Woven Beaded Necklaces

Cloudy Moon


Bronze Goddess


Spiral Dance

I decided to upload a few of my woven, beaded necklaces to my etsy shop: http://ellenshipley.etsy.com

Food Color Dye on Bambu -- Fail

Failed experiment -- or nearly so, but I expect it to fail all the way shortly. ;-j

I tried dyeing bambu with food coloring in the microwave. I mordanted half with vinegar and half with baking soda (I got a suggestion from one site to do that for the pH). I used black food colorint (really dark, dark green), but when it came time to rinse it out, it all ran away except for a pink. But that's pretty pale and I figure that'll go away too. So no joy.

I think I'll have to spin the bambu white (boring) and then dye the yarn with something designed for cellulose. I know it'll work with indigo with the proper mordant. But that's an experiment for another day.

Kimono Jacket -- B&W (Bubbles & Waves!)

seeing spots


attaching the sleeves


ta-da -- don't go blind!

My fold-out work table works just fine. With the loom on coasters, it slides right out of the way.

I like working with fleece. No hems and everything attaches with a blanket stitch.

And here it is completed:

bubbles!


and waves!

Catfluff Yarn

catfluff & merino rolags


catfluff & merino singles & skeins

A friend had a beloved Maine coon cat who passed away, but before he did, she lovingly collected his combings because someone once told her she could have them spun into yarn.

Enter me. I had to detangle 10 years’ worth of cat combings stuffed into ziplok bags. I blended them with a little merino to make them easier to spin.

She has the yarn now. I’m not sure if she plans to knit a sweater or a throw, but whichever, she’ll be able to cuddle with her kitty again. ;-]

Kamala Shibori

This is my kamala-dyed loom controlled shibori sample. Note the knife-edge pleats. That's because it sat for a year before I dyed it. I'm thinking I'll leave it this way as a demonstration piece.



It's approx. 12"x18", tabby with a twill pattern shot thrown after 4 tabby shots.



Twill really lends itself to loom controlled shibori. Not only is there a sharp color pattern, but there is a second paler color pattern.

Fiber Retreat '08

Fiber Retreat - Natural Dyeing

Two skeins of pima cotton dipped in the natural dye pots at Fiber Retreat '08. I had so much fun bopping from pot to pot and dunking my yarn. 8-]





First I dropped the skein in kamala, then I dipped it half way in broom, onion, osage. Then I gave it a half turn and dipped it in brazinwood. A little bit of variation in the depth gave me more gradual shade change.





This skein was dipped in kamala, then broom. I then gave it a half turn and dunked it very briefly in indigo. A little variation with the depth gave me a gradual change in shade. I like how the yellow-oranges gave me a teally blue when the indigo hit the yarn.

Shibori - Brindle Twill

Cotton & cottolin warp, 22", 8-dent reed, twill, turns at center.
? weft -- still testing samples.

Ok, going with 3 white threads for weft, with shibori pattern every four passes.


getting started -- note shibori shots do not go all the way to the edge -- this will give me a dark border

Edge on. You can see the pattern better under the fold.

Off the loom, strings all pulled. Just out of the indigo pot -- note how everything first comes out green, then oxidizes to blue as it rests.

Shibori is in the middle -- it has turned dark blue -- a fresh indigo pot.

Sozzled in soapy water, then rinse water. Now it's handing up to dry on the line. In the 90+ degree heat it dried fast.

Ta-da! It worked better than I hoped. I got my brindle pattern.

Detail. Scarf hasn't been washed out to relax the pleats yet.