These late September happenings

We welcomed a few new critters to our family. These two lovely girls have lived on the next street over for the last 5 years. Their prior owners are moving off the island soon and wanted to have the girls stay on. Jubal and I were more than happy as Jubal, especially has been wanting chickens for a very long time. Now we've got 'em. I don't actually remember what kind they said they were, but the brown one here pecking out of my hand is Tulip. The speckled one is Olive. Tulip, I believe was laying a few eggs when they first arrived. Not sure why they aren't laying any more but we think it's due to age? They are 5-6 years old now. This spring we hope to get some chicks to integrate in. 

Elsa joined us in late July and is such a sweetheart. She's 12 and has no teeth. She seems happy as a calm though and really loved her belly rubbed and brushed. We have to keep up the brushings everyday or she'll get all matted. She's such a love though. 

As Jubal and I both work from home, we try to get out whenever we can for a walk. But we both get so absorbed with our work it's so easy to forget to stop and take a break. Every time we do though, it always feels so good. This is a lovely spot. Kind of secluded from the beaten path. 

Just a few scenes from around Peaks...

I love this time of year because I'm more apt to work outside then in the summer. In the summer I can easily become a grumpy wilted sweaty weed. Not too enjoyable to be around. But when the weather gets cool, I suddenly become inspired and hopeful for all that can be accomplished around the yard. 

This here bald spot is our goldenrod patch that we pulled out in an effort to create more yardage. It may be surprising as you know how much I love goldenrod for dyes. It can create THEE BEST YELLOW EVER!! And has been proven by historians as one of the best light fast and wash fast yellow plant dyes. So, back to my plot, it's ok because there is just copious amounts of goldenrod EVERY WHERE. And my latest plan for this little spot involves lots and lots of foxgloves. My sister gave me some apricot foxglove seeds so those will be involved for sure. The quince bunch to the left will also be removed shortly. I should really post more pictures regarding the progress of it all. 

Speaking of progress, our gardenshed----> painting studio is still underway. We're pretty hopeful I'll be in there painting by the winter. Also, this week begins the painting of our home exterior. It's been 10-20 years since the metal siding was painted and is a faded white/ grey/ green(?). But soon, it will be a soft peach pink with butter yellow trim. 

Someone really gets a lot out of my knitting marathons. 

I've been foraging for mushrooms a bit on the island and have made some interesting discoveries. I found a mass of this white fungi in out upper forest hill. It looks a bit like a club foot mushroom but white. It's very spongy and watery on the inside. 

This one I found near an oak and where hen of the woods was growing earlier until we plucked that up. It was so tasty!! But this one, I'm not too sure. It may be honey mushroom.....? I've prepared them both for the dehydrator and are stored for later dyes this fall or winter. Will report back later with results. 

While teaching natural dyeing at the Squam Artworkshops this past September, I too came away with a huge amount of samples. As always when I'm dyeing, I alway have new discoveries that I think are very important to record. The bag to the right will be made into samples to fit into my hoop for use in further workshops and demonstrations. I really enjoy this process. With the remaining samples I think I'll knit a little something for that twinkle in our eye;)The blanket in the background is the ten stitch blanket. A really easy and pleasing blanket to knit. This was also knit with my first set of samples when I first was teaching myself to use natural dyes back in 2008. I knit, dyes, and spun them as samples for the shop I was working for at the time. They then hung in the shop window for about 2 years to test the light fast-ness. We could see a difference in change. The shop owner decided she didn't want to use them anymore and offered them back to me so this was my creation. It lives on the back of our sofa now. Actually, when Jubal and I went on our first date I had the beginnings of it with me. I showed it to him when he asked me what I liked to do for fun. He didn't look bored when I told him how much I liked to knit and work with fiber. A few weeks after I moved into to his house a little over a year ago, I completed it. I love this blanket.

In late September I held a natural dye workshop here at our house which was a blast and I'll be running a few more this fall and over the winter so keep your eye out if your interested. With the left over dye baths I kept through in more and more fiber. I was able to go 3 more rounds often letting the fiber soak overnight in the baths. I just love all of those colors! 

Especially the indigo.. this indigo bath I realized I could dye with it when it was cold. I checked the color first seeing that it still looked grass yellow green and then I did my dips with out heating it up. The color was just stunning. And dyeing with fiber like this is really enjoyable to spin because a lovely heather variegation happens.


One of my favorite mushrooming spots is on my sisters land in Bowdoin. With this last haul, my two little helpers and I spotted some fascinating that I haven't seen before. My littlest nephew is really good at spotting the tiniest mushrooms shouting out "EEE-CHAL! Is this a good un?!"  

These mushrooms have a beautiful faint lavender hue and turn a solid ocher in spots. I have a feeling they could be related to the red gilled mushrooms. As they are near where I saw them last and look like they have a similar structure.   

