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SHOW AND TELL ....THISTLE DOWN      |
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Thistles are hard and prickly, but their down is so light and airy that I can only imagine what the yarn and scarf must feel like. It must have felt fragile working with it, but the finished product is lovely. Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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I was getting desperate for a knitting project......My hand-spun wool is on hold for the moment because it was triggering my dust allergies......I'm pretty much out of yarn because the only yarn-shop within a hundred miles closed and I won't buy yarn online, because I need to feel it and see the colours ....I've had disasters choosing colours on line...... So, last week, I was digging through a bin of yarn and found a ball of Thistle down I had spun several years ago as an experiment.....I knew that the First Nations people on the coast had spun Thistle down, mostly mixing it with wool, but also using it alone as a softer material for where woven Cedar bark rain hats and capes touched bare skin.....around the head and neck, for instance...... Anyways, there it was, a ball of Thistle-Down yarn and so I knit myself this scarf........It's quite fragile, compared to Wool or Linen......I'm interested to see how it wears.....Research.......
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Thistles are hard and prickly, but their down is so light and airy that I can only imagine what the yarn and scarf must feel like. It must have felt fragile working with it, but the finished product is lovely.
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That is a beautiful scarf Sparkle. Are you actually using the down of the thistle? I have never heard of that before but what do I know I am not a knitter. I used to have a friend years ago who used to do spinning. She was so talented si would imagine you are the same.
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That is a beautiful scarf Sparkle. Are you actually using the down of the thistle? I have never heard of that before but what do I know I am not a knitter. I used to have a friend years ago who used to do spinning. She was so talented si would imagine you are the same.
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So very beautiful and fragile. I can only imagine how soft it feels around the neck, a must to handle with love and care. 
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So very beautiful and fragile. I can only imagine how soft it feels around the neck, a must to handle with love and care. Tongue-tied I am bound To weave my words with thistledown Sickle moon on the moor Turns thistledown silver and fingers raw I dye a thistle thread Red for my mother's tongue Mother's words made scavenging birds Wish for a daughter not seven sons Brash words, a shower of stones, Drove seven princes from their thrones Mother's words, the seed of me Now I'm tongue-bound, tongue-bound till they are free I dye a thistle thread Green for the woods where I make my bed Where the ravens sing, the ravens sing "Free us of our weary wings" They sing "weave and spin, weave and spin Seven shirts for Raven kings Bite your tongue, swallow your tears Tongue-bound, stitch-tongue for seven years" I dye a thistle thread White for the tears I will not shed Pale fingers, worn red-raw Red for the tongue I move no more Tongue-tied, I am bound To weave my words with thistledown Sickle moon on the moor Turns thistledown silver and fingers raw (repeat) It's really lovely........
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I HAVE FOUND AN EXCELLENT WAY OF AVOIDING DUST ALLERGIES. THE SURGICAL MASKS WE WEAR OWING TO COVID CAN BE WASHED AT 60 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AND REUSED FOR DOMESTIC THINGS. I WEAR ONE WHEN DOING HOUSEWORK AND AM SUFFERING FAR LESS FROM DUST. HOW NICE YOU ARE ABLE TO KNIT.
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I HAVE FOUND AN EXCELLENT WAY OF AVOIDING DUST ALLERGIES. THE SURGICAL MASKS WE WEAR OWING TO COVID CAN BE WASHED AT 60 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AND REUSED FOR DOMESTIC THINGS. I WEAR ONE WHEN DOING HOUSEWORK AND AM SUFFERING FAR LESS FROM DUST. HOW NICE YOU ARE ABLE TO KNIT.
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Thanks Earthy........
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I posted this on an international group I belong to, of people making textiles from wild-crafted plants.....mostly Nettles, but many others, from Cactus to Water-Lily stems.....Many instructive videos......One of the responders posted a beautiful English song about spinning Thistle down........"Tongue Tied" by Emily Portman, sung in the traditional style....... Tongue-tied I am bound To weave my words with thistledown Sickle moon on the moor Turns thistledown silver and fingers raw I dye a thistle thread Red for my mother's tongue Mother's words made scavenging birds Wish for a daughter not seven sons Brash words, a shower of stones, Drove seven princes from their thrones Mother's words, the seed of me Now I'm tongue-bound, tongue-bound till they are free I dye a thistle thread Green for the woods where I make my bed Where the ravens sing, the ravens sing "Free us of our weary wings" They sing "weave and spin, weave and spin Seven shirts for Raven kings Bite your tongue, swallow your tears Tongue-bound, stitch-tongue for seven years" I dye a thistle thread White for the tears I will not shed Pale fingers, worn red-raw Red for the tongue I move no more Tongue-tied, I am bound To weave my words with thistledown Sickle moon on the moor Turns thistledown silver and fingers raw (repeat) It's really lovely........
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so delicate ....
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so delicate ....
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