Ice Dye

My friend wanted to try ice dyeing. I must admit I spent entirely too much time watching YouTube videos about the process. There are some great ones out there. Nancy Gamon has some great tutorials. This was the first one I dyed. 

This was the second. I made sure to take a photo before I rinsed but after the ice had melted. 

Such a fun result! Have you tried any new techniques recently? I would love to hear how it went. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):

12 Quart Dishpan

Over the Sink Strainer Basket

Jacquard Procion Dye Kit

Jacquard Soda Ash

Household Cleaning Gloves

Plastic Measuring Cups

Crank to Dye

What seems like forever ago I bought entirely too much Knit Picks Bare Fingering weight yarn to dye. I still haven't managed to get through it all. I decided it was time to use the circular sock knitting machine to make some blanks to dye. This is a great way to create gradient colorways.

Step one was to take those hanks of yarn and wind them for easy knitting. I used my Stanwood ball winder. If you're unhappy with your small plastic ball winder, this is a great upgrade option.

I used the 72 slot cylinder on my circular sock machine with the tension cranked all the way down. I want the fabric to be loose enough that the yarn can easily take up the dye.

I cranked and cranked. I cranked over 1500 rows. That comes to over 100,000 stitches.

With waste yarn on both ends of each 100 grams of yarn, I folded them neatly and put the sleeves back on so I won't forget what they are. I like to do my dye work outside, so this will have to wait for warmer weather. Spring is always a great time to dye.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Stanwood Needlecraft large ball winder
Knit Picks yarn swift

Crochet Faster!

I picked up this fun yarn last year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. We're quickly approaching the next Sheep and Wool Festival, so I figured I should get hooking. This is a free pattern on Ravelry (linked below). You can read about what I picked up during the 2018 Sheep and Wool Festival.

They yarn is from yarnhygge. It is a very nice fingering with such fun color. 

I don't know if I'll finish in time for the Sheep and Wool Festival (first weekend in May) but I'm going to give it a go.

Pattern is Small Fans Shawl (free on Ravelry). 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Crochet hooks: Clover Crochet Hook Set (10 hooks)

Knitting Update

This is an unnamed shawl. I had an idea of a design I wanted to try. I also had 200 grams of superwash worsted. I decided it was time to test my idea. I worked on this when I didn't have to think too much about the knitting. Stitched in garter stitch, with simple short-row shaping, and a size 8 needle, it was a quick knit.

Here is the shape of the shawl before blocking. A somewhat wing-like shape.

I expected it to grow, but not by as much as it did. Still, a very satisfying finish. I have a couple ideas for how to modify this design to make it more striking. I'll have to play with the design, and maybe even write down the directions. I don't doubt I could do it again, but that isn't the same as directions someone else can follow.

With only 200 grams of yarn (I didn't have a label so I can't tell you how many yards that works out to) I think it is a pretty good size. Since it is garter in worsted it's pretty squishy and warm, too.

It works as a scarf, too.

Tools (affiliate links):
Knitting needles: Knit Picks Interchangeable knitting needle set
Blocking mats: Balance From Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking Tiles
Blocking wires: Knit Picks Lace Blocking Wires & T-Pins
Knit blockers: Knitter's Pride Knit Blockers & Pin Kit

Travel Knitting Holey Chevrons

I like to start a project at the beginning of any trip. This time I decided to make Stephen West's Holey Chevrons. I didn't want serious knitting and this qualifies. Simple garter stitch is perfect for travel knitting. No (or little) counting and you don't have to focus too much.

I grabbed two cakes of striping yarn I dyed in June. I just went with whatever color I wanted to use next.

I made good progress by the time we had boarded for the outbound flight. 

Once we reached our destination, I had make excellent progress. 

I had a bunch of time in the car, too, so I got even more done. 

By the time I was back in the airport for my return flight I was well on my way, though not yet to the second cake of yarn. Someday I will learn that most travel projects are better for one-skein projects.

We ended up waiting for the jetway to be fixed, so I got in another row while waiting to deplane. 

I kept working on it for a couple more weeks. Here and there, in little moments. 

I finally got to the chevrons part last week. 

A little day trip in the car and I was well on my way to finished. 

I finished the bind off before Labor Day. 

Here it is before blocking. 

And on the blocking boards. I love my blocking wires and knit blockers. Totally worth it if you knit or crochet as much as I do. 

I'm really glad I decided to strip the edging. I think it makes this project. 

With two cakes of yarn (about 200 grams of fingering) this shawl is decently sized. 

I might knit this one again. It's quick and a satisfying finish.

Knitting Dotted Rays

I started this shawl when I went to the 2018 Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. You can find the pattern in Stephen West's book WESTKNITS BESTKNITS NUMBER 1 - SHAWLS. I picked up my copy of the book at a local yarn shop and it included a code to receive all the patterns in digital format on Ravelry. You can also find it as a single pattern on Ravelry. I love Dotted Rays. Let me tell you a a knitting story (with pictures).

I knit at breakfast.

I knit in the afternoon.

I knit in the car.

I knit in the car some more.

I knit at breakfast again.

I knit in the car. I also knit in the evening but those photos never look good.

I knit until I ran out of yarn and had to dye more to match. This is totally true and one of the best reasons to dye your own yarn. This assumes you can remember how you got that amazing color.

I knit until I had finished the darn thing. This is pre-blocking. Because you can't see the magic of blocking if you don't compare the pre-blocked shawl to the blocked shawl.

I love pulling out the last set of eyelets to make little points on this shawl. It is so much easier than trying to get a gentle curve and I think the shawl has more impact.

Blocking opens up those double yarn-overs.

Each wedge has its own color story.

I used a little over 250 grams of yarn for this shawl. I think it is a great size for a shawl. 

Loads of fabric to wrap up in. I really like the impact of this as a finished shawl. Now, I have to decide what to knit next.

Pattern: Dotted Rays by Stephen West

All the Yarn!

Last week I shared about a yarn party I had at my house with a friend. Now that the yarn has dried I figured I should show you what I ended up with. All the yarn we dyed was from Knit Picks.

First up is this amazingly bright and fun yarn. This is Bare Stroll Glimmer. I haven't decided on what I'm going to do with this yarn, but I'm excited about this colorway. If I had to give it a name, it would be Poison Ivy. These were made using Jacquard dye.

These candy-colored hanks were mostly made to test colors before coloring a full hank of fingering. These are Bare Stroll Sport. I used food coloring for most of these colors. The black speckle effect was done with black food coloring. I think I'll make up small hanks (about 20 grams each) for color testing next time.

This is the first set of knitted blanks I colored. This one was done with all food color dyes. This is 200 grams of Stroll Fingering.

This was my experiment with the PAAS egg coloring kits. Two kits got me these vibrant colors.  This is 200 grams of Stroll Fingering.

The second set of knitted blanks was 300 grams of Stroll Fingering. I varied the length of the colors from one end of the set to the other. I can't wait to see how this one works up. I might make a simple half-circle shawl to show this off. 

Here is my full stack of fresh yarn. This will keep me busy for a long time. (There is a single hank of purple in there that I dyed to finish another project.)

I still have more than 10 more hanks of fingering to dye.