Dyeing To Spin with The Simpsons

So, how do you like these?? (didn't dye the iguana..thought it looked cute, though) On Sunday (going backwards here), Ian gave me time to myself (eeee!) and I tried a new dyeing technique...it's more of a hot pour watercolor method. LOVED it! You can't tell how shiny and super-licious these superwash merino/tencel sock yarns are until you see them in person. I'm calling them the "Mermaid" Series.

The first is "UNDINE"....more turquoises, softer greens and purples.
Next, is "Water Nymph"....more tealish with deeper blues and purples.
Last, is "Sea Fairy"...more mossy greens and plumy purples.

One of these is for lovely Jackie for being her wonderful self (and for driving me home when I'm tipsy on a Wed night!) One is for me and one is up for grabs...hoping Donna, the "Knitting Angel" will like one of them!

I was super, super busy this weekend being PRODUCTIVE...woo-hoo! Friday, Ian took the Tim and his friend hiking up north and Ben and I had some fun at home. It was all wet and rainy out all day, so we mostly stayed inside, watched The Simpsons (yes, I am a bad mommy...Ben LOVES this show...I do, too...and I let him watch it), and played. After a while, he was building with blocks at my feet, so I decided to get out my spinning wheel. I spun these out of FiberFly's Rainbow Pousse Cafe 100% Ramboillet fiber. Yuuummmy! Soft and sproingy.

These are the balls of single ply waiting to be plied together...and then the finished two ply...gorgeous!



This is a close up on the 2 ply and then a comparison to the Navajo ply that I did on the leftover singles. Personally, I fell in love with the Navajo ply...even though I liked the 2 ply very much...I was jumping for joy at the 3 ply...too bad it's only a very tiny amount. I'm calling it "Turbulence".



I also was a "good" wife and got tons of housework done....3 loads of laundry, washed all the bed sheets, vacuumed, put away dishes, did a HUGE overhaul of Tim's messy room, made all necessary "secretarial" calls, and got my new CABLE INTERNET ADDRESS up and running!!! (well, Ian did all the wiring and adjusting...I just made the call)

Last week, I spun these yarns. The one on the left is "Morning Dew" wool blend fiber with nylon sparkle from Spunky Eclectic...boy, is it a great online store....not only for fiber, but yarn, too! I spun it bulky and added....listen closely here....100 glass beads to the yarn!!! It's amazing! I'm calling it "HoneyDew" and it's up for grabs if anyone is interested. The pic next to it is of some pretty tussah silk I spun and plied, which was much nicer BEFORE washing....I don't know what happened, but lots of the dye "leaked" and the finished 2ply silk is more "greyish", though you can still see the original colors. Wish I hadn't set it. The deep rose and teal colors together were more impressive.



The one below on the left is a 50/50 merino/silk fiber that is more than beautiful...more than delicious. It's slightly soft and fuzzy and out of this world...it's going to be a special gift for a special couple. Also, couldn't resist a pic of Ben playing outside and being his usual adorable self. (I mean, can any mom resist???)



A while ago, I bought this book which shows you how to make knitted greeting cards...no, the cards themselves aren't knitted, but you knit mini items (such as scarves, socks, sweaters) and add them to the front of the card. They're really cute, but I think you would only make one for a fellow knitter and if you had LOTS of free time and motiviation. Also a pic of the adorable sock-blocker-sock keychain that I now have...sock knitted by me with yarn leftovers and blocker courtesy of the super Heather of Sereknity Yarns.



On the above center is yet ANOTHER yarn that I dyed last week (while I was simutaneously cooking dinner, cleaning, reading and maybe even going to the bathroom...who knows!) called "Birthday Cake". It's a worsted weight merino in sweet, bright pastels...it's very possibly self striping...I set it up that way, but I may have made a mistake, so we won't know until Marion knits it up. Hint, Hint.

I also received my package from Berlin, Germany from the Fantastic Lolly. We traded...I got her a subscription to Interweave Knits and she sent me these lovely needle bags (better pics of it here and she's also selling her pattern for them as well. Get them NOW! Being the super person she is, she also sent me handmade stitch markers made into a Giving Flower, mug of beer, hamburger (Ben's favorite) and strawberry (Tim's favorite). So pretty! Thanks, Lolly!!!



Above center is the Black Pearl Yarns I have been waiting for!!! The creamy colored ones are called "Jasmine Pearl" and are 100% cashmere. I CANNOT tell you how beautiful these yarns are. I can try to describe them in three words:

Buttery, Creamy and Orgasmic.

Okay...I guess that could also describe some sort of dessert but, hey, I LOVE dessert! Buy some of this yarn immediately. The other colors not only have fabulous names (like Chai Tea, Bamboo, Cherry Blossom, etc), but are truly pretty oriental shades.

The other yarns pictured are from Yarn Botanika and are in the "Bluebells" colorway. I'm using both the Black Pearl Yarns and the Yarn Botanika yarns to knit my patterned lace socks for Black Pearl. One will be fully in cashmere and the other will be in dk sock yarn so you could see how you could also use my pattern for yarn in your current stash. I'm working on those right now....and I'm loving EVERY minute of it!

Hmm...is there anything else I forgot to add??

Oh, yes.

I found this great blog (and also bought a skein of his hand dyed yarn called "Sesame Street").....Adam Knits. You should check it out...it's cool.

So, to sum up my weekend....

I knit, I spun, I cleaned....I dyed.

The End.