POPPY FLOWER SHAWL - MOHNBLUMENTUCH

Last year I purchased Dorothea Fischer's pattern and the plant dyed yarns for the poppy flower shawl inspired by Kaffe Fassett's pattern but knitted in the round with a steek. (see post 4 July 2012)

Letztes Jahr kaufte ich Dorothea Fischers Muster und das pflanzengefaerbte Garn fuer das Mohnblumentuch, inspiriert von Kaffe Fassets Mohnblumenmuster aber rund gestrickt mit "steek".

However, rather than a trianglular shawl I wanted to knit a half circle and irregular flowers giving the impression of a poppy field as seen in Europe in summer. 

Allerdings wollte ich anstelle des Dreiecktuches lieber ein halbkreisfoermiges Tuch stricken und die Blueten sollten ungleichmaessig sein, wie auf einer Blumenwiese im Sommer in Europa.

the link to the pattern:

DYEING WITH REED - FAERBEN MIT SCHILFBLUETEN

Six shades of yellow and green were the result of dyeing with reed.

For the three greens iron water was added to the dye pot. (nails left in water in a glas bottle for several days)

I followed Dorothea Fischer's recipe in her book "Naturfarben auf Wolle und Seide"   and found that I need a lot less reed blooms than the recipe mentioned (only a bit more than half the amount). I presume that due to our climate - the stronger sun and warmer temperatures - the dye yielded by the plants might be much more effective than in the middle European climate. 

Sechs Gelb- und Gruentoene habe ich beim Faerben mit Schilf erzielt. Fuer die Gruentoene wurde dem Farbbad Eisenwasser zugesetzt (Naegel in einem Marmeladenglas mit Wasser bedeckt fuer mehrere Tage).

Ich habe Dorothea Fischers Rezept aus ihrem Buch "Naturfarben auf Wolle und Seide" benutzt und fand, dass ich bedeutend weniger Schilfblueten brauchte als das Rezept angibt (nur etwa die Haelfte). Ich vermute, dass dies an unserem Klima in Sued Afrika liegt; durch die starke Sonne und die hoeheren Temperaturen koennte die Farbeffizienz hoeher sein als im mitteleuropaeischen Klima.

For comparison: the first skein on the left was dyed with onion skins, the second with carrot leaves and the three following skeins with reed blooms.

Zum Vergleich: der erste Strang links wurde mit Zwiebelschalen, der zweite mit Karottenblaettern und die drei naechsten mit Schilf gefaerbt.

GILET WITH COLLAR - WESTE MIT KRAGEN

Left over Noro Silk Garden Lite and hand spun yarns were used for this gilet which also belongs to the WildKnitting family. The unusual shape is achieved by using short rows and results in a wide swinging piece with a collar.

Fuer diese Weste habe ich Reste von Noro Silk Garden Lite und mehrere hand gesponnene und gefaerbte Garne benutzt. Die etwas ungewoehnliche Trapezform entsteht durch verkuerzte Reihen; sie ergibt eine lange, weit schwingende Weste mit Kragen.

A wide strip was added to make the gilet longer. Irregular placement of feather & fan segments makes the stripes less severe and gives movement and structure to the knitting.

An der unteren Kante habe ich einen breiten Streifen angestrickt, um die Weste laenger zu machen. Das ungeplante, unregelmaessige Einsetzen von feather&fan Mustersaetzen laesst die Streifen ineinander fliessen.

Unfortunately, my beautiful model was not available.

Leider stand mein huebsches Model nicht zur Verfuegung.

Scraps Gone Wild

Scraps in bright colours where framed in grey. Would be interesting to see what that would look like in black and white, or, or ..... The possibilities seem endless.

More Wild Knitting

As in the shawl (see post 12 May 2012) the long colour repeats (Noro "Silk Garden Lite" in two different colours) show off the random use of short rows, garter stitch and feather&fan pattern.

Wie schon bei dem Tuch (siehe Eintrag vom 12. Mai 2012) heben die langen Farb-Rapporte des Noro Garns ("Silk Garden Lite" in 2 verschiedenen Farkombinationen) die spontane Verteilung von kraus gestrickten Maschen, Wellenmuster und verkuerzten Reihen hervor.

Blue Waves Moebius

The construction is the same as in the previous Moebius wrap, this time knitted in the Feather & Fan pattern. The yarn is an Alpaca yarn from Serena Alpacas which I hand dyed in different shades of blue.

There are at several different ways to wear a Moebius wrap.

















Our son's lovely fiance is modeling.

Lily-of-the-Valley MOEBIUS - MAIGLOECKCHEN MOEBIUS

The pattern for this Moebius wrap is from Dorothea's book "Exploring the Lily-of-the-valley pattern" about Edith Heller whom she met in South Africa! Edith Heller knitted numerous pieces in this pattern which originated in Estonia.

 The above version in three shades of a merino/silk blend.

The wrap below knitted by Ute in a cashmere/silk blend to be worn by Ute's daughter Tanja on her wedding day.

for more information about the book go to: www.lustauffarben.de

CRAVING COLOUR - LUST AUF FARBEN

Last month during a trip to Germany my friend Ute and I went to the north of the country to the area around Hamburg and the small town of Geesthacht where we visited Dorothea Fischer. Dorothea lives in a lovely house which greets you with colours: Wherever you look you find large baskets with yarns  in all colours of the rainbow and clouds of silk scarves in any possible shade from dark to pastel. 











Even the pot plants flower in pinks and purples.

The yarns - silk/cashmere/merino/alpaca and mixtures of these - are all hand dyed with plants.

Dorothea teaches plant dyeing and Ute and I hope to be able to participate in one of Dorothea's classes next year. 

I purchased the pattern for the poppy flower shawl and hope I will be able to start knitting it soon.












Go to Dorothea's website to see her yarns and the interesting knitting patterns she has for sale. 

here is the link: www.lustauffarben.de