There's something magical that happens when you give two lively boys a snack.... The air becomes soft and all you hear is little lips smacking:) 

I'm beginning a new series of embroidery involving botanicals. This here is an indigo plant. I really enjoyed working the french knots for the tiny little blossoms but I really need to polish my lettering as I can't even read when I stitched. Practice makes perfect. 

Birch and Maple fingerless mitts. Spun from madder and fustic dyed over handspun camel and silk. Soon to be in my Etsy Shop:: 44 Clovers.

I finished these Squam Lake fingerless mitts this week as well. My own garden grown indigo dyed over hand spun Maine raised pygora goat. I bought the fiber from Jenny Smith who raises numerous fiber animals and lives in western Maine. She is often at the Maine Fiber Frolic with her wonderful assortment of fuzzy things to tempt you. LOVE THIS FIBER!!

Gosh, so that's what I've been up to. In a nutshell. Stay tuned for more projects, workshop offerings here on Peaks and at portfiber and textile gatherings. I'm in the process of putting together a textile night for islanders. If your interested in joining, send me a message. 

Also, what are you working on these days? Post a link in the comments. 

oxox, r.

A foraging update

I've been itching with the mushroom foraging bug since the summer when I discovered my first lobster mushrooms. I still go to bed at night with images of mushrooms popping out of the ground. 

Today I had a lunch date with a new friend I made while teaching at september's squam. I packed in extra time between my boat & our meeting for some exploring of a local woods. 

I collected a total of four kinds of mushrooms.

Two of which I haven't seen in person before. 

This white fungus I found kind of flat growing under the leaves at the base of a hemlock (possibly). I really need to brush up on my tree indentification. 

I then found this gorgeous site growing out of a birch tree. Honey mushroom perhaps? 

Early tomorrow they will all be headed for the dehydrator & then stored for later dyeing experiments. 

What mushrooms have you tried for dyeing this year? 

A Gathering on Squam Lake.

I am home. This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of teaching foraging and natural dyeing at the Taproot Gathering with the Squam Art Workshops. Though my travels were lovely and oh so quick and easy, (i did find a gigantic fabric store on the way home. Such a dreamy place!) I am exhausted.

My body, for some reason has not been this exhausted since last time I played field hockey... 17 years ago. 

But, my mind has once again clicked over to a new setting of slow, calm, excited, inspired, focus, thrive, and light. Yes, all rolled into one. In other words, R E F R E S H E D. 

And, my heart is completely and utterly full. 

But jeeze.... as I get older, it really doesn't get easier for me to enter into a community where I don't know people at all or even a little. Having no idea what every thing would really be like, just a touch of anxiety forms. Knowing I was there to work, which has been one of the biggest opportunities to come my way in a very long time, I knew also, I wanted to soak it all up, keep myself as open as possible and most of all, I wanted to make new friends. And indeed I did. 

My room-mate and I couldn't have been better matched. Julia Shipley is a writer from Vermont. I am so blessed to have gotten to know her. If your a writer and would like to travel to Vermont for a writer's retreat on a farm, Julia's your gal. We made saying goodbye super easy by simply saying, "See ya later." Because we know we will. 

The evening gatherings were a blast. Taking place in the Playhouse each evening. This space also doubled as my class room space for Thursday and Friday. One of my favorite things about these evenings was walking back to my cabin, in the dark, through a trail in the woods, with my head lamp, often stepping off the path to get a closer look at a mushroom. The first night at the opening ceremony, a HUGE THUNDERSTORM BROKE OUT. It stormed like that on and off for the first two days. It was needed as the temperature upon arrival was in the high '80's. I felt like my clothes were painted on. Really had to resist the urge for two days not to strip to nothing. Hate humidity with a passion. But- there where so many good happy vibes going on, I just kept focusing on those. And before I knew it, I was one with my clothes and it didn't matter any more:)

On Thursday evening, Ben Hewitt gave a wonderful talk about his life on his farm and haying with his neighbors and family. Enjoyed that so much. On Friday evening, there was a fashion show from two of the classes, Squam Smock with Cal Patch. And Alternative Stitch with Emily Falconbridge. More classes I wish I could have taken. Afterwards, Stephanie Pearl McPhee aka The Yarn Harlot, read a few stories from one of her books. She is a stitch and she had us in stitches and tears. Students of Julia's writing class also read some of their work. A really great night. 

Elizabeth and Amanda where loving gracious hosts who always wanted to know how you were doing, if everything was going ok, and where such a lovely soft and sparkly presence. 

There was so much about this entire experience that blew me away. The accommodations were rustic, old fashioned with a warm energy. Many of the cottages, including mine where right on the lake with a dock at each. One of the first things I did after arrival and set up was jump right in. I then had a nice conversation with a lady two docks down.  

Love sleeping next to an open window. For some reason when I closed my eyes at night, in my minds eye, I saw only the dark outside but kind of lit up. And there was no window. It was as if I was laying outside. It happened each night I was there and sometimes I would open my eyes again to make sure the window was still there. It was of course but the window didn't exist in my sleep. 

