Inquisitive Felines and Fibers

I have to admit that autumn is my favorite time of year. Heat and humidity are not my friend so when the nights cool down and there is a nip in the air my mind turns to all of the cozy things to do before winter sets in. Cooking stews and casseroles once again enters the house and there is nothing better than smelling a fabulous meal cooking while comfortably doing something with wool! I don’t think that you can beat it.

One of my goals this fall  is to go outside to gather some plants, leaves, barks, and nuts to use this winter for dyeing.  I never realized just how much more to the fields and woodlands exists. Being a Yankee I feel the need to be doing something worthwhile at all times so using the time to acquire supplies to tide me over the long winter months while enjoying the beautiful fall weather is just icing on the cake. It’s good exercise, furthering my newest hobby, and educating me all at the same time. I suspect that there will be some memories popping up as the leaves and twigs crackle beneath my boots.

Next to my cup of tea on the coffee table, hmmm, rests a stack of books beckoning to me. They will be my close mates for the next couple of weeks while I sort out my local flora and familiarize myself with various trees. Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess, The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes, by Sasha Duerr, and The Complete Guide to Natural Dyeing by Eva Lambert & Tracy Kendall sit patiently in a pile and the covers makes me want to map out my garden beds for next year. Clearly this needs to be done in order to harvest next year. A brand new notebooks awaits the plotting of my beds and what a great way to spend the next rainy day.

I have baskets of wool both spun and not just waiting for the long winter afternoons of what I hope to bright, rich colors, but no matter what happens, it will be a grand time playing while learning and won’t it be interesting to see what this wool looks like at the end?