Monthly Archives: June 2011

High time to dye

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On Monday I decided it was high time to dye. Something. Anything. I’d been teaching myself to spin and I was tired of spinning the natural colored Corriedale that came with my spinning wheel.  Two pounds of the stuff came with my wheel and I hadn’t made a dent. I’d long wanted to dye my own fiber and what better to practice on than the free stuff?

I’d read the dyeing books, articles, how-tos, websites and watched the Youtube videos several times. I’d been collecting Kool-Aid packets and Wilton cake colors for several months. I’d joined the Kool Way to Dye Ravelry group. I’d obtained bare fiber and sock yarn.

There was nothing left do to but jump in.

I used a very scientific method of measurement to decide how much fiber to dye. I used the amount that fit into my 9X13 glass baking dish.

I got the fiber wet. I mixed KoolAid in glass glasses.

This would NOT taste good

I poured the stuff over the fiber in stripes. I nuked it in the microwave. I did try to sort of maybe vaguely follow the aforementioned books, articles, how-tos, website and videos. It looked like I was going to want more color so I added more dye.

I got this.

It was so much fun I did it again

and showed it off at knit night the next day.

I still have lots of plain fiber to practice on. I still have many packets of KoolAid left. I’m thinkin’ hot pink and lime green need to make an appearance.

Fear me.

WWKIP

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My Knit Night friends and I celebrated World Wide Knit In Public at the Provo Farmer’s Market. Our ringleader, Libi, set up a tent and a table and spun on her wheel and answered questions of the people that would stop and look. We talked to many people about knitting and that if they wanted to learn they were free to come to Knit Night and we’d teach them. If even a small portion of the people we invited come to knit night, we’re going to overwhelm the cafe at Borders.

I found some fabulous bread there, cranberry with orange that was to die for!  I also found some local honey. After I started using local honey in my tea most nights over the winter (this would be about three years ago) I didn’t suffer from my usual allergy attacks during the spring, summer and fall. This last for three years with this spring the first time I’d had any problems with allergies. I was anxious to find someone here in Utah County that kept bees and sold honey.

I didn’t take any pictures of our booth, but we had a nice little tent/pavilion to shade us from the sun. The weather was just right. Not to hot and not too cold.  I had a really good time. I spun on my drop spindle a bit and worked on a new pair of socks using Abi Grasso’s watermelon yarn.  The woman is a genius.  She has so many fabulous self patterning yarns.   Here are some of the ones of hers that I have started:

 

Bloody freaking everlasting hell

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Setting up a new computer and having to fight with every single login and password option for every single bank, credit card, bill pay,  email, social network, etc account is not something that a woman trying to wean herself off of an SSRI should have to do!!  (insert a very long string of bad words here)

Nor should aforementioned crazy woman have to hear about a basically well-behaved teenage boy getting thrown out of the house for making a snarky comment. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t do drugs, he stayed in school. And yet his father seems to think that throwing him out of the house is a viable method of discipline. WTF Dad? What in the name of all that’s holy do you think is going to happen to a basically good kid out on the streets? Seriously? (insert another very long string of bad words here).

I’m just sayin’.

I’m just going to curl up into a ball and eat an entire box of Cheez-Its.  I may also have to start another pair of socks. My dear knit night ladies are just going to have to cope.