crafts

2020

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This has turned out to be a very unusual year!

With Craft Shows cancelled we have still been creating new inventory and looking forward to shows resuming next year. Meanwhile I am in the process of starting a Facebook page for business and would like to invite everyone to come take a look https://www.facebook.com/Mulch-and-More-Crafts-227360258455219/

Our two cats (Stanley and Sheldon) are still actively supervising all our activities and approve of most of them. It’s been so long since I’ve posted here that I can’t even insert a picture but will have to go find one!

Stay Safe and Busy!

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Silk Scarves – Part 2

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I have been hand dyeing and painting silk scarves for several years now. The exact techniques that I use are hard to describe and will vary depending on how I want to “play with color” on that particular day :). The results range from pastel to very bright, from structured to random.

Then comes the challenge of taking pictures that accurately represent the colors that we see in real life.Dealing with silk, changes in the light will reflect differently, not to mention the differences in peoples monitors. Of the following pictures scarf #17    is a good example, the purple on the bottom part is actually much deeper/brighter and gradually lightens in shade towards the middle  (the name sign is white in all of these pictures.) But even the color of the table is different than the realistic color in the other pictures. Think I need a light box?

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57″ x 10″ priced at $20

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57″ x 10″ priced at $20

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57″ x 10″ priced at $20

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72″ x 9″ priced at $25

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78″ x 9.5″ priced at $25

Now to try to move the picture below into this space…I need a refresher course on picture sizing and placement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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76″ x 9.5″ priced at $25

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68″ x 14″ priced at $25

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71″ x 14.5″ priced at $25

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68″ x 14″ priced at $25

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58″ x 10.5″ priced at $30

These (and more) will be going to the craft shows with us in the Spring unless they find homes before then. (You can contact me to check on availability)

I’ve ordered more scarves to dye so I’d appreciate your comments, to learn which styles and colors you might prefer to see.

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Snow Dyed Silk Scarves

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snow dyeing

Snow dyeing is the process of placing dyes on top of snow with the article to be dyed encased in two layers of snow. As the snow melts the dyes are carried onto the fabric, making beautiful and unique patterns. In the following  I used silk scarves and acid dyes, which I then heat set to ensure color fastness. Care instructions; Hand wash in mild soap and cool water. Iron while still damp using lowest temperature iron setting. Wear and enjoy!

After teaching a workshop in silk painting at a November Fiber Show I had to keep inspiration going, so the snow came just in time to use this different technique when I returned home.

Each of these are different styles of 100% silk, ranging in weight from 8mm (flat crepe and chiffon) to 12mm (crepe de chine  and silk satin) , to the heaviest at 19.5mm ( silk charmeuse.)

 

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58″ x 10.5″ priced at $25

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58″ x 10.5″  priced at $25

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58′ x 9.5′  priced at $25

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58″ x 11″ priced at $30                       

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56″ x 11″ priced at $30 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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64″ x  12.5″ priced at $30                   

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58″ x 11″ priced at $25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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58″ x 11″ priced at $25                    

The preceding is to answer questions that friends of my daughter had, after seeing her early Christmas present of a flat crepe scarf. If anyone else is interested feel free to contact me. My next planned post will feature my hand dyed/painted inventory of scarves (more pictures to take 🙂 .

 

 

Snowy Days

mulchandmorecrafts 12 Comments

Snowy days and days and days, with a little freezing rain thrown in to the south of us!

snowy view

But with the snow comes lots of time to stay inside and craft so I’ve been very busy this past week.

rainbow dyed

merino top and alpaca blend yarn, hand dyed

Last Friday I dyed some wool and top and yarn. While it was drying I finished spinning some green yarn, plied it and set the twist.

dyed in the wool.

warm and cool primary colors, plus pink+blue=purple

When it was dry I spread it on the table for pictures, but first I had to play peek-a-boo with Sheldon! After the game was done he still was tempted to take a closer look at the wool, but behaved and just looked 🙂

cat peek-a-boo

my eyes are closed…you can’t see me

cat peek-a-boo

can I fit?

Sheldon the cat

hi!

Then I teased some of the purplish wool to remove more of the VM (vegetable matter) that hadn’t come out in the washing.

cat

Can’t I help?

hand processing wool

teased wool and debris

After loading my hand cards with fiber, I found that Sheldon was still watching me!

hand wool processing

Dressing the cards

hand processing wool

carding wool with help

hand processing wool

carded wool

Here are some the rolags (rolls of carded wool) ready for spinning, but I have a lot more carding to do first.

hand processing wool

rolags ready to spin

As I mentioned before we have two black cats. The following pictures will show you how we tell them apart: Sheldon has the crooked ear from the injury he came to the shelter with. Stanley has half of a white whisker (the other half must of broken off during their wrestling matches).  While Stanley can usually be found be found on my husband’s lap and occasionally on mine, Sheldon has to see (closeup) whatever I am doing and shares his lap time with me and our son, while only occasionally my husband, maybe because that lap is already taken by his brother. Both take turns trying to help me spin or knit but are learning that yarn is NOT a chew toy.

cat

Sheldon

spinning yarn

Stanley helping me spin

The yarn that Stanley was helping me spin has now been plied and has formed skeins totaling over 500yds. Time to start spinning the next color/pound of superwash merino. Made more dryer balls today, so those are drying now. I’m thankful for the speed by which things dry during the winter months thanks to the even heat of our wood furnace. So winter does have its advantages!

spun yarn

singles of superwash merino

How do you enjoy winter days?  Anyone a fiberholic too?

