Natural Dyes

Natural dyes facinate me. I know they are more of a stain then they are a dye but they are exciting! Every dye can be a unique product. More so then a measured dye.

Today im working with black bean dye!

 

First off you need to soak black beans in water. I did 1 gallon of water to two lbs of black beans in a gallon sized juice container. Ok so there was less then a gallon of water. I put the beans in first then filled the container to the top. I then cling wrapped the top of the container because the lid is missing. I left it in the hot Colorado sun to bake for two days. At 80-90 degrees during the day in the shade I knew the water was going to get plenty warm! By the end of two days the beans are starting to loose color and the dye was a murky black!

I then drained my bean water into a large bowl and mixed Alum into it. The murky black turned into a vivid purple shade! I then added in three types of wool. Pure white angora from Amber my German angora. Creamy carded mohair. No texture left but lovely sheen! And then 4 oz of a ramboullet braid! I covered it with cling wrap and heated it for 4 minutes in the microwave to warm up the dye. Then i let it set for 24 hours in the dye bath.

 

The alum is a mordant the helps the dye fix to the wool. The heat helps set it. After 12 hours the dye is not even close to being exhausted so i plan on letting it set till tomorrow heat of the day and then rinsing. IF there is color left in the dye water, then i will add more alum and more wool and stain some more. The color so far is a stunning dusky blue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new project

Throughout the years that i have been raising angoras. I have had almost all the breeds. English was my first love. But it died earlier this year. Ive owned french, german and satin as well as the tiny jersey woolie. The mini wooled bun! Which yes are so dang adorable. 2-3 lbs of TINY floofs.

My latest passion for angora is with the amazing harlequin angora. Its one bun, with black and orange splotches. Magpie, which is black and white with a split face, and tri which is black white and orange. All the good stuff. As a spinner, the wool is something that really matters to me. I want a quality healthy animal with amazing wool. Both in proper texture, and color! Yes i could spin a black and fawn angora yarn by spinning handfuls or stripes. But i feel like its not quite the same thing. But also because there is a wickedly awesome angora that does this itself. There are other variations including chocolate lilac and blue replacing black and cream replacing fawn. But i am in love with the more distinct color changes.

I originally had the plan to get harli in English angora. But then i fell out of love with english angora. They have more care requirements and i have 5 kiddos and just relocated 3500 miles. Im busy living a busy new life, even with all the covid restrictions. Yes we are still driving and touring places 🙂 So i decided to look in one of the other breeds. I still have four breeds, soon to be three and managed to find several sweet harlis in a mix of all three. What is the luck lol! Satin is more pigmented then other angora colors. Its shiny and silky. German are huge angoras producing up to a lb of wool per harvest. French are larger and can produce more wool as well. They are also more pigmented then english angora. German traditionally only come in white, but are being bred to include more colors. Currently i have a purebred white, and a chinchilla German french hybrid.

 

So my harlis are hybrid. They are actually french German and satin. They are very large buns! Topping over 11 lbs each. The boys texture is very french like which is really nice! The doe is more german like in her texture although both sizes come from the German. The magpie i bought is smaller. Hes a baby still and im not sure where he is going to take after yet! He has more satin in him then the other ones. But no sheen like satins have. So hes more french looking. We will see on his texture as he grows in wool. They were all shaved a month or so before i got them. I can feel the adults texture but the youngin can change. They tend to change up more as they reach adulthood. Baby coat, intermediate coat and adult texture are different.

 

 

So there you have it, The new project! Its going to be so much fun.

Cute toddler mittens

Toddler mittens
With k (6.5mm hook) and worsted weight yarn I used Red Heart With Love for a soft and slightly chunky mitten.
Cuff
Row 1 Ch7 Turn in second chain from hook, sc across
Row 2-16 in back loops only SC across, ch1 turn. ( 6)
Join with a slip stitch and slip stitch your cuff closed.
Wrist
Row 1 Ch1, sc around outside edge ( 16)
Row 2- 4 ch1 sc around (16)
Row 5, ch1, sc 2 in chain splace, sc around to last stitch, 2 sc in last stitch (18)

Thumbhole
Row 6, ch1, sc in chain space, ch2, skip next 6 stitches, sc rest of round ( 12 sc, 2 chain )
Rest of Mitten
Row 7 ch1, sc in first sc, sc 4 in chain space, sc rest of row ( 16 sc)
Row 8-17, ch1 sc around (16)
Do not pull tight when you join. Instead cut a long tie and weave in and out of each stitch around the row. Put needle through slip stitch and pull tight. This will close your mitten.
Tie closed and weave in ends.

