...I'm feeling very quiet these days...

maybe I could show some pictures of my surroundings instead?

The landscape around my house here in the heart of Brittany

the river with the Medieval bridge in the back

my house is hidden behind the trees on the left

Some of the hundreds wild daffodils in the garden

Early Spring in the back yard

harvesting birch sap

Mimosa in bloom

My knit and crochet space

...

...stripes and stripes en français...

Pour celles qui aiment le col Stripes and Stripes,
voici la traduction en français

in English - see here

Explications du modèle tricot...

…l’écharpe est tricotée en rond, comme un long tube. 
Aiguilles circulaires ou à deux pointes.
Avec des aig. de 3,5mm monter 100 mailles, avec un montage provisoire (provisional cast on)
Comme expliqué ici :
http://ratpsodie.canalblog.com/archives/2012/03/12/23742479.html

Fermer en rond en évitant de vriller le montage.
Tricoter tout droit, au point jersey : 

Un, deux ou trois ronds d’une même couleur, tricoter 5 à 7 mailles extra à la fin d'une couleur pour éviter de commencer le rond chaque fois au même endroit.

Au changement de couleur, serrer bien les noeuds avec les deux bouts de fils mais seulement après avoir tricoté quelques mailles du prochain rang, ceci pour éviter des trous.

Il n’est pas nécessaire de rentrer les fils, les noeuds ne seront pas visibles.

Alterner les rangs (par exemple 3-1-2-1-1-1-2-3-2-1-3-2-1-1-1-3-2 … etc.) et avec toutes les couleurs que vous voulez ! N’ayez pas peur de mélanger des tas de couleurs !

Tricoter un tiers de l’écharpe en rayures larges (7, 11, 15,19 ou 21 rangs d’une couleur plus 5 à 7 m .extra) et deux tiers en rayures fines.

Le travail mesure 120 cm 

Ne pas rabattre les mailles mais joignez-les avec les mailles du début en utilisant la méthode « grafting » pour former un tube.
Comme expliqué ici :
http://dhost.info/siubhan/tricot/tricotbase.htm

...Les Jambières:

mesurent 40 cm de long

Monter 80 mailles,

tricoter en rond  - 15 rangs au point côtes 1/1

continuer en jersey - alterner les rangs de couleurs comme pour le col

Tricoter la moitié en rayures fines et l'autre moitié en rayures larges

terminer par 15 rangs au point côtes 1/1 - rabbatre les mailles

...

...the holy hill...

A few days ago, as a kind of ritual for Imbolc-Full-Moon-Celebration, I went up to what could very well be, a ancient Holy Hill here in Brittany: the "Montagne St Michel" formally known as the "Menez Kronan" (Mountain of Kronan: he was a Celtic god) and though it was freezing cold up there, it felt as a very energetic place. I felt the same thing on top of the Tor a couple of years ago when I was visiting Glastonbury.

What you see here is a relic of the Second World War: once a radio navigation tower for the bombers of the German army. It looks like a stone UFO, very bizarre. Bunkers were also built here but fortunately there were destroyed. Today this place is mainly visited by pilgrims, tourists and hikers.

The hill is 381 m high, located in a barren landscape where there is a constant strong wind blowing. It was 9°C warm but it felt like minus 9. Luckily I was wrapped up warmly. This hill was and is still called by the locals "the gates of the other world" - for some people meaning: Hell (les portes de l'Enfer). In the old days there probably was an ancient Celtic temple located here. In 1672 they build a church on top of it but it's more like a chapel. The Christians realised that the only way to counter the local Pagan believes, was to build monuments dedicated to their God in the precise location where the ancient rituals were taking place. They built this Church but it was abandoned. They rebuild it in the 19th century. 

Christians have renamed this place St Michel. Wherever one finds a church or place named Michel, Michiel, Michele, Mikael or Michael, it indicates that it previously was an energetic place where the old religion was celebrated. Where the serpent or dragon energy was active and maybe still is. Places like that are: St Michael Mount in the UK, the Mont St-Michel in Normandy, the Irish island Skellig Michael and St Michael's Tower on Glastonbury Tor, among many others. 

