Category: Farm Life

Sunday Swatch from The Shades

PiaChit Chat

First, swatches of the day:
        



I did it. Curtains done and up, we have a shady spot again. Get the furniture out and we’ll be ready for a bit of summer…. (please) Yes, yes, I’ll stop moaning about the temperature already.

Next project, which I’m already working on but ran out of velcro, is a set of white (trying to be frugal and using what fabric I’ve got) curtains for the hammock – because of that dead hedge. Technically it was hubby’s birthday present last year, but it’s also my spot to read, make notes, meditate and hang out with the cat. It’s like taking a nap in a row boat! (I imagine)

HannibalAnd yes, I do spend time in the sun, but not while reading unless I’m craving a hangover. And in this windtunnel, sometimes shelter is absolutely necessary to be able to think straight!

Spinning in the wild

PiaChit Chat

Ok, I admit I didn’t really go much further than my own back yard. But it’s definitely a wilderness behind our garage! There’s a shed where we keep garden furniture etc, a huge birch tree and lots of very tall weeds. We’d cleared an area earlier in the week for burying my beloved dog, and I realized what a lovely, shaded peaceful place it is back there.

Continue reading “Spinning in the wild” →

The little house in a field

PiaChit Chat

What exactly is the Colour Cottage? Well, it’s what I do AND where I live. Seeing and playing with colour gives me a kick, doesn’t matter if it’s photography, computer graphics or making a salad, as long as I get to be creative and use colour.

My latest passion however is dyeing yarn and fiber for spinning, so this is probably going to be the main topic of my blog. I don’t claim to be any kind of expert on the matter, but I’d like to share what I learn along the way, and yes, you can try this at home! A workshop area or a kitchen slightly larger than mine is however preferable. 😀 Messy doesn’t quite describe the process, and I’m lucky that our kitchen counter was old and ugly from the get go.

I also have too many ideas for colour combos than I can possibly ever spin for myself, so I’ve been entertaining the notion of offering a few braids for sale, just to get the ideas out of my head (gotta have room for more, you know!)

If you’d like to get started without me, here’s a couple of resources for you.

Dyeing in the kitchen DVD from Interweave Press

Wild Colour (book) by Jenny Dean

Chelidonium majus - Greater Celandine - Svaleurt
Chelidonium majus – Greater Celandine – Svaleurt
Dye plant growing in my garden
Chelidonium majus - Greater Celandine - Svaleurt
What your hands look like after picking leaves for the dye pot.