Inquisitive Felines and Fibers

A conversation in an online spinning list I’ve joined has brought up the use of natural dyes…something I am very, very interested in trying. One of the first items that caught my attention was lichen. Now for years I knew about lichen, or thought that I knew about it. Little did I realize that there are several different types or that they have been used as dyes for centuries. Immediately I began to ponder where I would go to get some to start my natural dyeing.

It’s been years since I’ve spent a lot of time in the woods and I realize that this is a major failing on my part. Growing up I spent hours on end in the woods and loved it. I had dried plants and leaves in my room. The ugliest day at school could quickly be cleared up by walking in the woods and if it was autumn all the better. The scent of fallen leaves and soil will send me back to my teenaged years in a nano second.

I think that using plants for dyes will get me back out into the woods which can only be good. I miss it and think that perhaps it may just be the stress reducer that it once was…again, only good can come of it.

This weekend promises to be THE outdoor weekend for me. Due to cat and car repairs I won’t be able to attend the wool festival in Rhinebeck, NY so I will assuage my misery by spending the time outside familiarizing myself with the country I grew up in. I suspect that there have been some  changes in the past 35 years, but it should be a wonderful way to spend my time.

This weekend at home will also give me more spinning time which is something I sorely need. This past summer was so hectic that I got very little time in on my spinning wheel and I know that only practice will get me to the place I would like to be. My wheel hasn’t even shared its name with me yet, so clearly I haven’t spent enough time with it!