Clockwork
We had another guild dye day Saturday, 20 people came, dyed, ate a fabulous pot luck lunch, and worked hard. This is the fourth or fifth guild dye day we have had, and we are getting the procedure down pat.
I try to have the inexperienced or first-timers at one table, so I can answer questions more easily, and some people might hear an answer to a question they did not know they had. This means I am somewhat distracted, at times, and miss a few things going on around me.
Like watching the pots. There have been, um, unfortunate occurrences in the past (like things did not get steamed. Or the pot got turned down for lunch, and never turned back up. Or things did not have enough time in the pot before someone thought they needed to be removed and new stuff put in. Ahem).
This time we had a pot monitor.
Dee came, and did not dye. She kept track of what went in when and what comes out next, who is steamed and who (or what) is not. Or something like that, it was all very complicated. Dee handled it with aplomb and grace. No one fussed or argued. Things got steamed the right amount of time, at the right temperature (big yay and a sigh of relief). It worked like clockwork.
We had the usual fun, we dyed fiber yarn and fabrics, we painted steamed and immersed. Color samples were everywhere and towards the end of the day, as things came out of wrappings, there were oooooohs, and aaaaaahs.
Lots of work got done (I know, work is a term used loosely here). Lots of play happened, plans were made, plots were hatched and many future projects were discussed. It was a swirl of ideas and opinions, some of which devolve in to the silly. Which is a good thing in these times, we need more silly.
We had several brand new dyers, and I hope they will be recidivates. Yes, I am aware that term usually refers to criminal behavior. We have so much fun it should be a crime. Sometimes we need a keeper (thanks Dee!).
Towards the end of the day a few of us were still working out in the dye area (AKA garage) and I heard uproarious laughter coming from in the house, from the peanut gallery. There were new members and old hands in there, all watching Eileen spin on Sue's Lendrum Saxony (enabling, er, helping, once again!).
It is a magical sound, people laughing, friends gathered. Fun to hear, even when you don't know what the joke is. It happens a lot when we get together.
That is really what this is all about.
I try to have the inexperienced or first-timers at one table, so I can answer questions more easily, and some people might hear an answer to a question they did not know they had. This means I am somewhat distracted, at times, and miss a few things going on around me.
Like watching the pots. There have been, um, unfortunate occurrences in the past (like things did not get steamed. Or the pot got turned down for lunch, and never turned back up. Or things did not have enough time in the pot before someone thought they needed to be removed and new stuff put in. Ahem).
This time we had a pot monitor.
Dee came, and did not dye. She kept track of what went in when and what comes out next, who is steamed and who (or what) is not. Or something like that, it was all very complicated. Dee handled it with aplomb and grace. No one fussed or argued. Things got steamed the right amount of time, at the right temperature (big yay and a sigh of relief). It worked like clockwork.
We had the usual fun, we dyed fiber yarn and fabrics, we painted steamed and immersed. Color samples were everywhere and towards the end of the day, as things came out of wrappings, there were oooooohs, and aaaaaahs.
Lots of work got done (I know, work is a term used loosely here). Lots of play happened, plans were made, plots were hatched and many future projects were discussed. It was a swirl of ideas and opinions, some of which devolve in to the silly. Which is a good thing in these times, we need more silly.
We had several brand new dyers, and I hope they will be recidivates. Yes, I am aware that term usually refers to criminal behavior. We have so much fun it should be a crime. Sometimes we need a keeper (thanks Dee!).
Towards the end of the day a few of us were still working out in the dye area (AKA garage) and I heard uproarious laughter coming from in the house, from the peanut gallery. There were new members and old hands in there, all watching Eileen spin on Sue's Lendrum Saxony (enabling, er, helping, once again!).
It is a magical sound, people laughing, friends gathered. Fun to hear, even when you don't know what the joke is. It happens a lot when we get together.
That is really what this is all about.
posted by Sara at 7:07 AM
8 Comments:
Amen! Luscious fiber, fantastic color, uproarious laughter....doesn't get any better than that! Loved the post - especially Dee the Dye Warden, monitoring the behavior of the recidivates. :-)
That is the most positive context in which I have ever heard the term "recidivates".
Know exactly what you mean: yesterday was our monthly Eating, um, Spinning Day. In spite of herself, Amy has a new medium (lampwork), and we teased John mercilessly because of the minority testosterone thing. It's fair, isn't it? It's a day better than almost any other, and it happens MONTHLY. I couldn't be luckier.
Yes. Exactly. All this fiberish creativity worked on together. Just plain fun.
Ouch! I'm sad to have missed it. We were a mountain away with a birthday to celebrate. I squinted at the pictures to reduce what I missed.
It sounds like a wonderful day.
Hello :)
I'm from Denmark and I have a question I would love to ask you regarding the knitted, dyed and reknitted fabric you have dyed. Is there any way to get in contact with you? What I'm interested in knowing is - how do you fix the dye when it's painted like that? Wrap it in plastic and stick it in the micro?
My email is birgitte @ pludder.dk
if someone could answer my question? I'm so very impressed with the way it turned out and I just NEED to try it out myself :o)
Kind regards,
Birgitte Jensen, Denmark
Book? I wonder what about.
Here's website you might like. I am trying to find out if the museum will send me the catalogue.
http://tmccelive.ecentricarts.com/index.cfm?page=exhibition.detail&exhId=172&language=eng#content
Book!
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