DYEING to HOOK

Yes it is true, I am dyeing and desperately want to hook on my Wee Folk pattern that was started at Cape May September 9th.  And I have been hooking on occasion between drawing patterns but hooking a design as a favor for someone isn't the same as working on what speaks to your heart.  Of course I'll do a good job on the one I promised because I want to be proud of any work I do.  

I'm sure you've probably been in this spot at some time or other where you had a commissioned rug to do by a certain date, or maybe the person wanted you to use different colors than is your personal favorite.  Frankly, I am using colors within box so that isn't the issue, I just want to get back to my Wee Folk because I only had a few days as a teaser.


But this time away and to think about the rug has been useful as I've had time think about my work forward on it.  So today, just to have a connection to the rug decided to over dye some more background wool.  I'd planned on using wool previously dyed with a recipe from the Beautiful Wool book called High Meadow Green.  That has been used in numerous rugs that I've hooked and always seems to be a favorite with teachers when I take it to classes as well.  

So before Cape May I over dyed some light textures, some textures with more grey in it as well as some natural wool.  Naturally the textures with more grey turned out darker.  Seeing what I was providing, Bev suggested that I use the darker for the ground area and use the lighter for the sky area but sorta mingle the two upwards so it would blend in as the light increased into the sky.  

In thinking more about it today I decided to over dye more of the light natural flat wool. The main reason is the ground color near the spokes of the bike wheels.  If you look under the rabbit (first in line) I hooked a light color nearest the spoke so the spoke would show up, but then the darker texture looks odd in the middle.  So DUH, why not over dye more light texture???  Makes sense to me and then I don't have to play games with the values of the wool around the wheels.

In the tote is what I took to Cape May and on the white lid to the right is what I over dyed today.  Have no fear, the darker texture to the far left will be used for something, it always is.  But at least I can cut a bunch of the other and mix the light textures together with the flat but over dyed natural wool.  And I have more of the dye mixed up so if I need more know that it only takes 4 tablespoons for half yard and have some left in a jar if I need it in a hurry.

Thanks for stopping by and soon I'll be posting updates to Wee Folk I hope and would love to bind the beautiful Ducks and Egg Nest rug.....OMG, did it ever turn out beautiful.

Saundra