Dye batch "Poinsettia"

 

My goal with "Poinsettia" was to come up with something a bit Christmas-y but more colorful than the standard red+white+green commonly available commercially. My inspiration was the Poinsettia plants themselves, which come in varying shades of red, pink, white, and... purple? Well, I have seen photos online of purple Poinsettias but I suspect those might be artificially colored with dye, ha! 

Well, purple is often used in Advent season (the weeks leading up to Christmas) so there it is. Oh, and the golden yellow is the actual flowers in the center of the colorful "bracts" which are really modified leaves - who knew?

This hand dyed thread has just been listed in my Etsy Shop.

"Autumn Glow" pendant

 

The mixed media pendant that I had started last week is done! I'm really pleased with this one, so much so that I've started another, though of course each one is always different. Some years back I posted a quick demo on YouTube showing my basic process in making these. I really should do another tutorial showing more detail of the tatting techniques I'm using in these, including hiding the tail ends without sewing. Would anyone be interested?

The silk ribbon that I like to include with these pendants is hand dyed by Quintess. She has a stunningly beautiful selection of ribbons, and scarves, too.

Started an Autumn Pendant

 

From my stash of hand dyed thread, I chose warm autumn colors of red, gold, and shaded greens in a mix of 10 and 20 (but that dark red seems a bit finer, so I'm not sure). Having completed the tatting of josephine rings and encapsulated chains, I'm in the process of wire wrapping it onto the frame. 

I found a pretty orange topaz colored glass briolette focal bead purchased from BastetsBeads on Etsy, planning to suspend it in the center, although that depends on if there's still room for it when I get that far! I don't plan ahead much, I just trust the process. 

Spooky and more dyes

 

A new batch of "Spooky" hand dyed thread has just been listed in my Etsy shop. 

I noticed that some of the dyes in my stash were running low, so placed an order to restock. I only use fiber reactive dyes for cotton to dye my hand dyed thread. Here's some of the vendors that I buy dye from:

• PRO Chemical & Dye
• Dharma Trading Co.
• Halcyon Yarn

Just posting free advertising for them here because they are good vendors with quality supplies that I've purchased from for many years. 

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Weather here is beginning to get very cold at night, close to freezing, but not yet. Here's some pictures of fall blooming flowers from my own garden.

Autumn blooming crocus "Colchicum Autumnale"

Phlox "Blue Boy" (mine isn't blue because of the soil PH but I like the color it is!)

Entwined

A new pattern has been added to my Etsy shop! 

It's really a very simple pattern, but needed explaining with photos, and then some folks asked about the sliding knot closure option so I added that, and the pattern grew to 10 pages! 

If you can tat split rings this should be an easy one for you. I used size 10 Lizbeth thread for the demo photos, and also did one bracelet in size 20 (the narrower blue-green one). Adding beads to the center of the open split rings is an optional variation.

Also new in my Etsy shop is a batch of "Sugar Maple" hand dyed thread.