Yarn, Yarn, Everywhere There's Yarn!

If you Knit, Crochet, or Weave, check out some of these beautiful 100% wool yarns, all dyed this past season with native plants, and an insect!  The colors are warm, the wool is soft, and I have various amounts available!

Yes, I do get carried away when fall dyeing time comes around and always end up with much more than I would ever use.  So if you'd like to see what I have, please contact me at highlandlady53@embarqmail.com

Some of the skeins have been dyed with the wood and bark of Eastern Hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, collected from trees that have fallen and succumbed to the hemlock adelgid that is quickly destroying a once nobel tree of our eastern forests.   Nice light browns to tan, and sometimes a hint of copper, are acheived dyeing hemlock in brass, copper, and/or iron pots.

A time consuming, yet gratifying color, comes from species of the mint family, Mentha species.  I primarilly use spearmint and peppermint which spread rapidly in the garden.   After slowly heating the dyepot for about 5 to 6 hours, the wool yarn takes on a nice shade of light to dark grey.  I have a few skeins left that have been dyed with a mixture of mints.

Another favorite are the golds you will see in the basket of yarn in the top image.   This great color is derived from the ground wood of Osage Orange, Maclura pomifera.  

And did I mention an insect?  Believe it or not, a small scale insect called Cochineal, lives on Opuntia cactus and produces beautiful shades of reds, purples, and lavenders.  I have dyed all of my yarn in an iron pot, which resulted in some nice smoky lavenders.  And fortunately, there are no bug parts in the skeins!

Roan Mountain: History of an Appalachian Treasure

I am pleased to be able to share the release of Roan Mountain: History of an Appalachian Treasure.  Within the pages of this book is the story of one of the most unique and endangered ecosystems in the southern Appalachians.  Boasting a host of rare species and an environment compared to that of Canada, the Roan has been attracting people throughout time.  This book is an historical journey which shares the stories of the people, the place, and the future for the conservation of a very special mountain.

 Released November 16, 2011 by History Press, this title is available at local book stores and online at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.historypress.net/

Fall Dyeing!

I couldn't be happier with the results of my fall dyeing!   The warm shades of purple produced using cochineal in an iron pot are the best yet.  Cochineal is a small scale insect (Dactylopius coccus) that lives on the Opuntia cactus.

In early history, folks did not know exactly what cochineal was......a plant? a seed?  a mineral of some kind?  It's first introduction into European culture was by the Spanish in the late 1500's and they closely protected their secret of its true source.

The bright colors derived from the cochineal insect come from the carminic acid produced by the bug to deter predators.  The range of bright shades derived from this component depend on the pot or mordant used in the dye process and can range from raspberry to bright red and pale lavender to a darker purple.

I have a few skeins left from this years dyeing, in addition to some warm osage orange golds, hemlock tans, walnut browns, and a lovely silver/gray from comfrey.   Please contact me via the contact info provided in the right column if you are interested.

Shades of a Struggling Species

In 1988, I moved to the place I now live. Our family carved out a delightful niche in a white pine and Eastern hemlock forest. Both evergreens, these two species provided a cool summer environment and winter trees with a myriad of unusual snow covered limbs.

It never crossed my mind that 23 years later I would see the forest transition to mixed hardwoods. First, the large pines lost ground when the pine bark beetle had a prolific summer in the late 1990's.  Left behind were gray ghost-like skeletons.

Not long after, an exotic insect, the woolly hemlock adelgid, began its assault on the Eastern hemlock. Scientists are experimenting with predatory beetles and chemical treatments as methods of control in small areas of trees.  Entire forests are another story entirely.

My wake up call came after a summer storm laden with strong winds.

After the storm passed, I took a walk around the house and noticed the most puzzling thing. There were white, cotton like, fuzzy specks everywhere. In the wood siding, all over the porch, and embedded in the tiny holes of the window screens. Finally, the light bulb went off and I realized our beautiful trees were covered in this tiny insect that was literally sucking the life out of them.

In the beginning, I tried to hold onto a glimmer of hope, but this past winter, that fading glimmer was just about squashed!  We had some fine, deep snows during the 2010-11 winter and I certainly got my fill of snowy hiking treks.  One particular day I was walking around in the woods in front of the house.  I paused for a moment taking in the sights, then turned to the left and noticed a clump of hemlocks.  Sadly, they were not viable, rather....quite dead.  For a brief moment I thought, "those trees are going to fall."  Then I continued up the hill, made a snow angel or two and went inside.

Within 10 minutes I heard, and felt, an earthshaking crash!  As I rushed to the window I quickly recognized the source; those very trees I had just stood under, had, in fact, crashed to the ground.  At that moment, I was completely and totally humbled.

Some folks believe that we may witness in our lifetime the extinction of the Eastern hemlock tree.  I truly hope they are wrong, but there is one thing certain - they are dying in alarming numbers and the species composition of the southern forests is changing rapidly.

I certainly do not have the ability nor power to save the trees, but as a natural dyer, have found a way to preserve a part of the Eastern hemlock.  About a month ago, I began collecting the bark and wood from those trees that fell near our home.

