My summer so far has been pretty hectic with numerous long shifts at work, lots of family gatherings to attend and moving in to my new house. Unfortunately I have had very little time for my textile design work and blog and still I am unable to decide if I want to specialise in knit, print or weave next year! It is going to be a difficult decision.
During the holidays I have managed to decide that my summer project is going to be inspired by ‘nature’ as I like to be outdoors in the countryside, which I miss whilst at university. I don’t really intend to look at flowers in great depth, as this is something I have done quite a lot. Instead I wish to focus on berries, leaves and wildlife. I have been taking my dog for a lot of long walks and taking photographs of everything that has caught my attention from caterpillars, to flowers and reflections cast by trees on the water. I have also had chance to do a few sketches… particularly of a duck and her ducklings on the river by my house. As well as this I have also pressed some flowers and leaves. Those, which have been partially eaten and are full or holes, seem to catch my attention.
I have also managed to teach myself how to knit. I am still very slow and can only manage basic plain knitting, but it’s a start and something I can continue to work on in the future. Recently I have also been researching natural dyeing, which is not only related to my summer project but something that interests me as it seems to be a much ‘greener’ way to create coloured fabrics and yarns. I am unsure as to how useful the results will be but I am eager to give it a go. I have read numerous blogs, websites and a book entitled ‘Natural Dyes’ by Linda Rudkin and think that I am ready to begin experimenting. Whilst waiting for materials such as mordants and undyed fibres to arrive, I am busy collecting flowers, leaves, herbs, spices, nuts and fruit to use as dyes. This could be a disaster or it could be a lot of fun and the results could be fantastic, only time will tell.
I have tried to add photographs but for some reason i cannot get them to load today, i will try again later.
