It's too bad there are only 24 hours in a day, because there are so many intriguing and useful hobbies and crafts that one could learn. When I see a photo like the one above, I wish I had the time (and skill) to create things with fabric.
In this kit to make a Icelandic traditional 'Hyrna' shawl there are 5,2oz (150g) of yarn, 3 colours . The yarn is hand dyed with natural colours from plants from the Icelandic nature, except for the Indígó (blue) that is imported. These green tones Gudrun Bjarnadottír gets from using Lupin leaves and then colouring with Indígó to get the green effect...We have the lupin growing in our yard, hoping to attract a Karner Blue butterfly.
Text and photo from Hespa on Etsy, via A Polar Bear's Tale.
The Icelandic sheep is an ancient breed, with a long, rough outer coat and a shorter, soft undercoat. The outer coat was spun and used for outer wear and the undercoat was used for sweaters. The fleece can have two colors, which can be blended to create several shade without dyeing.
ReplyDeleteI am a spinner and a knitter; can you tell?
Speaking of yarn, do you know what that has to do with the word "clue"? I heard about this site on one of Slate's podcasts. It is very interesting. They explain in short videos where a modern word comes from. I think you will really enjoy it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mysteriesofvernacular.com/
An interesting video, Ron (although I wish they hadn't superimposed the music). Thanks for the link.
DeleteAs you can imagine by my user name, I'm now trying to track down the yarn for a project. That is a spectacular colorway.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of butterflies and your lupin, you might want to check out "A Dyer's Garden". Lovely practical plants which would make the butterflies and the yarn junkies happy!
Thanks for the suggestion. I believe I remember seeing a dyer's garden at Shakertown when I lived in Kentucky.
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