Busy Summer bee

Sadly I do not have my own bees........ but I have been trying to finish off projects that I bought supplies for and never got around to. You know how it is, exciting, fresh and a amazing idea! You have to pick up everything that is ESSENTIAL for this idea. So I have to get to the final project or why did I get this stuff?

But it's a great idea! LOL

So I've done a bunch of different dyeing.

I have projects that require special colours and this is prep for that. Every one in a while, I do shop at the big box stores, to get the fisherman wool. White, 100% wool that I can't usually get at a LYS. This is the result. Two of the skeins are sock weight all the way from Knit Picks. This is going to make amazing stuff! I am excited. At least three skeins will be new Christmas stockings for some new family members. 

It was a great experiment in some ways. I usually dye with food colouring of some sort. Wiltons cake decorating is responsible for the sky blue, and the lighter green.

But they are less reliable. some colours separate in the heat of the water in ways you don't want and if you've never tried a specific colour before it can be unusual. For this reason I usually test and have a backup skein for a second dye-bath. Also over-dyeing is fantastic! In light of that. I tried some new dyes this time. Not food safe, so I had to find another way to do them in the pots I have.

This was my solution to using Rit dye on the stove top.........

We have a food sealer! So I made baggies and heat sealed them shut with the dye and pre-soaked yarn. It worked better than I thought, but I definitely learned what not to do next time. I have more variation in the skeins than I thought I would, one is solid.... but I poured the dye in over the wet yarn and sealed it. I should have let it sit a bit and squeezed the dye in more.  Needless to say all the bags got dropped in a pot of boiling water for 45 minutes. Then I let them cool overnight and rinsed them the next day. Only one dye was not exhausted. It was great. You can see in the top picture that the pink has quite a bit of white in it, and I have decided to over-dye that with a second pink colour..... it will be fantastic! I pre-soak wool in warm water with white vinegar.

I really love this, and honestly I appreciate the local dyers so much more for their consistency, and colour range. Those skeins are always worth the price! I know that I am looking for random variation from what I put on the stove, but they always do an amazing job.

Hope your summer of craft is going well. More from me later.

Update time!

Hey, just wanted to let you know what is going on!

Aannnnnnnnd give you some pics! YAY!!!

So ladies and gents..... I finished the Buttony sweater! Yes aside from buttons, (which I will be adding in about 15 min) She is an FO!!!!

YAY!!

I love that I got something other than a washcloth done this weekend! I am hoping to capitalize on this momentum and continue finishing things off.... lol

Also I have been dyeing with wilton cake dyes again! So here is the eye candy from that!

First, fleece that still needs to be carded. Clockwise from the top... Black, Royal Blue, Brown is in the center, then Cornflower Blue and finally "no taste" Red. I think they look mighty juicy! LOL

And the wool that I dyed with it... and my wee friend too! So honestly that dark maroon colour on the far wool IS Black food colouring! It has greens in it too! The center wool is all three of the colours that I chose to use the wool on: Royal Blue, Black, and Cornflower Blue. I am betting that it would never be the same twice! How fun is that??!! I have to say that I really like the Royal blue (front, brilliant blue) It works out great!

So, thanks for looking.... comments are always welcome! I have already cast on for my next sweater. "Wicked" gonna go upstairs and chill with it now......... plan to have progress pics for the end of the week.

OH I almosy forgot to remind you of FIBERFEST!!!

It is on this weekend at the Tradex in Abbotsford! I am not in denial..... I am afraid that I am planning on adding to my stash! But I have a great idea........ and Fiberfest only come once a year! (So I am thinking that if I can find some red bamboo or bamboo-silk blend for knitting shawls for my bridal party.........what do you think? It's fall '08 so it gives me the time to make them!) Let me know!