My kids are getting older, but they still want to hang on to some of their stuffed animals. They don’t need them out and seen all the time anymore, but they aren’t ready for them to be boxed. Enter the closet hammock! My eldest had the brilliant idea to hang her actual hammock in her closet. The loops on the end slid perfectly onto the closet rod.
Hammock hanging from a closet rodHammock full of toys and pillows
The hammock acts like a toy sling, keeping them off the floor, and tucks back into the side of the closet where it is difficult to access hangers anyway. Win, win.
So apparently we got Missy the dog another playmate. Thor the rapidly-growing kitten loves to play, and they have transcended intra-species body language to figure out that neither wants to eat the other, but just play. Here is a video. This kind of activity is now a daily occurrence.
Still picture from a video of Missy and Thor playing
To finish spun flax yarn, also known as linen yarn, author Stephanie Gaustad recommends simmering it for 30-45 minutes in a solution of soap and washing soda. I admit I have been avoiding this step for awhile. The treatment of plant fibers is very different than the handling of animal fibers, particularly those that felt easily. I admit apprehension. I finally did take the time to do the finishing step, and my yarn changed color. What?
Plied linen yarn (from flax roving)
My flax roving was from a questionable online purchase. Very little information was supplied, when I received it, it was confusingly labeled both “flax” and “nettle”, and I learned later that roving is an unusual preparation for flax, usually made of the combed discards from making the long staple length flax preparation (called a strick). Definitely a flax rookie purchase. Still, I was able to spin it after much trial and error, and ply it using my spinning wheel.
First minute of simmering
I started the finishing process and as it progressed the greenish yellow color of the yarn turned dark.
Yarn color darkening Out of the boil and rinsed in cool water, it is purple
After the full boil, my yarn was purple. What? Another rookie learning opportunity. Nettle can be used as a dye, and iron is used by dyers to modify dye colors. I used water from the tap to do my boil, which comes from our well, which definitely contains iron. Hm. I had yet another surprise coming, though.
The dried yarn is orange
After I rinsed and squeezed out the excess water, I hung the yarn up to dry. It turned orange. Really? Really.
There are many lessons learned here. Flax roving is a difficult thing to spin, but possible. Nettle can be used as a dye as well as a fiber source, and natural dyes are sensitive to mineral content in water. I can tell you that I won’t be spinning flax roving again, although I do want to try a traditional preparation. I have never been a fan of dye, and would rather work with natural colors. I like color, but I don’t like color change and color bleed. Dying is a fiddly chemical process.
The next step for this yarn is making sample swatches for my spinning book. All this lovely gained knowledge carefully documented and preserved so I don’t make the same choices again.
Happy Independence day, please remember to take extra care with your pets and loved-ones today. Fireworks are pretty, but for some, the big explosions are pretty scary. It is a good night to be cuddled in a blanket on the couch for those fuzzy and non-fuzzy for whom fireworks cause anxiety.
Critters and Craft 