Opalescent Spun

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© opalescent 1

I am amazed how six distinct pastel colors can just disappear into each other . . .

jenjoycedesign© opalescent 2

It is magic how when blended, spun and plied, the colors homogenize into a silvery light grey.

But in this photo I enhanced color saturation with digital effects . . .

so you can see the subtle splashes of lavender, orange, yellow, mint green, pale blue, and pink, just as the original dyed fiber was before blending together . . .

Tweed Chronicles: Opalescent

It nearly defies logic how mixing opposites on the color wheel simply neutralize each other. I honestly can say, of all my experiments in Tweed Chronicles, this one surprises me the most!

See the blending recipe for Opalescent HERE

See all Tweed Chronicles HERE.

Tweed Chronicles: Opalescent

Posted on July 9, 2019 by Jen

jenjoycedesign© opalescent mix 1

From these pastel primary & secondary colors,

each one like mouthwatering fruity candy floss . . .

jenjoycedesign© pastel primary and secondary

into these fluffy rolls . . .

jenjoycedesign© opalescent mix 10

Magically transforming, while colors fuse

and melt into these opalescent silvery grey rolags to spin !

jenjoycedesign© opalescent mix 13

I have been thinking about this mix for a year now, and finally was able to do it ! It is a pastel variation of my original recipe mix “Color Saturated Neutral” , an experiment I did over a year ago. I am amazed at how the colors just melt into each other , and these pale pastels washing out into a silvery opalescence ready for spinning. This is how I did it . . .

♣ ♣ ♣

Techy stuff for Opalescent…

Equal parts of pastel primary colors: pink, pale yellow, light blue — plus — pastel secondary colors: pale green, lavendar, pale orange. These were 6g each, for a total of 36g.
Layered very thinly one color at a time, alternately. using this technique: Blending for tweed simplified
Lifted batt, layered again, total of three times.

NOTE: Each time you blend the mix, the colors become less distinctive and magically the all-over color becomes nearly a neutral. These were blended 3 times, then a 4th before drawing out rolags. Blend only once or twice for most colorful results, 3 or 4 times for very subtle and subdued ” neutral ” results.

Lifted bat, and sectioned into strips of about 3, layered again, loosely.
Drew off rolags.
I’m naming this colorway blend ” Opalescent ” .
See ALL color blending experiments & recipes archived in Tweed Chronicles

(( Click 1st image in mosaic to go to slideshow with commentary. ))

6 grams of each color

pastel primary & secondary colors.

Ready to blend!

First pale blue…

then pink…

then pale yellow…

then pale orange…

pale green…

and pale lavendar.

Combed fiber into teeth after each color is added.

Lift batt with comb.

Section into three pieces, and rolled for photograph.

Repeat for a second blend

And a third. Colors are washing out dramatically!

One last blend, then rolled off rolags on to knitting needles.

Stack of opalescent rolags!

Tweed Chronicles: Color

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Jen

Back into Tweed Chronicles I have found once again rhythm in myself, perhaps a melody too. I have been thinking about the color wheel, and the basics I learned decades ago, and so I am applying it now to natural fiber ~~~ easy enough!

In fact, my whole color blending Tweed Chronicles has little to do with wool breeds and fibers, almost nothing to do with spinning technique ( I am only a fair spinner) … but nearly all pure color theory, and blending technique. I am a colorist perhaps, above all.

I am merely attempting to relive the high points of discovery that must have happened with folk centuries ago in the tweed mills, of a bygone era. I am all about the bygone era I think, feeling that deep tap root into human creativity that runs timeless and wild.

Putting the primary colors together in a kind of color triad, is something that normally I would never do, for I am not in the least fond of primary colors, or even secondary. But the complex blends of colors are made of of the basic colors, and so I am working with the primaries & secondaries in a tweed experiment that I hope works just as I am conceiving it in my mind, as I lose myself to sleep at night, dreaming the magic of heathered tones.

The best time of day is when the sun shines through the window bright enough to bring to life the best work of my imagination. Couple that with a delicious cup of coffee, and who would want anything more of the morning?

Well now, its off to the charity shops to see if I can find some good chairs! Aside from this recent color blending euphoria, I am feeling a bit too tender and not wanting to cooperate with the holidays this year. Scotty, beam me to January.

♣ ♣ ♣

Techy stuff of what I did …

5g each of (near primary) red, yellow, and blue dyed merino roving = 15g.
Layered on blending board very thinly one color at a time, alternately. I mean really a lot of thin layers … using technique Blending for tweed simplified.
Lifted batt, layered again a second time, then a third. Lifted bat, and sectioned into strips of about 5 or 6.
With 15g white cormo roving, divided in as many sections as the color blend.
Layered very thinly white, then color blend, alternately.
Lifted batt, and layered again twice.
Drew off rolags.
I’m naming this colorway blend ” Primary Triad + white”.
See ALL color blending experiments & recipes archived in Tweed Chronicles

Lingering question of the day: Which one of you generous people sent me all of the Cormo wool? Was it Laurie? Rose? Adele? Lynette? (I am so sorry I lost track, but I’ve been rather hollow in my head!) From the bottom of my heart~~ thank you~~ it is absolutely dreamy!!!!