Dyed in the Wool

Many years ago, 2003 in fact, when I was in the Knitting & Crochet Guild, I had some old dyestuffs to play with - the lac going back 70 years and still viable, Scottish Crottle wrapped in 1963 newspaper. These had belonged to Kim Wright, a well-known spinner and weaver, who said he had married his wife "to die for him". We had some of his items in the Guild's Collection. Some years later it went back to the family, but my book about the experiments lingered on in the library. The Collection is now on the move to another village, and today I was was asked if I wanted that folder back. I declined. However, it got me thinking, about all the natural dyeing I used to do. I did demos of spinning and dyeing, and kept a couple of basketfuls of rainbow dyed wool. One of the baskets I even wove myself, under the guidance of Maggie Cooper. http://www.maggie-cooper.com/. I’ve given up doing demos in cold outdoor locations now, and the stuff is just lying up in the attic. As part of my mission to empty the attic by bringing down at least one item every time I have cause to go up there, I am going to bring all the spun wool down and knit a top down jumper rainbow fashion. Red near the neck, then orange etc, but occasionally mixing them up so it’s not a sharp division of colours. Maybe even insert some natural Shetland in there. When I did my Walnut 'n' Wensleydale, the pattern was word of mouth from my friend Bea, but turns out to be the Oddball Sweater by Ann Tudor who credits Mrs Winkler as far back as the 1950's. Would prefer a cardi, but have noted other people’s comments on saggy bias front edges when they tried this. Basically cast on 80 sts, double increases at four equal points until it is well over the shoulders and at armhole level, then divide for back front and sleeves. These are worked circularly, two points of increase, two points of decrease until long enough, Match stripes if you can! Have also, almost accidentally, acquired a very old "Griswold's Stocking Knitter" (note the apostrophe), probably dating back to before the association with I L Berridge. It's not the 60/30 combo I wanted, but a non-standard 4 inch cylinder 84/42, so is probably going to cause a headache. The needles appear to have been adapted from longer ones by having a bit chipped off. I've brushed the rust off and oiled it and put it back together but it's not behaving as it should and I am now tired out. Tomorrow is another day.