Playing Catch-up

mulchandmorecrafts 10 Comments

Yes, this week was as busy as the last one, so I’m going to attempt to catch you up on things I’ve been doing.

Finished projects; knitting

The green hat is finished and ready to felt!

Green and gray wool hat to felt

ready to felt!

The white mohair cowl is also finished, doesn’t seem to need blocking, is fuzzy and light but very comfortable and warm. Have been debating adding some dye to it, in hopes that the pattern would show up better. What do you think? I’m leaning toward leaving it white, to go with anything?

mohair cowl

You can still see my table through two layers! That’s airy.

I also discovered a new shawl pattern, Maluka. Decided to try it, since sorting through some of my stash I had found some lovely sock yarn that I know I will never turn into socks. And one skein should be enough, so another choice to make! Of course I chose the one that had red in it. Wound into a ball it looked even prettier. On the third start on the pattern, it’s beginning to take shape. Not the fault of the pattern, but the user! This is my first time knitting from a chart for anything but color changes, so 12-14 rows in each time I realized my mistake and had to frog! At least it was a different mistake each time 🙂

skeins of sock yarn.

which to pick?

 

wish I had dyed this!
colorful ball

 

Need 33 repeats of those points!

Yesterday was a family day, involving a lot of driving, time outside (in 30 degree weather) to watch a parade, some shopping, some visiting, another long drive home with some more shopping on the way (my husband found the perfect easel for his summer sketching and our son added to his collection of charms for wire wrapping) Last night I was too tired to even partake of Jacqueline’s wonderful Brunch Party, but that is still going on today so be sure to pop by and meet some interesting bloggers and enjoy her great food and music!

Last night my eyes were too tired, from driving with the bright sun in my eyes, to read blogs or even knit so I pulled out some roving that I’d obtained from a friend last summer and started spinning. Once started it went so quickly that I finished the first ball of roving and decided to  ply it with some of the mohair that I’d used for the cowl. I wound that skein off this morning (130yds) and should soon have another the same size. The mohair added a nice bloom and softness to the colors.  Now to decide, is it to keep, to sell, or to knit into something to sell ?

wool roving

red, white, and blue roving

2+ oz. of spun wool yarn

one ball spun

Thinking I was tired enough to spin a lumpy type art yarn, training kicked in and it is an almost balanced knitting worsted size 🙂 I guess I have to work harder on making lumpy yarn!

Plied yarn on nitty-noddy.
130yds of soft.

 

I’ve been making magnet prints of some of husband’s canvases and still have the regular sized prints to make (in my spare time)

Stay productive everyone and if you have a moment leave a comment about what has been keeping you busy.

Fun Fur Doesn’t Felt, Does It?

mulchandmorecrafts 2 Comments

Of course we know that fun fur doesn’t felt. That’s what makes it fabulous to knit with wool in a felting project. Held together while I knit, it looks kind of sparse, but when the wool shrinks, the appearance of the fun fur becomes more dense.

I had to take a picture of it fresh from the felting water.  It looks like a drowned, half bald rainbow creature! But just wait til it drys, and shakes itself fluffy!

cranberry felted hat

felted but wet

Daily Prompt

Quotemulchandmorecrafts 1 Comment

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Waiting Room.”

“Good things come to those who wait.”      This is my take on the statement.

The things in our “waiting room” have been waiting patiently, watching dust settle, sometimes for years.

These “things” are craft supplies:

unopened paint- waiting to be “the right” color,

un-spun,un-dyed fiber- waiting to take color and be spun into yarn for someone’s special project,

blank plaques- waiting a final sanding and the “perfect sized picture” to make it complete.

Each of these things were chosen during our working years for their potential to become the perfect, one of a kind (or limited edition), craft creation when transformed into something new.

During this time of waiting, they have developed patience (instead of yelling “pick me, pick me!) when we walk into their room. Some of their imagined transformations may have changed over time, but all will eventually become useful. Some are a forgotten treasure, finding them is like a new discovery.

Now that we are concentrating on our own business, instead of working for others, these items and dreams are beginning to resurface.

angels came out of hiding

angels came out of hiding

But it’s a good thing they developed patience in the “waiting room”. They will need it after their transformation because they will again be waiting!

Waiting to have their picture taken, and description written, waiting to be loaded into a tote to be displayed at a craft show. Waiting for that one person, who recognizing their uniqueness, wants to give them that special space of their own in a new home!