I’ve decided I’m a ‘dye as you go’ kind of hooker. I start out with what I think may work…and invariably change my mind.

This is my progress to date.

The large tree is in shades of mouse grey. The suckers are silver grey…but I think they will come out.

The window panes are black watch plaid, and the casings, a variety of greys I had in my stash. My original stucco/cement colour of the walls was too bright and new-looking, so I overdyed it with 1/128th tsp charcoal grey to dull it down, but I kept the bits I’d hooked in originally for some highlights.

The whole point of this piece…is that it’s a deserted…and decaying barn

….so the green mossy moldy parts are really important to try and get that idea. (I think I’m going to have lots of yucky drab wool hanging around before I get this how I want.)

My first attempt (but not likely my last).

I chose Khaki, khaki drab, and ivy to test. I don’t have swatches, so I spooned some of the dye bath on paper towels to get an idea of the colour.

I decided on the Khaki (middle one) and overdyed some of my ‘cement’ coloured wool in that.

The colours aren’t true. I watched it carefully and took it out when I thought the colour was OK. I haven’t hooked any in yet…but I’m not convinced I’ve got it right yet.

I had dyed about 1/2 yard in a pale mouse grey for the roof….but realized that if the tree was mouse grey….the colour for the roof needed to be another grey altogether.

Rather than discard the original wool…I overdyed it too.

Again I used paper towels to see what it might look like….with a bit of mouse grey first, then other greys spoon over top. I tried, silver grey, charcoal, and black…and decided on the silver grey. I’m not at all sure that’s what I’ll end up using…but it’s been fun dabbling.