art equals happy.

The WYS wall got an upgrade! :: Shop Talk

Natural Tie&Dye CHANNEL! :: BA Illustration & Video.

STREAMING LIVE HERE at 13:30
(Not in London? See what time it is here.) 

Spend 20 min with me today, and learn how to Tie & Dye your clothes the natural way- using dyes that can be found in nature & your kitchen!!
If you learn best by getting all the facts and having a friend explain it to you then the first 10 min is for you. I talk about loads of important things (like mordanting and making your own rubber bands and how not to achieve zombie hands!) in a vlog format.
If you learn best by just watching someone do it- then the last 10 is for you! A really pretty and detailed step-by-step video for the visual learners out there. All set to some beautiful music by Sam and Jack.STREAMING LIVE HERE at 13:30
(Not in London? See what time it is here.) 

This has been my baby for the last 3 months. Endless dye experiments and hours of planning and tests and sleepless nights of editing. I REALLY hope you enjoy it. It's silly and fun and hopefully you'll learn something new. [: I don't want to give too much away yet, you just gotta watch it! But besides leaving with a nice little bit of knowledge on Natural Dying, you'll also know 3 different techniques of tie dye! See you there!

Want to know more about Channel? Find all the info here.

Watch Channel!! 24 hours of T.V! :: BA Illustration.

Presenting:

Our big day is tomorrow! The fun starts at 9am Thursday the 10th of May! If you're local, you can come get involved or watch online here. Below is the full Channel schedule:

As you can see- I'm on at 13:30! Make sure you tune in- Here's a little peek & I'll be posting some more sneaks right before I go live!If you're curious as to what it's about- I can say it's a D.I.Y. type show where I share how to do Tie-Dye the natural way! And it's sort of a mix of vlog and pretty visual explanations. I think you're really going to like it- It's affectionately named: Craft-Time with Kim. haha. MAKE SURE YOU TUNE IN!

There are loads of fun programs going on throughout the day. I'll be giving little shoutouts in real-time tomorrow, and of course Instagramming! Seriously, you don't want to miss this! Kimxo

Wool display. :: Flat 5 & My Life & Workspace.

So- after 2 years of living in my little flat, I am finally getting things up on the walls! Haha, I'm so bad, I know. I've needed a good way of storing my little odds and ends of wool, and since I'm running out of floor space, I couldn't just have a big bucket of wool. I love organising my things by colour- especially wool, so this is what Mum and I came up with!
The baskets are a good size, because they don't stick out that far from the wall either way, and are a simple design so you really notice the colours. We just hung them on nails (two for each) and I can easily take them down (lets say, if I was working on something with lots of greens) for projects.There's no magic tricks here- you just need to pack as many balls of wool so that none fall out- they will hold eachother up. [:It's so pretty to look at, and gets me inspired everyday when I wake up! Negs isn't too sure about it though, becuase it means less balls that she can play with. haha.Love, kxo.

p.s. how fun would it be to have a whole big wall full of different sized baskets all hanging with wool in them! <3

First Timers. :: Natural Dyes & DIY

If you're thinking of trying out Natural Dyeing- I highly reccommend getting a book or two on the subject. Although there is a nice section in my college library about this- not any one book really did the trick. Get a couple and cross refernence- It's such a subtle science (kind of like potion making!) that everyone has thier own favourite ways.
One of the books that I found was about Dyes from the Kitchen- and this was a great, inexpensive (and quick- some plants and bark need to be soaked for 24hrs- 2 weeks. So check ahead!) way to try my hand at Natural Dyes. Jazz came over and we spent all day playing! The one thing you will need is a Mordant! (It's the stuff that opens up the wool/fibre/fleece/fabric and lets the dye really get stuck in.) I used Alum- and it was pretty simple- if not long-winded. 

There's a lot of waiting around with dyeing- especially if you're Mordanting as well. But it's worth it because it's mysterious and exciting. The great thing about using stuff from your kitchen, is that you feel like you're doing something green! Instead of throwing your fruit peels into the trash or straight onto the compost- they can be used!We tried out lots of little batches- Orange Peel, Banana Skin, Spinach, Tea, and Coffee.The colours came out super light- but they look beautiful together, and it was a great first attempt. [:

Dyeing with Logwood. :: Natural Dyes

Had my first really really successful dye lot!!! Barely 25g of Logwood bark yielded 250g+ of delishly coloured wool. I did several 'batches' where I used the same dyebath again or simmered the bark again. I tried with Alum Mordant and without any mordant all. Felted some samples for my journal.Nature truely holds the most beauitful colours, some of which are hidden! This process continues to fascinate and amaze me.So much love! A friend is coming over on Saturday to share with me what she's been picking for dyeing! I can't wait! :] kxo