The inner bark is a deep maroon red, while the wood is nice orange.  While dyeing 100% wool skeins of yarn in the dye pot, the combination has produced a shade of golden tan in an iron pot and a cinnamon color in copper and brass pots.

After a six hour dyeing day, I looked at these warm colors and saw a unique way to preserve a part of the Eastern hemlock; a tree which once graced our mountains in abundance.

I have five skeins from this years dyeing for sale. Two skeins are two-ply, weigh about 5 oz, and contain approximately 147 yards of wool.  Three skeins are three-ply, weigh about 8 oz, and contain approximately 295 yards of wool.

If you would like some of this yarn; a representation of a declining species, please contact me via email at highlandlady53@embarqmail.com.

Rhododendron Gardens at their peak!

Alas! Spring has arrived in Roan Mountain

......and what a superb time to visit!  The 53rd annual Roan Mountain Spring Naturalists Rally is scheduled for this weekend - May 6 - 8, 2011.  Check out the brochure at http://www.friendsofroanmtn.org/

Time to plant a dyer's garden!

       As light snow peppered down from the sky today, I decided to take my focus to warm weather tasks and begin planning my dyers garden for this summer.  If you find the concept of dyeing with natural or cultivated plants intriguing, let me suggest an easily grown annual that will produce lovely colors from the flowers and the leaves.           

  The African marigold, Tagetes erecta, and the dwarf, French marigold, Tagetes patula, are both easily found in garden centers and start readily by seed 6 to 8 weeks prior to planting outdoors.    These species thrive in sunny areas throughout the summer months.   To encourage the plant to continue blooming all summer, be sure to pinch off the flower heads before they go to seed.  Towards the end of the season, allow them to produce seed so you can save for the next season.  The long grayish-black seeds will fall to the ground if left on the plant, and usually germinate on their own when the ground warms after winter.

   The marigold has long been known to the old herbalists and its attributes have been written about since the mid 1500's.  It is an easily grown summer annual of which many varieties are now available.  Amongst the many accolades bestowed upon the marigold, is the use of the fresh flowers as a remedy for the pain and swelling of a bee sting.

   In addition to the beauty and colors offered by a garden, my interests often focus on the colors that might be extracted from various species, as dye plants.  I have experimented with leaves and flowers of all the colors of the marigold and have found it will always make shades ranging from yellow to rusty gold.  Depending on the amount of plant material used and whether or note you mix leaves with the flowers, you may be surprised by the intense, warm colors that this plant will produce.

   By using the leaves only, you will normally produce soft yellows and golds.  The yellow and orange flowers make brighter yellows, golds, and shades of orange. Rusty red and bicolor marigolds will produce these colors, in addition to tans and browns.

   Dye is extracted from the flowers and/or leaves by gathering the plant material, tying it in cheesecloth, and then placing it in a glass jar.  Pour hot to boiling water over the dyestuff the day before you plan to dye your wool or cotton. This will allow the color to be drawn from the plant material. Some species barely show a tint of color using this method, but marigolds always produce a bright yellow to golden dye bath almost immediately upon covering them with heated water.

   When growing or collecting marigold flowers, keep in mind that they are very sensitive to humidity and excessive moisture, thus rotting easily.  If you choose to dye your yarn indoors,  rather than outside over a fire, you will need very good ventilation, as marigolds produce a strong odor.

   Remember, the type of pot you use will affect the color. (and NEVER use your dye pot to prepare food!) Iron will darken or sadden colors, while bronze, copper, or brass will brighten the color.  If you use an enamel pot, you might want to add something that will act as a mordant (to help the color stick to the wool).  Iron nails or a rusty horseshoe will add iron to the dye bath, while natural materials high in tannic acid (such as acorns or plant galls) will do the trick and save you the trouble of having to deal with the disposal of some of the chemicals often used in the dye process.

   The truest color will be attained by dyeing light colored natural wool or cotton.  The day before you plan to dye your fibers, measure out your skeins and tie them loosely on four sides to keep the thread from tangling in the dye bath.  Immerse the skeins in room temperature water so your fiber will be completely soaked when you dye them.   Do not agitate wool;  gently poke it under the water, but never stir or you will create felt instead of strings of yarn or unspun fiber.

  On dye day, put your fiber, the plant material (still in cheesecloth), and enough water to cover, in the pot. Heat it very slowly and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes to 1 hour.  Check the color of your yarn until you have the desired result.  Take the pot off the heat and allow the fiber to cool in the pot until it is close to air temperature.   Remove the yarn and let it hang to air dry, being careful not to allow the color to drip and stain anything you might not wish to turn a different color!

   One of the great beauties of a dyer's garden is our ability to plant, grow, and produce the colors we would like to use,  while preserving our native species in their environment.  Collecting plants in the wild can be detrimental to the survival of a species and upset the balance and diversity of the environments that we impact. 

   As you consider using plants for dyes, plan your own unique dyers garden that will supply you with a rainbow of color!