Not my comfort zone!!!!!!!!!

Okay, everyone, doing this was way out of my comfort zone I can tell you.  Just recently I felt like dyeing some thread, and thought perhaps I should do it with a purpose in mind.  The above hardanger bookmark is the result of my play.  I secretly have an aversion to coloured hardanger, and I really don't know why, as I like it when it's done.........go figure!! 

I also wanted to know how much thread this might use.  I measured four lots of 10 metres in perlé #8 and #12.  I thought it prudent to make something small, so it could be finished, and I could return to the big blue project.  I dyed a little Lugana as well, simply rolling it into a ball and squirting the two colours into it, then wrapped it in cling wrap for a few hours.  The Lugana I used is the piece behind the bookmark in the top photograph [I think it's a 25-ct, and yes it's cream].  Well, I can tell you I only used one length of #8, and one, plus a little of the #12, so I have some of this 'batch' left over.  More about that later.

I'd love to be able to tell you my inspiration was some exotic flower from a far away land, but alas, I can't.  I've taken this photograph, showing you the variety of colours I'm seeing in a paddock close to the houseyard.  This is a pasture grass called 'buffel grass', which makes great cattle fodder, not so with horses though.  As the seedheads mature, they take on a lovely maroon to purple colour.  The two colours I used were a purchased purple Procion dye, and my own mixture of Procion yellow and blue.  In real life the green leans very much to the yellow, and I also achieved a lovely warm brown where the two colours blended. 

Again, I have to stress that this is a first for me.  I quite like it now that it's finished, and I have to say the overdyed threads look really lovely.

I am making two more little things shortly to try something new, and with this bookmark/thread, these will form a give-away that I must do.  Some time ago I participated in a 'pay it forward' on Jennie's blog - [http://jennie61.blogspot.com/2011/01/pay-it-forward.html].  It will take a little longer yet, but I will pass on the favour.   I will try not to be so tardy in future!!!

Thanks again for the response to the wedding dress.  I love simplicity in most things.  Life gets complicated enough!!