Author Archives: Margaret Ford

Avocado pips and soy milk on cotton damask

Posted on December 11, 2018

I have previously used avocado pips in a high pH bath to produce pinkish colour on cotton. This time I wanted to explore the effect of variations in dyeing conditions. The conditions  that we know affect colour are, inter alia, … Continue reading →

Posted in dyeing with avocado pips, Natural dyeing, soy milk mordant for cellulose fibres | Leave a comment

Natural dyeing : a tongue in cheek look at the vicissitudes of a cotton sheet’s life

Posted on December 10, 2018

Life as a cotton sheet can be fraught.  Not always of course.  The lucky ones get bought by people who use them on their beds for years.  They get to serve a very passive but important role. They mature and … Continue reading →

Posted in dyeing with avocado pips, Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing | 2 Comments

Is soy milk a mordant?

Posted on December 3, 2018

Jenny Dean (1) doesn’t think so.  She says…”I am rather puzzled by the many references I have seen recently to soya milk/soymilk “mordant”, as I would not describe soya milk as a mordant, rather as an assistant in certain dyeing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Natural dyeing, soy milk, soy milk mordant for cellulose fibres | Leave a comment

Stash scrap helmet [or a beanie cover]

Posted on August 20, 2018

The brief: “Mum, I’d like a sort of hat that goes over the other hats. Neutral colours please.” For fishing and camping in the Snowy Mountains. The design points: *keep it simple *use stuff from the stash and choose thick yarns … Continue reading →

Posted in Beanie, Clothing, Design, freeform crocheting | 2 Comments

My first KAL

Posted on August 20, 2018

A KAL is knit-world speak for “knit-along”. I discovered that only recently when one of my usual Australian on-line yarn suppliers (Yarn Glorious Yarn at https://www.yarngloriousyarn.com.au) posted one on Ravelry  (https://www.ravelry.com/groups/yarn-glorious-yarn). The KAL was for a particular design by Amsterdam based … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Knitting, Scarf | 2 Comments

I love mistletoe

Posted on July 10, 2018

OK, I know that’s like saying I love roses.  Which roses?  Name specific species! Leaves or flowers? Well, I don’t know more.  I harvested “mistletoe” from a forest reserve in Western Australia and used it experimentally on fabric. Because it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Mistletoe as dye, Natural dyeing | Leave a comment

Dream Time Shawl

Posted on June 26, 2018

I’ve called this blog Dream Time Shawl because that’s what its designer Teresa Dair called it. This project has been on the go (or off the boil) for several years since I bought the pattern and the yarn at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing, Knitting, Scarf | 1 Comment