Birchbark and more

I'm having to take the dyeing a bit slowly at the moment - there's a distinct lack of energy around here and most afternoons after getting home I'm fit for nothing but lying in heaps on the sofa.  At least not going out to train nearly every weeknight has meant that lots of knitting has been done, when my shoulder lets me.  Anyway, to the colours:

This is Birchbark.  I was up in Buck Woods the other day, and was absently peeling bark from a birch tree, as you do.  The tree itself was purpley-copper, and I was surprised to see the fresh bark underneath was bright olive green/yellow. I've got the colours fairly well in my dyeing, but it's one of those colourways that just won't photograph just right - this looks too yellow and maroon.  But the depth of colour is right.  This is oatmeal bfl dyed in the long pattern.









 

I've dyed it in long pattern, short pattern, and on various fibres.  This is merino/silk:


Same fibre, short pattern:


Another new colourway, Nightfall, long pattern on merino/silk:


I'm trying to get the effect of a cold early Spring evening, looking West just after sunset, seeing the gold of sunset fading into green, blue and finally deepest indigo.  At the moment Jupiter and Venus are shining brilliantly in the West at this time.    Oatmeal bfl again:


This one - Grail - is a colour that I almost made by mistake last year, and didn't particularly like myself, but it's been fairly popular.  It looks very good spun up, so we'll see how the long pattern version of it goes.


Old Forest is one I rather love (of course, it's green) so here it is long pattern on grey shetland/silk.


It comes out a little brighter on white merino/silk.


This is a new colour fibre for me - black bfl.  It's what is blended with white bfl to make the oatmeal, but I've only recently come across it.  I have to be careful what colourway to use - some work better than others - but I'm really pleased with it.  This is Guinevere;


And to compare, this is Guinevere on oatmeal bfl - still muted but much brighter.


And to finish, two Arthurs; one of black and one on oatmeal bfl.



I shall be at Yarnival on Saturday - it's a little show, first time of running, so we don't know how well it will do.  But there will be friends there, Mark's coming with the pupz (we used to live round here and know some good dog walks locally) and there will be tea and cake!