I got a Q on my last post about dyeing- something about wanting to buy some! Do you mean dyed fleece for spinning/felting or dyed wool that's been spun into yarn? I'm willing to offer both so let me know! :]

Natural Dyestuff Gathering. :: Spinning & Crafts

I've been trying out some dyeing lately- like Dyeing wool & fleece. [: It' sgreat fun and I've been experimenting with Natural Dyes. So far, most of my colours have come out really pale- but I'm thinking that might be a mordanting problem (Mordant is a chemical- or substance *hehe, they used to use old urine!*, I'm using Alum- that helps the dye grip onto the wool). 
I've been collecting plants and things that give off a colour- here are some of my first little gatherings (most from my own garden)!With some of the tougher dyestuffs, you need to soak them in water overnight, or even for a week or so!It's a really magical and long process, kind of like what I imagine potion-making to be like at Hogwarts! hehe. I've even got a big cauldron! Wish me luck- I'm going to be dyeing with some Logwood tonight- it should (hopefully) come out a violet/lavendar colour!
Have you ever done any tie-dyeing? Batik? Natural dyeing? I'd love to hear your experiences. :]
kimxo 

Warping the Loom. Step-by-Step. :: BA Illustration & Crafts!

Today I spent the morning shooting some photo series D.I.Ys for my current Uni project- only to realise that yarn this thin won't really support t-shirt yarn when you try to weave it.
Still- that means you guys get a bonus!If you've ever wanted to know to to Warp a simple tapestry loom so that you get a natural shed- here is your answer!
1. You need a tapestry loom, warp thread, scissors. 
2. Start by tieing the warp thread onto the loom.
3. Carry the ball at the back of the loom to the other side.

4. Bring it around to the front and carry it across
5. Pass it along behind again.
6. Bring it round to the front.

7. Repeat 3-6. Cut and loosely wrap around end.
8. Tighten.
9. Re-secure thread onto loom and test for firmness.
You should notice that the threads 'criss cross' so you get a natural shed on both sides.

These are pretty simple instructions- but that's how I warp my little loom up! Hope you are having a good Thursday. :] Kimxo

My Favourite Hot Apple Cider! :: Yummies.

Ok, So I'm going to let you in on a little secret... My secret recipe for Hot Apple Cider that I use every year around this time. I don't drink alcohol- so I'm always on the lookout for fun drinks to make, that feel fancy. This is what I make when everyone is having Mulled Wine. (You can add Brandy if you like something 'adult').

You'll need:
Cranberry Juice.
Apple Juice.
A Red Apple.
Cinnamon Sticks.
Ground Cinnamon (Or Cinnamon Syrup).
Ground Cloves. 

Depending on how much you're making, add the Juices together (About 1 part Cran to 2 parts Apple. More Apple will make it sweeter) in a pan. Put the pan on the hob on medium heat (no boiling!).
Cut up your apple. Use one apple & one Cinnamon stick per 4 people.  Add those. 
Let it warm up nicely, then add in the spices &/or syrups. Turn heat down.
Taste test! If it's too sweet, add more Cranberry. If it's too sour- add more Apple! 

Serve in pretty glasses on a cold night with bits of your apple to chomp on!The great thing is you can re-heat it any stage during the evening if it cools. Yum!!

Lots of love. Kimxo

Lessons with Mum :: Knitting

For my mum's birthday in July, I bought her a beautiful hank of dyed yarn from Prick Your Finger (of the Celia and Jan type- about 4ply), some needles and a big coupon that said I'd give her step by step lessons. It was something that she'd been wanting to try for ages. [: Kind of funny that I'm teaching mum knitting things, when it was she who taught me my first stitch! 1st rule for a happy knitting session- seat yourself somewhere comfortable with a cup of tea and a cat if possible. I also had my notebook out, extra needles and my pencil case- just in case we needed some visual aids to help explain.Once you're settled in, crack out your project... And get to work! haha.We started the sock in South Africa, and Mum learnt really quickly. I was a really proud teacher because she took it in & learned it all the hard way. We had to go back to basics for a bit because she's always had a hard time identifying a knit stitch from a purl once it's done (like, reading the knitting)- and seeing as the design I made up had a bit of switch a roo in it- it was really important that she knew where she was without constantly asking me. It was a bit of battle, like learning anything- but now she's totally got it! It was a great project to work on together. I knitted the red/yellow/white sock while she did her mulicoloured one. 
Here are our pieces when we started doing the toe this afternoon:It's really fun to see how different they are- even though the stitches are exactly the same. I'll post more photos when we've got a pair to show. :] Mum says she's going to try doing the second one all by herself- but I said she's allowed to phone me if she gets lost. haha.
Kimxo
p.s. My jumper is from my Grandma. <3 And all the wool for my sock is thrifted coned machine wool- some of which I doubled up.