Dyes and books..............

Well, the good news is that I did find a cotswold fleece - can you believe it? I suppose after all that phoning around I deserved one and funnily enough it was local too. So it's been back to washing fleece, boiling up pans of dye, drying things on the Aga as you can see. So much so that I don't think we should eat tonight because I have to get this stuff dry in order to send it off tomorrow.  I love the colours up there - the pink, the purple and that orangey red. I had a great experiment with turmeric yesterday - look here:

I boiled both lots of fleece in pomegranate and turmeric and then I put some of the dye in the right hand pot and added IRON. It went very dark. I popped in some of the bright yellow which went instantly olive-y green. WOW. The colour has darkened upon drying but still - a green without overdyeing yellow and blue.

I must take this oppo to thank all of you who came up with some great names for my little dyeing business. You're all amazing. There were some great suggestions like Wild and Woolly which I loved (but is taken by a wool shop),  Dream Dyes, From Wool to Wonderful, A Sheep of Many Colours, Dyed in the Wool (also taken), Nature's Fibres. Tom thinks I ought to have a name that I can use for a website too - hence trying to find something that isn't taken. Amber (inspired by Wild and Woolly) came up with Wild About Wool. Tom on the otherhand thinks we ought to cash in on the fact that we live in the Cotswolds so he suggests something like Cotswold Natural Fibres - me I've far too many deadlines in my head to think of anything. So ladies what do you think - any more ideas? A bag of plant dyed wool for the best name...........

Talking of deadlines there are just two weeks to our chistmas fair and I'm beginning to panic. Most of my spare time this week has been taken up with dyeing and bagging up fibres and going to the post office. I still haven't finished the angels and I was planning on making another felted jumpers bag like this one and a couple of these fairy rings - what to do? I suppose I have to be single minded for two weeks and tell myself each day that I have to acheive such and such. Hmmm.....Oh just remembered that I did make a book though on Thursday with a friend. Here it is:

and this is the inside cover:

Cor - I was dead pleased with it. I've always wanted to make a little book. I would love to show you how to make one too but I didn't take any photographs. So what I'll do is make another one next Thursday with said friend and take some pics and guide you through it. It's so simple - all you need is some fabric, bondaweb, sugar paper for the inside, mount board for the cover and some thread. I reckon they'd make nice presents especially as a photo album. Ofcourse, what I want to do next is make a book from this tutorial.........

Well, I have to love you and leave you. It's lancashire hotpot today and I think Tom may want me to move some of the fibre so he can cook some vegetables. Also poor old Amber has the flu, she's been ill since Thursday night and is calling for a hot lemon and honey. Must just tell you that she entered a short story competition run by a (very) local radio station and she won first prize. It was a rodent's view of a particular town. Her story was about a mouse in the supermarket and it was very good. Anyway, she was supposed to go and read it out on the radio yesterday afternoon but she just couldn't go. She felt too dizzy and weak. Poor thing she was very sad about it. She was also asked to take along a copy of her favourite song - well,  if you click here you can hear it. Must, must go I can hear muttering in the kitchen.............(tell me if the link doesn't work as I tried the link we had before and it's been removed from youtube it says for violtaing some term or other).

Comments

[Simone]

Well done Amber. Hope that you will soon be better. And I will 'say a little prayer for you'........!

[littlejennywren]

You sound as though you are whirling round in circles. Don't forget to take breath.

[anon]

Okay, I'll give it another shot! :op

Someone sd. "Color My World"---how about "Color My Wurl"!

oh, I do love a good pun! :op Is "wurl" a word you use with wool?! I would think it would be! :op If so, I also submit:

Wurling Dervish
What a Wonderful Wurl

and:

Dropping Tints
Putting Out a Fleece (Biblical)
The Golden Fleece (mythology!)
Get Fleeced
Wool Gathering
Dreaming in Wool
Fibrelicious
Packed with Fibre
Fibreful
Fantasies in Fibre
(I'm probably repeating stuff! :op)
Colorful Curls
Feeling Curlish
Cozy Curls
Curl Up and Go to Sheep (heh!)

For a different slant, how about "Black Sheep" (as in, "have you any wool? yes sir, yes sir, three bags full....")

[Angela]

Feel better Amber. So sad she couldnt enjoy her day in the spotlight! Maybe they will let her do something else? Your book is very neat. I am working on getting the good up to make altered books.

[Dannielle]

::clap, clap, clap::
(for Amber) Way to go!!

Your dye work is always so yummy. It kills me that I can't reach through the computer and touch it!

[JO]

Just giving it another thought, how about Cotswold Craft Fibres?
or Fibre Faeries! I like to think of you as a little fibre faerie, delicately creating delectibly dying, wool for crafty people!
The trouble is there are too many to choose from but you will know when you find the right name! Nice book by the way, looking forward seeing how it is done!

[Georgia]

how about "Cots wool"? Or " Colourful Cotswool"?

[Cathy]

Your book turned out great!

How about 'Dreams of Ewe'? I did a quick search and didn't find any but that doesn't mean it isn't already taken.

[Simone]

Still scratching my head trying to think of a suitable name. How about 'Ramifications' - Cotswold Hand Dyed Fleece.

[Kassia]

How about Cotswold's Cornucopia (Fibers) or Rowdy Rovings?

[Cathy]

Oh darn it all... I forgot to say that I hope Amber feels better. I also hope she gets another chance to read her story on the radio.

I also wanted to add:

Wool Clouds (my favorite on this list)

ColorWool Clouds
Fluff n Stuff
Fluffy Fibers

[Suse]

Cotswoollies
Cotswold Woollies
Cotswold Wild Woollies
What a Wonderful Wool

Loved the suggestion Black Sheep. How about "Three Bags Full".

Or Fibre Baa
Wool Baa (oh I think that's taken, how about Cotswold Wool Baa)

[Marty52]

Here's a couple more:

Cotswold Hills Fibres
Cotswold Colours
Cotswold Colours & Fibres

I'll keep thinking... ;0)

[Sue S]

Absolutely love the fleece dyed with the natural plants. I just bought some from your etsy store and look forward to the rainbow array you have assembled. Your colors are most wonderful and I wish you all the best with your sales.

[Sue S]

Cotswold Dreams In Color

[Lucia]

Hi, simmy, I got the curls. Love them so much that I start making one new doll in order to use test some of the curled hair :=) Thank you for making all this fun possible!

[Georgia]

I have posted a photo of your wool spun up on my blog if you wish to look.