Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
WIP Wednesday! 1
WIP= work in progress
- I have another Elise shawl on the hook. This one is in recycled wool. I dyed it myself, this time using the stovetop method.
- Still working on that stubborn knitted vest for my brother- but I'm calling it a WIP because I actually had a chance to work on it this week.
- I'm making lots of hats- right now I have 5+ hats that still need decoration- flowers or dinosaur spines- They are to be completed for my next craft show- November 5.
That's all for today- for more WIP Wednesdays, see Tami's Amis
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Currently: On the Hook
I was so thrilled with my Spots of Sunshine Elise that when I had a spare ball of yarn in my bag this weekend, I started another. I winged the beginning a bit, but the pattern becomes habit, so it flew out off the hook.
The yarn was another hand-dyed adventure- a pink wool/cashmere sweater that I dyed with Berry-Blue and Grape Kool-Aid (inspiration here)- but upon reaching the 20th row or so, my yarn was running out ( I have a tendency to dye yarn on a whim, never making the same color twice). Luckily I still had the un-dyed collar from the sweater waiting to be unraveled hiding in my closet, so I pulled it out and kept working. But, yet again, I ran out of yarn (me, being brilliant and forgetting that crocheting always uses more yarn than knitting). Fortunately, I still had more yarn from this recycled sweater (though it wasn't dyed the same color...) and I was able to continue. So now, my second shawl is nearly done, and has 3 different colors in it: the blue/purple/pink that I started with, the original pink of the collar, and my final color of red/purple/pink.
We'll see if it needs to be over-dyed.
The yarn was another hand-dyed adventure- a pink wool/cashmere sweater that I dyed with Berry-Blue and Grape Kool-Aid (inspiration here)- but upon reaching the 20th row or so, my yarn was running out ( I have a tendency to dye yarn on a whim, never making the same color twice). Luckily I still had the un-dyed collar from the sweater waiting to be unraveled hiding in my closet, so I pulled it out and kept working. But, yet again, I ran out of yarn (me, being brilliant and forgetting that crocheting always uses more yarn than knitting). Fortunately, I still had more yarn from this recycled sweater (though it wasn't dyed the same color...) and I was able to continue. So now, my second shawl is nearly done, and has 3 different colors in it: the blue/purple/pink that I started with, the original pink of the collar, and my final color of red/purple/pink.
We'll see if it needs to be over-dyed.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Dyeing adventures!
I've been on this awesome yarn dyeing kick. Kool-aid, Wilton's and some wool are all you need! :)
I bought a few sweaters a week or so ago, both in a weird shade of green- one was kinda mottled, and the other was green with grey stripes. I knew I couldn't take them apart, but I couldn't pass them up because they were both wool. So I brought them home.
Today I decided I needed to change their color, but I knew I couldn't dye them in the microwave because they are both huge sweaters and they won't fit in my little pan in my little microwave. So, this is my first attempt at stovetop dyeing. Fortunately, my brother recently made soup, so there was a clean large stovetop kettle/pan/thingy out and stuff.
Half filled with water, 2 packets of Berry Blue Kool-aid, 1 of Lemon-lime, plus some Royal Blue Wilton's- heated up not quite to boiling. Stirring occasionally, watching for the dye to all take. So my grey/green striped legwarmers are now blue-green. (I forgot to say: I've chopped the arms off these sweaters to make quick and easy and cozy legwarmers!) (I'll dye the rest of the sweater later, and cut it up and felt it for a cool patchwork felt bag)
So that's today's adventure. Sorry I'm not feeling top notch today, so its a bit like reading word vomit...
I bought a few sweaters a week or so ago, both in a weird shade of green- one was kinda mottled, and the other was green with grey stripes. I knew I couldn't take them apart, but I couldn't pass them up because they were both wool. So I brought them home.
Today I decided I needed to change their color, but I knew I couldn't dye them in the microwave because they are both huge sweaters and they won't fit in my little pan in my little microwave. So, this is my first attempt at stovetop dyeing. Fortunately, my brother recently made soup, so there was a clean large stovetop kettle/pan/thingy out and stuff.
Half filled with water, 2 packets of Berry Blue Kool-aid, 1 of Lemon-lime, plus some Royal Blue Wilton's- heated up not quite to boiling. Stirring occasionally, watching for the dye to all take. So my grey/green striped legwarmers are now blue-green. (I forgot to say: I've chopped the arms off these sweaters to make quick and easy and cozy legwarmers!) (I'll dye the rest of the sweater later, and cut it up and felt it for a cool patchwork felt bag)
So that's today's adventure. Sorry I'm not feeling top notch today, so its a bit like reading word vomit...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Books on my Reading List
- The Dragon's Apprentice
- War in Heaven
- The Pirate King
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
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