I Dyed twice on Saturday the 22nd

On Saturday, September 22ND, some of the Sisters of the Wool went to Heritage Arts on the beautiful Beaumont Ranch to learn how to dye yarn. It was a quaint shop,the tables were set up up, the yarn had been soaking overnight in water, we were told to take a piece of foil, to put our skein on top of it and pick out our colors. The colors we chose were all individual as all of us. I had a slight idea as to what I was going to do with one but the other would have to come to me.
The first color I chose was of course purple, my next color was going to be what I thought was a dark forest green, based on the name on the jar was Spruce. To my surprise and wee bit of annoyance turned out more blueish than greenish. So I punted when it came to a third color. I kept adding the second color thinking what would I use for the third.

I punted and added Silver Gray and was somewhat surprised. Someone had made a comment that my colors were not weak. it did not bother me one bit. I it thought looked fine to me.

We were told that when we finished, we were to fold it into a burrito then into a cinnamon roll. So off our aluminium silver foil cinnamon rolls went to bake in the oven for half an hour. We waited, patiently, we went inside the chapel to cool off. We chatted, ate, knitted while we waited. Then suddenly someone came into the chapel and told us the first of the yarns were coming out. We all went and saw many of our skeins hanging on the dowel to drip dry. I did not come up with a name for my skein until I saw it there the silver twinkling at me in the Texas sun. Arora Borealis. I had dyed and named my first skein.

Each skein was rinsed out in cold water and hung up. Some of the rinse water dripped down onto the boards below.

After another half hour had gone by, the rest of the yarns came out. The next skein started with Crimson, it looked like a deep dark raspberry, followed by Scarlet, and then last was Fire Red. So I toyed with naming it Friday the 13th. Can you spot the skein below?

Here it is all by itself.

And now Ladies and Gentlemen let me introduce from Mary's Little Lambs

Arora Borealis

Friday the 13th

I hope you have enjoyed my first attempt at dyeing. Now that I know how to do it. I may do it again for myself for special projects.

Still the same.

I am going to make a Red scarf this year for the red scarf program. I am using red as the main color and then adding odds and ends of leftover yarn and samples. I am going to use the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I made some more progress on my tank top, the very middle circle needs to be finished, then I can sew it up. Then the bottom half and 1/8 of it for the sleeve.

I am having issues with making a hat. I've tried two different hat patterns and they both were coming out wonkie. This is the third hat pattern that I am attempting. It is called Jewel Baby Hat pattern. I like the way it's starting out with the patterns in the yarn. Two of the girls at work saw it and hinted, I wear hats....

Progress on my sock, I've turned the heel. now only to knit it long enough to match the other and I am done. I have to finish it by 9/30/07 to be entered into the connect. I bought another skein of this yarn but in a nearly solid purple.

And now back to the boy friend sock for DH. Well, the last one took me six weeks of working on and off of it. I have found a little bit of a faster way to knit this one. I have put stitch markers every where I have to change stitches, that way all I have to keep track of is what row I am on. It seams to be going faster. I will see.

This weekend some of the Sisters of the Wool are driving out to a place called Heritage Arts and we will get to learn how to dye yarn. I am considering purchasing a student spindle. It might be time to learn how to spin. Maybe then I can have some more of the Sock Hop yarn for socks and not have to wait until the next update. Oh and don't get me started on shop updates. There is one that gives a select group of customers a heads up that new products or products in high demand are up for sale and leave the rest of us fending for ourselves. I will have some new yarn porn but I will post it in a day or two. Tomorrow is knit night.

It's Fall, well almost.

The weather in Texas has gotten more hospitable. It's been in the mid 80's during the day and 68 during the night. I had to get this kit from Natural Dye Studio, it came with a basic toe up sock pattern 5 double point Surina double points, and 2 skeins of luscious skeins of beautiful British Blue Faced Leicester wool the colorway is Orchid. The Natural Dye Studio is on Ebay Progress my sock well I almost ready to start the gussets I love, love love this yarn. The pattern is super easy and it's a quick knit, it s Lanas Puras Melosa-Fingering Weight and the pattern is The Lacy Mock Cable Socks pattern yes of course it is toe up, you can find it at One Yarn and Fiber.Com

Well sock two of the Boyfriend Sock pattern has been cast on. The first one took quite a while to work on only because I work on 3 or 4 different projects at the same time, I have to switch projects daily or I get bored. I have to start working on the red scarf for this years red scarf program .

I am working on the last full hexagon for this tank top, then all that is left is half of on at the bottom and on small section on the sleeve. I am going to add straps and a border around it to finish it. My next on is waiting in the wings I already have the yarn for it.

This baby hat is driving me batty. I tried one pattern and twice it came out wonkie, so I tried another pattern twice, it too is coming out wonkie. I am going to rip it out and find yet another hat pattern.

Mom's health is concerning me more and more, it is decorating more and more each day. The other day when I talked to her she was totally out of breath as if she had been running a marathon. It sounded like she was breathing through a harmonica. She said her legs are swollen from her crotch to her toes and that they were so swollen that she could not even put on her shoes. It's obvious the latest strongest diuretic they gave her is not working. Cousin D was going to go take her shopping for shoes today. I bet mom didn't take her diuretics today because she was going shopping. I can hear how tired she is on the phone. I can also hear her giving up. All I can do is to tell her I love her.

Secret Pal Strikes

Thursday I got home from work, it was another long day, I don't understand the logic of recruiters waiting to the last minute to get things done. I was sent 6 marriages with providers going to work in 24 hours and they all needed approval. They tried to make me stressed but I would not give into their hysteria. I didn't create the problem. I am going to do my best to get them all done but There will not be any wigging out over it.

When I got home, there was a pink envelope in the mail box, with a stamp, "Royal Mail" on it. I immediately scan over my package looking for any clue. Gingerly I squish the package.... it's yarn must be yarn. Then I see it the return address label, "Posh Yarns" Posh yarns?!? I believe we all as knitters have one yarn that we hold as if you will the "Holy Grail" of yarns. One more prized than all the rest. One that we try to obtain but it keeps eluding us time and time again. Posh was one of these for me. I could only imagine what color. Ripping open the tissue, there it was the glorious soft green yarn so soft so decant. Thank you so much to my secret pal!!! I love it.

One Sock Two Sock Red Sock Blue Sock

I finished 1 sock of the pair of socks for DH!!!! I've used one entire skein. Now all I have to do is start the second one. By the way if I haven't mentioned it before this is the Boyfriend Sock pattern.
I did see that the Knitting Zone had this yarn for sale so there is still some left for those that are looking for it. http://www.knittingzone.com/catalog/product_info.php?pName=fortissima-socka-stars-and-stripes-1776&cName=fingering-weight-super-fine-sockaAs if 1 sock wasn't enough I finished a second, not the pair to the BF socks but the 1st of my Lacy Mock Cable Socks made out of Lanas Puras Melosa, fingering weight, that I got from One Planet. I love the way this yarn feels. The pattern is easy peasy.

I also started on sock 2 for the pair. Gosh my foot looks soo little.

I've now made progress on this tank that it resembles a tank. All I have left is 1 whole hexagon, one half and one eight I didn't make enough for one of the sleeves so I am going to add it in. Then the arm straps and I think I am going to put a plain solid pink band around the bottom.

This is my first Baby Surprise jacket by Nancy Zimmerman. Made out of Cider Moon I believe in Glacier, and the colorway is Pandora Rose. I will be making a hat to go along with it, just have to find the right pattern.