Overdyeing Primer

Peace by Water, 54" x 23", #12-cut wool on linen. Designed and hooked by Wanda Kerr, Wiarton, Ontario, 2011.

At this time of year, I like to take stock of my wool. I sort what I’ve got, determine what’s useable as is, and find what suffers from my proclivities and inclinations or neglect—wool that might have a good hand but is colored in a way that’s hard to know how to treat in the dye pot and is too ugly to use as is.

It is hard to pass up wool. We bought it and now it languishes on our shelves like unwanted canned goods. Every time we open the cupboard we think we should use it in something, but we don’t know how. (We all have lima bean wool!) We need some go-to recipes for these unappetizing wools.

Let’s use up our strangely colored wool and turn those yards into wool we can’t bear not to hook.

Wanda Kerr is grateful to live in such a colorful world where we can all embrace what speaks to us most. She raises her hook and dye spoon to you: long may you create. Go to www.wandaworks.ca to keep up on all her concerns including The Welcome Mat, (now free) and to try her wonderful compact color system, Majic Carpet Dyes.

This article excerpt is from the November/December 2016 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.