Last pictures before we leave

Last weekend was beautiful out, so my husband and I packed a picnic and went up north. The golden rod is perfect for dying, but since I have no time to dye, I can only take a picture.

I was so surprised to see these alpaca along the back roads at a farm and since they seem to go with the theme of my year I took their picture. (I think their alpaca).

These are the looms my husband and father made. The one on the left is based on a traditional Navajo loom, you sit on the ground and weave (I'm sure I will not be able to walk again after sitting for a week). The loom on the right is a new style, which you can sit in a chair and weave, that one my husband will be using. (I should have had him make me that style also, but no, I wanted a traditional style!)

This is all of my natural dyed yarn, rolled into balls and ready to go. I also have some gray and charcoal black commercial dyed yarns packed to go with it.

Well, we leave Friday for out "west" (Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico). Our R.V. is loaded, not only with food, clothes, 2 looms, and yarn but I've also packed my quilting to work on, my full size wool quilt and new wool quilt blocks I've begun. I hope to share with you some pictures of my workshop the beginning of Oct.

Antique Copper Tjaps

I just received my antique copper tjaps (hand made in Indonesia) I ordered from Dharma Trading Co. There were 300 different tjaps to choose from, one of each kind (and they were going fast). They are beautiful and quite heavy, I can't wait to try batiking with them, that wouldn't be for quite a while. So right now they sit on my piano looking beautiful.

Experimenting with natural indigo

I've spent the past week dying with natural indigo, using a variety of different fabrics, some mordanted, some not. The mordanted fabrics/yarn were a much richer color. Reading from left to right, wool yarn mordanted, wool fabric mordanted, wool/silk blend mordanted, wool suiting non-mordanted, raw silk non-mordanted, cotton I first batiked than dyed indigo non-mordanted, I haven't boiled the wax out yet. I'm not happy with the color , I think I'll overdye it first with a chemical dye.
Well, it's now time for me to put away my dye pots and focus on packing for my trip out west and my Navajo workshop. I started dying my yarn and fabric last April with my daffodils and ended with indigo. I enjoyed going out early in the morning and putting on the dye pot before work and will miss it. Although, the golden rod is almost ready to pick and dye with and calling my name, as will be the black walnuts and acorns by the time we get home. I may have to fire up my stove then. I also hope to bring home a few new dye plants from out west to try. I'll still be sharing more with you until we leave Sept. 14.
My favorite September poem:
The Garden in September

"Now thin mists temper the slow-ripening beams
Of the September sun, his golden gleams on gaudy flowers shine,
that prank the rows of high grown hollyhocks and all tall shows...

Robert Bridges