Thumb.
Row 1 Insert hook in thumb hole. Ch1, SC around thumb Join. ( 11 stitches)
Row 2-7 Ch1, sc around

Mitten two.
follow directions till row 6 of the thumb hole.
Row 6. Ch1, sc in chain space and in next 10 stitches, ch2, skip next 6 stitches, sc last stitch ( 12 sc 2 chain)
Row 7, ch1, sc around and sc 4 in ch space. (16)
Row 8- 17 ch1, sc around and join ( 16)

For striped mittens, alternate colors every row.

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Facewash check in! Starting Month three

Ok so ive now been using my at home made facewash. Made with doTerra essential oils and a mixture of coconut oil and jojoba oil.

I gotta say. Its fantastic! I occasionally have a break out, but it goes away within 2-3 days instead of a week or two. My skin is so much clearer and cleaner. Im amazed every night when i wash my face and see how much dirt i pull off!  Most of my breakouts are hormonal so i do have a couple break outs here and there around that time, but my skin overall looks fantastic.

And as another bonus, I dyed my hair and spilled some on my skin. I always do… However i washed it the next day with my face wash and it pulled all the dye off my skin. So i didnt have to walk around with a red spot on my cheek!

So yeah, of all the OTC meds ive tried, perscription and otherwise. My home made oil based facewash with doTerra essential oils is the winner!

 

Face wash one week check in

Well it works! It actually surprises me how much oil i pull off my face. Well not oil persey, But how much DIRT comes off my face.

I ended up adding in jojoba oil a couple days ago. It thinned the coconut oil so that the face wash is constantly liquid. I did alot of reading that jojoba oil is awesome for the skin and is the closest oil to the kind your skin produces so it is great to combat it.

Anyway it works. I cant say im NOT breaking out. Because i am, Quite a bit. But for one, the pimples are TINY now, And they go away super fast, as long as i dont pop them. Like by morning.

I also found that the jojoba oil dosent really SINK into your skin the way the coconut oil does. So i put it on before bed, when i can pull my bangs off my forehead and let the oil really sink in. Otherwise its holy shiny batman!

BUT the key thing is, so far, i like it! Im going to give it some more time too, see how it goes!

Make your own : Face Wash.

I really wanted to try to make some face wash with my oils. So i did my thing. I googled and googled and googled.

I have an Oily T zone, if you know your face. its my forehead, nose and chin are super oily and the rest is pretty dry. So i break out. Bad. Regardless of what i do. I occasionally break out on my cheeks too, but not as often.

Really i know that breakouts have to do with unbalanced hormones and oily skin is often caused by overwashing your skin. For years i didnt wash it at all, Then with only water, Then with all sorts of chemical/commercial products. It didnt HELP! So im trying something new. This is day ONE!

Most websites called for castor oil. Which i dont have. So i went with that i did. Organic coconut oil. ( its my new bestie)  I picked up this cheap squeeze bottle from walmart. I filled it 2/3rds the way full with coconut oil, I pre-melted it so it went in easier. Then i added 2-3 drops each of Lavender, Peppermint, Meleluca and one drop of rosemary. Closed it up, shook it and then put a few drops on a cottonball and wiped my face down. I had prewashed my face with water earlier and i was amazed at how much crap came off!

In one of my doTerra groups, I saw several times popping up, Melaluca for breaking out and Lavender for soothing the skin, I decided to add Peppermint ( wakes you up) and Lemon after seeing on a few blogs that it helps clean your skin. Prety much this is my newest trial and error thing. I want to know how its going to react. After washing once, my skin feels soft, NOT oily.

Here is a list of essential oils from THIS BLOG.

