think I could be happier with these new friends.

resist dyed with lac, madder and osage

On my birthday I will be beading and stitching my second group of yellow/red resist pieces that came out of the dyepot yesterday  This is a fabulous present of both time and dyeing.  Oh, I do have to have these done for the Voorhees Family Art Show coming up next Saturday and Sunday, but with them I shall spend all my days.

Walnut Pages:One.  "Peeling Walnuts under October Sun".  Walnut dyed, hand felted merino felt,  cherry tree sticks, beaded, stitched (and sideways)

but first a little time with my best pal, leon

A Morning of Dreams

Morning from deck at Coupeville, WA

Well, it is still morning in my part of the world and I am still in my pjs and bathrobe.  Today I am dividing useable parts of the day between this computer and the dye kitchen in the basement (studio B).  All of the year's teaching has been finished with manifestos to be written and changes to be wrought.  Two more sales shows remain - The Famous 14th Voorhees Family Art Show to be held on November 18-20th here in Asheville, and maybe a small second show at my studio in December. So I am happy and anxious to continue working with my natural dyes.

I have a dozen bushels of peeled walnut hulls festering away on the back porch. I have never read in my pile of dye books about peeling the walnuts after they start to rot, but the resulting liquid after a few days of steeping is fabulous.  The slimey black goo and the fly maggots are a visual deterrant so I left the last couple of bushels for the squirrels to peel and a wonderful job they did of it too! All I had to do was sweep up the peelings each morning.

Here are my friends Helen and Steve helping with the peeling.  Helen got all the walnuts from her backyard tree and swears by the color they produce. I think the sitting in the October sun on my back porch smelling those walnut hulls is why I am so smitten with them.

This is one of probably 30 pots of walnut hulls a brewing.  Some containers were getting moldy so I took off the lids.  The water just evaporates so I top up every once in a while.  True to my own squirrelish behavior, I feel that I need a LOT of hulls to last me through the winter dye days. Sure wish I knew everything about walnut dyeing!

my first felted wool scarf walnut dye experiment

A few weeks ago I followed through on my written thoughts and got rid of my clothes dryer.  I needed the space for a "real" stove in the dye kitchen.  My favorite Habitat for Humanity had a wonderful and very cheap electric range that needed to be with me.

Now that I don't have a clothes dryer I am finding that I pay attention to the weather - what days are good for hanging clothes outside, how humidity extends the drying time, and the beauty of clothing waving in the breeze.  I bought a fabulous indoor wooden drying rack from the good folks over in Missouri - BestDryingRack.com and now have more fun than one could imagine hanging my clothes on the rotating rack. 

 I also am experimenting with Madder, a wonderful, ancient dyestuff which should give me some wonderful yellows through reds.  Helen gifted me with about 6 oz of the roots, themselves rather ancient purchase from Earth Guild several years ago.

I have done a few dyebaths with pieces of my felt hoping to recreate the resist dyeing surfaces that I have been doing using Lanaset dyes.  But there is something so different with the natural madder and walnut.  Their smell is rich and earthy and as far as I know, not bad for the body. The time it takes to mordant the felts, rinse and then put them in the dye liquor and carefully watch the temperature so it doesn't go over 160 degrees is time nicely spent.  The after-mordants of citric acid and ammonia that change the pH to give either pinks or yellows is truly pure magic.  I like spending that time with the pots as these feel as if they are alive.  Years ago when I taught a semester of indigo dyeing at the University of Minnesota - St. Paul, those pots were alive and needed careful tending.  We had a partnership, those pots and I.  And here again I have partners in my Studio B dye kitchen as well as squirrel partners on the dye porch.

Putting a previously felted and dyed in light madder (with ammonia after mordant) scarf, stitched and tied in Mokume resist pattern into a darker Madder bath.

The finished washed and dried scarf.  A whole pile of ummmms for that one.  Today I get to go back to the kitchen and think and play and learn some more.

I will be listing 2012 workshops on the next page of this blog.  Check under the title for the button.  I am starting to reduce the number of away-workshops for 2012 and 2013.  There are a few places I will continue to teach as I love the areas and people connected to the venues - Lopez Island, Sievers School up in Washington Island, WI,  and several other places. And I will start to hold more classes here in my studio.