The food, the food, the food. Every single time I was being fulfilled emotionally. Every dish I tried was a taste explosion. The Bread and Butter Catering Company is from my back yard (South Portland) so I look forward to finding some way to indulge in their delights very very soon. Home made yogurt and granola every morning along with several other choices for each and every meal. Amazing selections catering to every food preference. Then there was the morning that eggs benedict where served... heart melted and I almost cried.

I did not try this but I was so delighted to see a mexican dish served at breakfast. Really took this picture for my husband. To torture him maybe....? I think the only person who may love food more then me is Jubal. 

My dyeing workshops were filled with fun, inquisitive, giddy energy. Filled with color and discoveries, conversations and squealings of the yarns and colors. Squeals mostly due to the fact that a BIG ASS box of super soft merino yarn from Purl Soho and gorgeous blends from Blue Sky Alpaca and Spud & Chole yarns was DONATED to us, and put in front of a group of knitters. Free for the taking. Free to dye with. Free to take home and call your very own. The amount of yarn that was dyed was joyous and thrilling. And I think I'm still on a high from it. 

We got some vivid deep pink from my cochineal/ cream of tartar blend. 

When it was time to hang out our yarn, we quickly discovered the hooks on the porch and deemed it a great place to let our yarns hang, drip and dry. Saving the dripping for more dye baths. 

This was the first time I used osage orange in such a concentrated form and I LOOOOVED it. Will be ordering more very soon. This lovely purple came from the cochineal dye bath before cream of tartar was added. Really love. And the the green...... So I've been using red onion skins for a while now. For a long time I saved and saved my skins. I eat a lot of red onion as it's my onion of choice. So much more delicious flavor! Got a tip from Bitsy, one of my students from the The New England Fiber Arts Retreat last August. My other heaven. A week in fibery bliss every August. Anyway, Bitsy said to me one day, "I just scoop 'em up every time I go the grocery store!" Jeeeeeze... I thought. What have I been missing??!! All those onion skins. So ya. That's what I did three times before Squam. I scooped up onion skins and will from now on. We added lots of onion skins to the bath and this is what happened. I think this skein is 100% cotton. And with only alum. Now, I say that but, I did use the spicket (love that word) outside the building that I believe was a copper pipe. A very similar color I got when dyeing in Ireland, also drew water from copper pipes. 

All these greens are from a second dye bath of the onion skins when we all caught on to what happened. A really really strong bath!

From our foraging finds. A type of fungus that gave a warm yellow, black walnuts, and black eyed susans.

osage, black walnuts, indigo, madder, cochineal. 

My class room space.

At the end of each work shop day, who ever wanted to, displayed some of their work in the dinning hall. I was so inspired by all these wonderful treasures. Again, so many classes I would take. 

These really are not great pictures and just don't do these treasures justice. But this one here was A Return to Play with Phoebe Wahl.

I loved the embroidery mixed with the paper. 

Was inspired by the Alternative Stitch. 

Being tucked away in the woods for a few days, I made sure to make time to go out and forage. Foraging is really creeping into my life and at some of the most unexpected moments. Walking home in the dark. Rushing to the ferry. I never know what my eyes will pick up on. Often I shut my eyes at night to sleep and I see tooth fungi. 

While walking by the edge of the lake, I discovered these little gems. A mass pile of them. 

Not sure yet what they are but they have teeth! And I was told by Alissa Allen, a prolific mushroom dyer to look for mushrooms with teeth. They are now drying in my basement before I extract pigments from them. 

Another discovery I made was this lichen. Oh this lichen... I have seen it around for years and have thought about it, wondered about it and thats as far as it went. I had heard that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee had set up some lichen jars so I thought I would ask her it. So glad I did! I had a great time laughing with her over the fact that I had like 4 jars fermenting and none of them where the orchil acid giving kind. She told me about the bleach test though and that's what I did as soon as I got home. Will now be adding a tiny jar of bleach and dropper to my foraging kit.

The discoveries of blue and purple mushrooms always bring me delight. 

Same with finding tiny frogs. Or toads. I think I woke this one up. I don't think Ralph was pleased.

Then there was the Art Fair. These out door lights: ice blocks harvested from the lake during the winter. Each one had a candle lit inside.

My table. I had so much fun talking with people. It sure was a busy night. 

So so thankful and blessed to have had this opportunity to have been part of this gathering. I look forward to some new projects ahead and my new friendships most of all. 

As I prepared to leave and go back home to my sweetheart, my fluffy cat, my island, my life, I knew deep down, no matter what, I'd be back. 

p.s.....  if your able to, please come along next time. You won't regret it.

Shibori Workshop coming in October

I'm so excited to be offering a Shibori dyeing with indigo workshop at Portfiber, here in Portland, Maine. Participants will be bringing whatever garments or materials they have on hand, or something special or dyeing on silk scarves. We'll be experimenting with a few resist techniques. Please contact me with any questions and the shop to sign up! Hope to see you there!