• Lavender (acne, oily, or even dry skin – lavender is healing, but a little, tiny bit goes a long way)
• Peppermint (like lavender, peppermint is great for oily and acneic skin, and like lavender don’t use much! It’s very astringent, but it might also tingle your skin right off its bones)
• Chamomile (my favorite chamomile is Roman – and roman chamomile is wonderfully healing and soothing, so it’s great for ALL skin types. Really. Very, very great, but also very expensive)
• Rose (wonderful for aging, dry and normal skin, it’s also pretty expensive, unless you find the “mixed with jojoba” kind, which just means it’s diluted and you can use more in your blend than if it were “neat”)
• Rose geranium (another great, all-around healing essential oil – this is especially good for dry, sensitive, aging, and normal skin)
• Palmarosa (my skin loooves this oil, and it’s great for any skin type, but it does seem to work well for breakouts, in addition to being softening and soothing for aging skin, which, yes, I have)
• Lemongrass (brightening and toning, this is a great oil for normal, oily, or acneic skin)
• Rosemary (got acne and oily skin? You might just want this)

References-

Oil Cleansing Method.

Camp Wanderer-  face wash

Make your own : Hand Sanitizer

One of the first things i was lucky enough to make with doTerra essential oils was Hand sanitizer.

Traditionally it has alcohol which is drying plus there is a bit going around about alcohol just making virus’s and bugs stronger instead of killing them off. 😀

You will need.

 

Small bottles. I prefer a small bottle to carry in my car and purse over a large bottle. Although recycling pump bottles would be great for this.

Aloe Vera Gel. Or if you want to be really creative, the pulp from an aloe very plant.

Vitamin E Oil

Witches Hazel

And essential oils of your choice.  antibacterial types such as:

Lemon

Melaleuca

Lime

Lavender

frankincense

Eucalyptus

doTerra On guard

doTerra Purify

 

 

Mix equal parts aloe and vitamin e oil. Fill your bottle about 2/3rds the way full with your gel. Add in your witches hazel to thin out your gel mixture. Add in 3-5 drops of your essential oils of choice. I have a lemon and melaleuca blend, a on guard blend and a lavender.

Any of these oils and more can make amazing hand sanitizer that can help you and your loved ones stay healthy without harsh chemicals.

I found this link on another blog when i was reading up on what other people like to use on their hand sanitizer. There are tons of different instructions out there that you could try.  I hope you check them all out!

This link is about the risks of sanitizer.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/101880-risks-hand-sanitizers/

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet pea flower

Im making a very neat prop right now in the form of a pea pod cocoon. Its going to be a surprise in the end BUT i wanted to put a wee little flower on it. Ive grown sugar snap peas for years so i know how the pod grows out of the flower. They dont really grow at the same time. But really. For a girl. You need a flower hehe.

My pea pod flower is super easy! Worked in two parts.

I used scrap worsted weight yarn in cream and pink  and a K hook.

You will ch1 and turn after each row.

Yarn A will be your large petal ( cream)

Yarn B. will be your small petals ( pink)

 

Create a magic circle with yarn A.

Hdc 8 in circle. Do not pull tight. Ch1 turn.

Row 2- hdc across ( 8)

Row 3. Hdc 2 together. Hdc 4, hdc 2 together ( 6)

Row 4. Hdc 2 together, hdc 2, hdc 2 together ( 4)

Row 5. Hdc 2 together, hdc 2 together ( 2)

Tie off.

Reattach yarn to the magic circle. Leave a 4 inch long tail.

Rept first petal.

You will have two petals opposite one another.

Close magic circle and use your long tail to lace your two petals half way up ONE side only. This will draw them together.

With color B.

Create a magic circle.

Ch2 hdc 4.

Hdc 4.

hdc 2 together twice. (2)

Cut ties, retattach yarn

rept the first petal again.

 

Using your long tie. Sew your two smaller petals in color be facing down to the center of petal A. Looking at photos of sweet pea flowers. the center petal points down while the two larger petals on the sides furl in and out cupping it. I took photos of my flower with several i found on google image search as i tried to make them similar.

Here it is attached to the pod. It is dissproportionate but its ok as its an accent.