the dropped spindle

Register

julie1 · Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Banffshire

I love this book! Traditional Scottish dyes and how to make them, by Jean Fraser (ISBN 086241 1084)
It takes you through each dyestuff in alphabetical order, with how to find them, pictures of what they look like, and recipes with a variety of mordants. I got a bit hooked on the 'cudbear method' (which works with other plantstuffs besides lichens) but I used ammonia instaed of stale urine! All my hobbies seem to be smelly or noisy. Laughing

_________________
My ideal holiday; lock me in a room with my toys and post my meals under the door!

ClaireUK · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 94 Location: Coventry, UK

I darnt ask what your other hobbies are Shocked

Claire UK

sally · Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 148

I quite like the Colour Cauldron, similar Scottish focus, some great historical notes as well.

julie1 · Joined: 24 Aug 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Banffshire

Claire,
Smelly or noisy hobbies;
Scouring fleece, often a whole or half fleece, stinkily soaking in the bath.
Dyeing and mordanting, hot vinegar, ammonia, assorted plant dyes and woods - all stinky - and then there's the boiling wool.......
One of my spinning wheels clunks and squeaks........
Sewing machines....overlockers........not smelly, but noisy.
4 shaft table loom....... lots of clunking and banging as I raise and lower the heddles.
Sheep, most welfare procedures leave me needing a bath...dagging and shearing in particular. They are all bucket trained and you tend to get mobbed when you have food in a bucket.
I once got wedged in the field shelter with a fat greedy ewe on either side of me and one that had posted itself between my legs so my feet couldn't touch the ground properly.
It's all good unclean fun Very Happy

_________________
My ideal holiday; lock me in a room with my toys and post my meals under the door!