Michael is always described as the destroyer of the dragon.

...

Imbolc Blessings

Thanks for visiting

:)

deze blogpost in het Nederlands, hier

stripes and stripes

With nearly all my sock yarn leftovers 

I've made this colourful infinity scarf

I've use the 4 ply organic Poll Dorset yarn from Renaissance Dyeing

Alternating small stripes and large stripes gives a nice colour contrast

I can wear it long or double loop close around the neck

I even made a pair of matching knee warmers

(I really love to wear knee warmers)

I didn't write the pattern down but here are some instructions on how to make it


...the scarf is knitted in the round as one long tube
with 3,5 mm needles use a provisional cast on : 100 sts, join, being careful not to twist stitches
stockinette st
k one, two or three rows of one colour, k 5 to 7 st extra at the end of each colour so every colour start somewhere else.
change colour (knot the two strands together firmly after knitting a few sts of the next row to avoid holes)
no need to weave in ends, nobody's ever going to see the knots because they are hidden :)
alternate numbers of rows with as much colours as you like, be bold !

I choose to knit 2/3 of the the scarf with small stripes and 1/3 with large stripes (7, 11, 15, 19 or 21 rows of one colour + k 5 to 7 st extra at the end)

this scarf measures 120 cm but sizing is completely flexible of course !

Do not cast off but join the two ends by grafting them together,

like it's explained here:
http://www.learn2knit.co.uk/knitting/joining.php


... the kneewarmers, 40 cm long,
CO 80sts,
start knitting in the round - 15 rows 1/1 border stich
with stockinette st  - alternate colour stripes
I suggest knitting half small stripes, half large stripes

end by knitting 15 rows 1/1 border stich, cast off

les explications en français c'est ici :)

...

Bohemian Rhapsody Crochet Wrap

(I'm reposting this blogpost from my older blog) 

Bohemian Rhapsody - Crochet Kit - pattern and yarn - 75 colours

For more information about the kit, see here - link:

Renaissance Dyeing - Bohemian Rhapsody Crochet Wrap Kit

La description est également disponible en français. 

Uniquement sous forme de kit
Cette étole est composée de 75 couleurs différentes et de 144 carrés. Il y a trois différents carrés,
chacun a une combinaison de couleurs unique.
L’assemblage des carrés se fait en crochetant, ce qui permet de faire l’étole sans coutures.
Le fil utilisé est un mérinos très fin, teint à la main avec des colorants à base de plantes.

disponible ici:
l'étole en crochet Bohemian Rhapsody

Het patroon in de kit is in het Engels geschreven, maar het is ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar, op aanvraag.

The Bohemian Rhapsody is a crocheted wrap or shawl made from the most delicate and soft Lace Merino yarn, hand-dyed using plant-based dyes.

This design has 75 different colours and the 144 squares are crocheted and immediately joined thus creating a one piece wrap without seaming. Each square has its unique colour combination based on three different crochet motives.

The Bohemian Rhapsody design is only available as a kit because it is made for/with the 75 colour range of Renaissance Dyeing's basic Lace-weight Merino yarn.These colours are so exceptional, beautiful and hard to be compared to any other yarn. I wouldn't know where to find another yarn in a 75 colour range.That's why here wool and pattern unite!

Naturally plant dyed wool is vibrant, cheery and energetic in comparison to chemical dyed wool. The colours seem to match every time, even the more unusual the combination, the better it seems.

Some time ago, while I was knitting a scarf of 40 colours from the same yarn, the idea came to me to make a design with the entire 75 colour range. This eventually turned into a crochet project, because I felt that the colours flourished better in these "granny" crochet motives 

..Would it surprise anyone if I say that Klimt, Hundertwasser and Niki de Saint Phalle are my favourite artists..?

While I was crocheting this design, it felt like with each motif a new colour memory seem to surface....There was the square that brought me back to the Christmas atmosphere of my childhood, the square that revived my visit to Sweden, the square that reminded me of a sweater I used to have and cherished, etc..

This may sound weird but each colour-combination materialised intuitively, one can say that the colours picked me instead of me choosing them.

