Dyeing Day Recap (with yarn pics)

Dyeing Day at Shelby's was a blast! I can't remember the last time I've had such all-day fun. Our day started early, when Shelby picked up Laeunie and me at around 9am. We learned a lot about dyes and the dyeing process as we helped our dyeing mentor set up.

Above: Some of the results of dyeing day.

Here are some things we learned:

• The skeined yarn must soak in a solution of lukewarm water and vinegar for at least ten to fifteen minutes. Before painting/dyeing, remove from soaking water and squeeze out excess water.
  
• To make the concentrated dye, dissolve about 1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of dye powder (depending on the container size) in a small amount of boiling water, then add cold water to fill container. This can then be used by diluting some of the concentrated dye with water.
  
• Paintbrushes work well for handpainting large swathes of yarn. Squeeze bottles are messier and less precise, but quicker.

Above: Wrapping up the handpainted yarn with saran wrap.

• Once painted, wrap with the saran wrap, then fold in half, place in microwaveable container, and nuke to set dyes, 3 minutes at a time, for 6 minutes total for a regular skein of sock yarn.
  
• When done, remove from microwave, let cool, and remove from saran wrap. When sufficiently cooled, rinse with clean water, soak in water with some sort of soap product (such as Soak), then rinse again.

Above: The fruits of my labor :o)

• Once used for dyeing with acid dyes, microwave must be dedicated solely to dyeing.
  
• Re-skeining when done makes the color blend easier to visualize.

Above: More yarn porn ;o)

All in all, I learned a great deal - and I've been bitten by the bug! (Not literal bites - that's a whole 'nother story.) I'm tempted to buy dyes and yarn blanks and to acquire a dedicated-to-dyeing microwave. The last thing I need is a new hobby-obsession - must. resist. temptation.

Yes, Shelby, TGIF!

A few months ago, one of my CIF from Ravelry and the Rio knitting meet-up, Shelby, generously offered to host a workshop at her home for us eager-to-learn would-be dyers. Shelby is a talented fiber artist (check out her gorgeous creations in her Etsy shop), and a genuinely sweet individual. As the winter slowly faded and we began to see glimpses of spring, we somehow managed to settle on a date - Saturday, April 18th - for our Dyeing Day.

I can't speak for the rest of the group that'll be descending upon Shelby and her poor family tomorrow, but I know that I've been working myself up into a frenzy of excitement for tomorrow. KDAL be damned (okay, so there's no post about that - yet - but I'll get to it... Eventually.) 'cause I've requested way too much yarn blanks: two superwash merino/nylon fingering-weight, and four superwash merino fingering weight. The merino/nylon blanks will be dyed up for fun (I'm thinking one in shades of yellow/orange, and one will be a surprise), and the four SW merino fingering will be used for a light, v-neck, raglan pullover with 3/4-length sleeves, maybe in pretty shades of blue??

I guess we'll find out... TOMORROW!!

BIG thanks to Shelby for hosting and for being so darn nice! (And for giving the sis and me a ride there :o)

I have a brown thumb...

...but I can turn it green, right?

I've been feeling like a domestic failure lately. Okay, so I'm being overly dramatic. Let me back up and explain.

Compared to my college buddies, I'm the domestic goddess. I cook, I bake, I don't clean, but I knit and spin and collect recipes, sometimes (okay, rarely) even clip coupons, and I love shopping for housewares.

Compared to my Creepy Internet Friends, I'm soooo not a domestic anything, much less a goddess. Yes yes, I still cook, bake, knit, and all those other things I listed above. But I don't bake bread from scratch. In fact, I can't remember the last time I fed my sourdough starter (sorry, Petra! The good news - I just read about baking bread from neglected starter, so there's hope yet! I hope...). I don't make soup from scratch, I don't invent recipes that don't involve pasta, olive oil, and garlic. I don't participate in CSAs (I'm planning to; Red Wiggler, see you next year!). I certainly don't grow my own food. And here's where the brown thumb/green thumb/feeling like a failure comes into play.

In another month or so, G is moving out of the estrogen-filled environment that he calls home and into his own apartment. With a balcony. Woohoo! He's excited because he'll be able to read outside on his balcony; I'm excited because I'll get to have a small container garden on his balcony. (I'm also excited that he'll do the regular watering and everyday maintenance.)

So I asked the lovely Enablers Anonymous ladies for advice and suggestions about what to grow and how. And boy, were they ever helpful (as they always are)! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, because I have to figure out when/how I can observe the daily sun exposure on that balcony (the current tenants haven't moved out yet) and which plants I want to grow (I'm thinking basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, rosemary, thyme, mint, and cherry tomatoes... Is that too much?) and how one takes care of them.

I've also learned a lot from my CIF. I've learned that starting seedlings from seeds is thriftiest, but I probably want to start with established plants this time and go from there. I've learned that mint is very aggressive and needs its own container. I've learned that I need to add some sort of polymer thingie to the potting mix since I'm not going to be taking care of the plants on a daily basis. (Though let's be honest - G is going to be much better at consistently watering those plants than I would be!)

So now I have to figure stuff out - and G has to move into the darn place - before I can acquire my precious, hope-to-keep-'em-alive babies (thanks, Tonya and Shelby for generously offering me some of your extras!). I've got a month or so, right? That's plenty of time to learn how to turn my brown thumb into green...

Observations

(As posted on Ravelry...)

Things I've realized today while blog-browsing instead of doing Real Work:
(1) I read too many blogs.
(2) I read WAY too many blogs now that I've added about a dozen new ones to my Google Reader.
(3) My favorite blogs have beautiful photos.
(4) I enjoy looking at beautiful photos.
(5) My favorite blogs are my favorite blogs in large part because they have beautiful photos.
(6) I do not take beautiful photos.
(7) Therefore, I/my blog can never become one of my favorites.
(8) It's not like my blog gets regular updates, anyway... Or any updates at all ;o)


(As added by Kate...)

May I add
(9) we all read the same blogs which we quote when someone is looking for advice
(10) my blog was marketing fodder for my first half marathon and the accompanying fundraising. The only reason I don't delete it is because it is funny to read my newbie running entries.
(11) I write lots of blog posts in my head that never make it to blogger.

Agree (1) with #11!