Category Archives: dye

Weekend yarn dyeing part 2

Posted on by
6

As long as I had the dye materials out, I hand-painted a skein of yarn myself.  I used the leftover teal dye my granddaughter used along with green and yellow.  The green had a few drops of yellow added to it and the yellow had two-three drops of McCormick’s Neon lime green food coloring mixed in.  I also dropped some right-out-of-the-bottle yellow down the center of the yellow sections and random drops of the neon green elsewhere just because I wanted less white yarn showing.  Could I repeat the process?  Absolutely not!blue, green, yellow hand-painted yarn

The dye was not placed in even sections around the oval on purpose.  It took a lot of rinsing to get the water to run clear.blue, green, yellow hand-painted yarn

I’m loving the end result.blue, green, yellow hand-painted yarn

I have 100 grams/462 yards of this fingering weight yarn and no idea what to make with it.blue, green, yellow hand-painted yarn

My winter coat is yellow and a triangular or crescent-shaped scarf/shawl would be a welcome addition to brighten up the dreary winter days.  Or maybe socks?  Or possibly gloves?  I’m just not sure…

Patti

 

Jayne’s sock

Posted on by
6

After last week’s yarn dyeing adventure, I balled up the yarn and began the Dorsal Fin socks for my granddaughter.

The yarn was pooling a bit in the cuff area but I soldiered on and the colors sorted themselves out on the leg.

The detail that runs up/down the back of the leg is not as visible because of the colors but it might stand out more when wearing.

The heel is turned and the gusset is almost finished. It’s just plain old knitting the rest of the foot and toe. This sock will be finished this week and the second sock started.

My progress was slowed down last week as I was digging and moving some large rocks around the deck and my hands ached too much to knit.  But that’s another story.Patti

Weekend yarn dyeing

Posted on by
11

Our 11-year old granddaughter stayed with us over the weekend.  We went to Blackwater Falls near Davis, West Virginia, and walked to the falls.  It was a crisp, sunny day.  A bit chilly for our picnic but by sitting in the sun we managed to stay comfortable.

After we got home, Jayne and I dyed some Knit Picks Stroll fingering-weight yarn using Easter egg dye and some food coloring.  We soaked the yarn in water with three tablespoons of white vinegar before we left in the morning so it would be ready for us when we came home.

She decided on teal, purple and pink dyes alternating the colors all the way around the oval of yarn.  I bought some 20ml syringes to apply the dye.  They worked much better than the cheap squeeze bottles I used before.  The syringes did not leak or drip.

Once all the dye was on the yarn, we wrapped it in plastic wrap and placed the bundle in a glass dish.  Then we microwaved it for two minutes, let it cool anywhere from 5-15 minutes, and repeated that process for a total of four times to heat set the dye. (I was so involved that I forgot to take more pictures.  Oops!)

When the yarn was cool, she rinsed it thoroughly in warm to cool water with a little bit of clear soap.  The yarn absorbed most of the dye and she only had a small amount of purple dye wash out.  By Sunday morning the yarn was ready to wind into a ball.

I’ve already started knitting a pair of Helen Stewart’s Dorsal Fin socks (her choice) for her with the yarn she dyed.Patti

Not for eggs

Posted on by
7

We needed a loaf of bread the other day so I went to the small market closest to our house.  I spotted these as I was walking past the clearance table.

Fourteen boxes of Easter Egg dye marked down to $.65 each.

I bought them all and used some on a skein of Knit Picks Bare fingering yarn.  I’ll show it to you as soon as it dries…which might take a day or two what with all the muggy, rainy weather we’ve been experiencing.

Anyone have an idea for all the wire egg dippers I have accumulated??