We Dyed Yarn

Julia and I dyed yarn with Wilton's food coloring this weekend.

From Close Knit

Supplies: Wilton's food coloring, vinegar and gloves.

From Close Knit

I dissolved about 1/4 teaspoon of the food coloring in 1 cup boiling water.  I added an additional cup of hot water to some of the jars.  Colors used: Leaf Green, Kelly Green, Teal, Violet, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue

I failed to take pictures of the most important part, which was use pouring the dye over the yarn, but I was pretty busy.  Julia used Leaf Green, Kelly Green, Teal, Violet and Sky Blue on a worsted weight Peruvian Highland wool from Knitpicks.  I used Leaf Green, Teal, Violet and Lemon Yellow on a sock yarn from Knitpicks.

From Close Knit

Each skein wrapped in plastic wrap and in the steamer insert in my pasta pot.  I steamed them for 35 minutes.

From Close Knit

Dyed yarn cooling off - my skein

From Close Knit

Dyed yarn cooling off - Julia's skein

From Close Knit

My skein drying in the backyard.

From Close Knit

Julia's skein drying in the backyard

From Close Knit

My skein reskeined.

I was hoping for the look of spring flowers in the grass but the green came out too bright so I think it looks more like a parrot.

Julia's cake:

From Close Knit

Pi Blanket Bingo

I'm making progress on my Pi Blanket.  The first giant skein of Eco Wool is finished. 

It's currently 30 inches across unstretched and with curled edges, probably about 3 feet across after blocking. 

I have two more skeins of natural and two skeins of chocolate.  I'm hoping to swtich to the chocolate after I finish the second skein of natural and use the third skein of natural for the border.  I'll need to do some calculating after the sixth increase to ensure that one skein will be enough yarn for the border I want to do.

The scale of this project continues to amaze me.

Do The Monster Mash!

(Ignore my finger on the top of the picture!)
This is the body for my monster "Chunk" named Ellie.  She will have blue feet. I am using Knit-picks heather.  Whirlpool is the blue.  I forgot what the pink was.  Any way I'll see you later.


~J

Fit to Flatter

I can't rave enough about stash, knit, repeat's Fit to Flatter series.  If you have ever wondered why the sweater that looks fabulous on your friend makes you look like a hobbit you should check this series out.

Pi Blanket

So, I was flipping through Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac the other day and I was inspired.  This is not unusual.  I frequently get inspired by EZ and her ramblings.  However, that day's inspiration was that since it was almost July and the Pi Shawl is the July project in the Almanac I should finally tackle the Pi project I've been planning.  I'm not really interested in making a round lace shawl.  I doubt I would wear it.  What I do need, for half the year at least, are blankets.  I've been planning a Pi Blanket for some time.  I had already decided on the yarn I would use - Cascade Eco Wool in Natural and Coffee.

Once the yarn arrived, I began to realize what I was in for:

    See Princess trying to get away from the giant yarn

Intellectually, I knew that I was purchasing bulky wool the 478 yards per skein but it wasn't until it was in my home that I realized how much yarn that is.  It almost did my ball winder in.

The knitting started easy enough with nine stitches.  I'm now solidly into it, with 288 stitches on the needle.  It has been in the 80s this week with high humidity and I don't see that changing anytime between now and the end of July.

I love the way it is coming out.  It's Zen knitting with nothing but knit stitches between the occasional eyelet row and it's very pretty.

But it's one hot mess in my lap.