Friday, February 17, 2012

wool & silk onion skin yarns




The wool yarn up there is for more hexies for the beekeeper's quilt project. I'm hoping to use all bee and honey colors with a touch of light blue for the sky. And our bee hive is painted light blue, too. The plain mini-hank has already been washed and rinsed. I hope so badly that the others keep their variations, am scared to wash them!





Okay, technically I don't think I can call this silk yarn but it sort of is. The onion skin silk organza curtain made almost 20 yards of yarn. You just snip and tear, side to side, making sure not to tear all the way through.  Happily there's another whole curtain panel to do yet, that'll make about 40 yards!

I'm waiting for the cable man as we're consolidating our phone, cable and internet today. That means being able to get rid of the phone line hanging across the middle of our back yard so I'm willing to risk it. Keeping my fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly. 

Happy weekending! xo

13 comments:

  1. great job with the yarn dyeing. i have never had too much of the onion skin dyeing wash out, although i haven't dyed with the red onion skins yet. i'm surprised at the variation you got in the color. how will you be using the dyed silk 'yarn'? it looks dreamy.

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  2. Thanks, Deanna! Maybe the variation is the result of having those few red onion skins in the mix? That probably wouldn't be it, though... The silk yarn -- I haven't decided but will knit a sample just to see! Now is when I wish I crocheted because I think that would be pretty.

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  3. lovely dying. i'd never heard of the onion skin dying.

    i neither spin nor crochet, however, i admire the beauty and oldness of both.

    thank you, for sharing.

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  4. Another reason why I wish we didn't live so far apart, I could teach you to crochet in a snap. The colors, oh my! I love the variety of colors you got and they are going to look beautiful in your hexies. Crossing my fingers that all goes well with the wiring. Have a beautiful weekend.

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  5. Oooh these colours make me swoon. I think onion skin dye is one of my most favourite colours. The variations are beautiful in the silk organza ... wouldnt it be lovely woven on a loom!

    Love the idea of the colours for your beehive project too. This colour is perfect. Like Deanna I have found the pieces I have dyed with onion skins some of the most colourfast, so dont be scared...

    Jacky xox

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  6. Love, love, love! I think the variation comes from the onion skin laying on the fabric or yarn...how it all layers together. I haven't had any of my onion skin dyed things wash out. Very color fast so far.

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  7. OoooHhhhoo...I love this color you got!

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  8. sure it's yarn! & very pretty, too. & the dark yarns- wow! and here's my secret, when you want to learn how to do something, go to the library and check out a kid's how to book- simple words, good photos usually, it's how i started quilting. there's a couple good ones called "kids crochet".

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  9. wow....such beautiful colors.xxx

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  10. wild magnolia, thanks! I'll be showing more onion dyeing this week, I think.

    Jeannie, I know. I need you! Thanks and the wiring was a cream. We got the cable guy's name and phone number for future use, he was that good.;-)

    Jacky, thank you -- yes, the color is fast, I'm happy to say. It knitted up nicely, too. Woven silk, now that would be something!

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  11. Deb, thank you! Well, the deal is that I strained all the skins out before dyeing the wool. It's just sort of strange how wonderfully variegated it turned out, especially the can...?

    Thanks, Nancy!

    Cindy, that's a really good idea, I think I might give it a whirl! It's just getting past the first row of chainstitches that's the problem, which is, of course, the whole of it. Ha.

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  12. Trish & mybloomnart -- thanks, you two! Yes, onion skins are pretty amazing, and we already have them so why not? ;-)

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