MFKR, Day 3

We did not realize that today would be even busier than the day before.  Yoga and Breakfast.  Before breakfast, a few of us decide to go for a pre-breakfast walk to coffee.  We got to the coffee place just in time to enjoy a light Seattle drizzle.  It wasn't too much, and we enjoyed the walk back.  After breakfast was our dyeing class with Kathy Hattori.  Kathy owns Botanical Colors, a store dedicated to natural dyeing.  She also teaches many dyeing classes through the year.

Kathy has taught us before, and she recognized many of us from before.  This year we were doing Indigo Dipping & Tee Shirt Shibori Workshop.  We started placing our yarn on rings and letting them soak in one of several containers of water.  Normally, the indigo buckets go outside, but with the light rain, we used the basement classroom.

She then introduced us to Shibori.  Shibori looks similar to tie-dye.  We used different objects to work with our "MFKR" tee shirts, including painting stir sticks, small marbles, rubber bands, string, and a few other items.  We learned that we could adjust our dipping time into the indigo for different results.  I started by dipping both skeins of yarn all the way in.  Then I had to lift it out of the bucket.  Everything came out a medium green, then it slowing "aerating" and turned blue.  I them dipped again, but only 3/4 of the way in.  After aerating again, I dipped half way, which was 1/3 on the second skein.  I dipped a fourth time for 1/4 on the first skein.  Afterwards, I took my yarn outside and rinsed in a bucket of water and hung my yarn.  Here are some of the skeins of yarn.

 Then I moved to start of my tee shirt.  I started at the bottom of my shirt, and took small glass rocks (slightly larger than a marble)  and wrapped a rubber band around each.  then I used paint sticks to wrap around my shirt.

Once again I dipped the shirt into the indigo.  After two dips, I took it outside to rinse and hang. 

We took a group picture with our shirts, cleaned up and had lunch.  It was a very enjoyable morning, but we were in for a real treat next.   

Judith Mackenzie presentation “History of Textiles” & Pop Up Shop.  Judith is a very knowledgeable with fiber, spinning and weaving.  She has traveled to many  parts of the world, and has studied many different areas.  She is a bit of a celebrity, and impressed us all with her stories.  Afterwards, with a Q&A session, we broke up into small groups and saw a spinning demo.  I asked about worsted vs woolen, so we got a great demonstration on worsted, semi-worsted and woolen.  I was very impressed, and felt more knowledgeable afterwards.  The Pop up shop was a few selected fibers that were for sale.

 Yak and baby camel and silk blend.  I skipped the plain baby camel.

I'm told that Seattle has a dry period during the summer.  For the second year, we had a good rain that brought in the coastal fog.  Next came my second class, called Fun of Double Knitting.  My students enjoyed the technique, and one even worked on the class chart for the next couple of days and finished it.

Thanks to my friend Andy for finishing and showing off your work.  After dinner, was the group picture, which for the first time had to be taken inside due to the damp ground.  I'm still waiting to see the group picture, so I'll try to post it after I receive it.  Next was the end of the silent action.

We had a wide range of items to bid on.  Some were hand crafted, others were independent (indi) dyers, or some commercial fibers. I brought a bag and yarn for a project from my friend at Knitter's Brewing Company.  All the bids then went to the MFKR Scholarship fund.  This help to a few extra men to join us each year.  The evening ended with the Movie Night / PJ Party.  I was not interested in the first movie, but went to the other room to knit and watch Doctor Who with another attendee.  

 The final sunset