Black Walnut Dyed Alpaca. 2Ply Lace Weight

 https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/946939858/walnut-dyed-alpaca-lace-weight-yarn?ref=shop_home_active_1

Natural walnut, kettle dyed alpaca in lace weight. It has been washed firstly in bags on a wool cycle, then hand washed and thoroughly rinsed again.
There are two cakes, I’m saying 440grams ($88) and 560grams ($112)... but they are little a bit over that. I will take $185 for both. Plus postage from Victoria Australia. So, AU$10 per 50g of very soft alpaca.
It’s a beautiful colour, so rich and warm. Like wheat but deeper. Like my daughter’s hair when she was a little button. 
Please message me if you want to purchase only one skein (cake) and I will alter the listing.

Decisions On The Chaise Rug

I’ve been steadily plodding away at this rug and now have to decide about a couple of things.
Firstly, the blue in the centre of the larger floral motifs is from an old cardigan (meaning it’s not dyed wool and has a different cast) and the colour seems too strong. I might change that and use the same as the other flowers. Yes...
Secondly, maybe the pink and probably the oranges in the larger motif doesn’t feel right. Either or. I’m not sure whether to bring the pumpkin into them? Mmm... Or is it just the lighter, candy orange one (nearest in pic above)?
Sitting here on the verandah on this gorgeous, mild winters’ day, I see there’s a clash that offends me. I’m just pondering out loud and inviting you to suffer along with me.

I don’t care what anyone says, I like the green.

You can see I’ve made a dogs-breakfast with my scribbling in figuring out the background. I tried adding a swathe sort of thing in subtle but different colours, which looked wrong... then I added raised spots with the background colour. They looked amazing but not for here. It was way too much and it’s already too colourful for the poor One True. Good idea for another rug... just raised spots in one colour. Like those moss rugs.
So I’m stumbling through the fog of an idea to use only background shades to suggest foliage, inter dispersed with dots that are not raised (I’ve started but the floor really really really needs vacuuming and my hand hurts).
Or, just work in a direction, with lines flowing out as the now defunct swathes suggested.
Excuse me for boring you to tears, and please, feel free to butt in. 
But you might be pleased to know I’ve decided stuff just in talking it through. Thanks.

Hand Spun Mohair Dyed With Walnut Hulls

Left to right: knitted shawl in natural dark alpaca’s and teal possum wool; antique black overdyed dark alpaca (ball); walnut dyed mohair and lastly undyed mohair.

My experiments with using walnut hulls for dyeing continue. I’ve used the whole packet now, but know of a tree up the road I might be able to hunt around to find some more, if the birds and possums haven’t absconded with everything by now.
The colour is amazing! But... I might over dye it. Not sure. I’m not sure I don’t look ill wearing this warm camel brown. This delicious, luscious, beautiful caramel. Perhaps it’s too gorgeous to fuss with?
The mohair takes up the dye much better than the silk or linen, having used a similar amount... oh, I did use the remaining dye from the last pot so perhaps it’s a bit more. Not significantly more though.
I’m thinking of making Kate Davies’s Mouat cowl. I have a dark yarn spun by the same friend, Chris Noorbergen. It’s the overdyed alpaca, dark brown with a blotchy bluish cast pictured above . Then with some undyed mohair, which is a brilliant white, it might be enough colour. Not sure. So many not sure’s.
Thanks so much tomBrenda Liano for the fleece! Xxx

Dyeing With Walnut Hulls

Here I’ve dyed two pieces of even weave linen and a small trial of herringbone twilled raw silk, all for embroidery. Using two heaped tablespoons of husks a friend gave me (bought at Kryal Castle, The Forest & The Fae).
I read up on dyeing with walnut at Woodlark blog, though instead of soaking my cloth in water and vinegar as they do, I used a bit of detergent as I would with wool dyeing. The purpose being to open up the fibres to soak in the dye. I used some vinegar to set the dye after it had been cooking for a while. Quite a while.

You can see the colour, compared to the stark white plastic box behind. One piece had previously been dyed lightly with (I think) red onion skins. But very lightly, ineffectually.
I tried to leave the cloth unagitated so as to get a mottled effect, then threw in a handful of coffee beans and let simmer for a couple of more hours.
I don’t know that these or the lack of agitation made much difference. The dye is quite even across the cloth, saving for a few crease marks. Even though, to look at the pot, a lot of residue was sitting on the top, it didn’t create a darker patch.
It’s a very beautiful taupe colour though, nothing to disappoint. My only concern being it is a cool brown and for an aged look (for a sampler) it might do well to be warmer?
Today I’m going to try some mohair handspun. I’ll add more than the two tablespoons I think and see what happens. A cool brown suits my skin so that will be perfect.
Thanks Nicole!

Update: I’ve decided to try one of the linen pieces in tea. It’s just in a baking tray, sprinkled strategically with tea leaves. Some parts have none or few leaves. 

I’ll leave it overnight then rinse and see what I have.

Also, the mohair is on, brewing as we speak. Someone told me that walnut is acidic, so washing out all residual dye is important. I may even put the mohair into a washing bag, tied so it won’t move about, and machine wash it on a gentle cycle.