It was a truly magical project, not a fast one, as the wool is very thin, but it was a fantastic process all-together and to my surprise I was quite sad when it was finished. 

To be done again anytime!

But other projects await me first.

A while ago, when I discovered the website of Andie Luijk, the woman behind Renaissance Dyeing, I was immediately fascinated by her incredibly beautiful hand dyed wool. She manages to conjure 100 different colours from different plant dyes.

Everyone who likes to work, like me, with plant-based dyes, knows how hard it is to procure all these different tones. It's a real mystery to me how Andie succeeds and I'm secretly jealous on her for her skills.

I haven't had the chance yet to visit her colour farm in the French Pyrenees, but I hope to treat myself to this trip next summer and then I might get a glimpse and discover some of her secrets.

Besides dyeing and selling her magical wool, she also gives fun and interesting workshops.. please have a look on her website!

For me, working with plant dyes feels like a process of alchemy or even magic, to connect with the world of colours and plants has a healing power on the body and mind. I can recommend it to anyone.

This pattern is available only as part of a crochet kit.

For more information about the kit, see here:

Renaissance Dyeing - Bohemian Rhapsody Crochet Wrap Kit

The Kit includes:

- A 29 page crochet pattern with written and charted instructions.

- The 75 x 25m skein Main Range Pack.

The Wrap measures approximately190 cm to 200 cm (74.8in to 78.7in)by 34 cm to 38 cm (13.4in to 15in), depending on blocking

Crochet hook size 3mm ( US = C or D)

La description est également disponible en français. 

Uniquement sous forme de kit 
c'est ici:
l'étole en crochet Bohemian Rhapsody

Het patroon in de kit is in het Engels geschreven, maar het is ook in het Nederlands beschikbaar, op aanvraag.

With a big thank you, to the model: Ingrid Anna

shades of summer

Here are my final dye experiments for this summer
I've cheated a bit, because I placed the dye vats next to the wood burner this last couple of weeks
to keep them fermenting.
Which works fine :)

The yarn is Poll Dorset from Renaissance Dyeing

Here's another photo. The exact colours are difficult to capture, they look more like this.

from left to right - dyed with:

 Brambles (Rubus fructicosus) - Yellow Iris (Iris pseudacorus) - St Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Madder (Rubia tinctorum) - Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) :basic vat  - Elderberries :acidic vat 

...

the yellow Irisses were harvested in my own garden. They grow in abundance close to the river

I would never take the wild ones as they are quite rare

and they were replanted after taking away only a part of the root

sliced roots Iris pseudacorus

The roots hold a reddish colour which apparently gives a bluish grey dye 

with promises of more blues or maybe even some purples, if I had used more roots

I'm definitely going to try it again next year !

My conclusion is that the colours you get with the fermentation method are quite different from the bright colours of the synthetic dyes, much softer, but they are what I would like to call "vibrantly alive" and frankly I prefer these soft tones to the ones we are so used to see on clothing and yarn these days.

And, once you get used to work with these natural colours, it's not easy to return to the synthetic colours again. 

Well, I won't, anyway !

I think I will make a crochet wrap or maybe a cardigan, with these six colours

:)

shades of madder

Dyeing with madder, Rubia tinctorum, has been a magical adventure for me.

It is magical because madder offers a colour palette from 

light to dark orange, red, burgundy, pink to dark pink.

depending on a acidic or a alcali-basic dye bath

which will give different shades.

(Orenburg silk mohair)

Poll Dorset yarn, dyed with madder

left : acidic dye bath - right basic dye bath

Orenburg silk mohair, lace merino, 

even the wall was painted with madder

You can use vegetal dyes for other purposes too. 

This orange wall was painted with madder

here's the recipe 

100 grams madder powder 

100 grams fine wood ash 

20 grams soap flakes 

50 grams beeswax 

Put the madder and the wood ash with water in a pan 

Warm up till just before boiling 

Filter this liquid in a cloth mesh 

add the soap and the beeswax, mix well 

keep this mixture warm in bain-marie, 

don’t let it boil ! 

when everything is well mixed you can used this mixture 

lukewarm to paint the wall 

the next day you can polish it with a soft cloth 

...