the smell of wet wool
–oh my, it is distinctive! I really did pick the wrong time to dye an entire fleece. It is hanging about everywhere, drying–slowly.
Yellow is myrobalan which is traditionally used as a mordant but in stronger quantities gives a nice butter yellow. The orange is home-grown madder, red is cochineal and purple is logwood. the mauve-y pile on the right is still very wet so it will be lighter but it is the combined exhaust baths of the madder, logwood and cochineal. I really like it and will spin it separately.
Rhododendron leaves are in the jar. I lost a big branch to wind damage so chopped the leaves up, simmered for an hour and now will let them sit for 2/3 days.
The sausage roll is more rhodo leaves and the used logwood chips rolled up in linen which was previously shibori dyed with lichen. I’ll leave it until it starts to go mouldy. Patience is not my strong point. 
I finger blended the colours and they look quite nice.
Can’t wait to get going
www.onesmallstitch.Wordpress.com 
Green from Living Colour and logwood purple logwood grey from Earthues. Then I think I need to make more intense colours both the saffron and the logwood were disappointing and I think Imight have a bash at making a red as the cochineal and tin still went more to the pink so mixing cochineal and madder possibly.
LikeLike
Wow, what beautiful colours! We’ve been getting the same rain, but you’re making better use of your indoor time than me. I have two fleeces calling plaintively from the spare bedroom/fibre storage locker, your pictures make me want to get to them…
LikeLike
hi Heather–baaa–this rain is really something. I just keep thinking thank goodness it’s not snow. The wool is taking it’s time drying, I have it on the clothes rack in front of the fire. I love the work you did on the jacket, you truly give it a new life. Keep dry.
LikeLike
hi Cynthia–I remember trying the rhodo leaves at some time and not being very impressed. but as they were there and before I put them on the compost decided to give them another try. Think I got beige the last time. I’m persistant if nothing else!
LikeLike
Like the comment above, I too love the smell of wet wool. Your home would smell lovely to me right now! What color do you expect to get from the Rhododendron leaves. They are plentiful up here where I am from.
LikeLike
one of the things i like best in the whole world is the smell of wet wool. especially if it’s in the rinsing stage after the very first wash as a fleece. the colors are edible. they look promising against the warp colors. you are a busy woman this christmastime!
LikeLike