This is all the yarn I've recently acquired from swaps, RAKs, and buying things.
It includes LOTS of things I've never tried before. Tons of indie-dyed things (omg I are indie yarn virgin, and I think I just became an indie yarn nympho), and my first ever Tencel and silk yarns! Yes, before now I've only used wool and acrylic. Also two Noro sock yarns (Kureyon and Silk Garden).
In the top left you can sort of see the natural yarns I skeined up and am going to dye as soon as I track down a local store that sells acid dyes. Two laceweights and two worsted, all 100% wool. One of the worsteds is a gift for my sister's birthday.
And yep, I did roll in it!
Inventory:
Noro silk Garden
Noro Kureyon
Yarn Pirate Merino/Tencel
Yarn Pirate Merino Superwash
Lovesticks Superwash Falkland Sport
Knitpicks BARE merino lace
Lotus Yarns Buddha
Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool
Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool
Unknown brand wool roving (maybe superwash? will have to test)
As nutty as I am for color, sometimes there is just something awesome about undyed wool. Sheep come in tons of different colors (sometimes even multiple colors on the same sheep!). You could knit without touching a drop of dye and still have enough different shades to make a complex Fair Isle sweater.
I participate in a "Random Acts of Kindness" group on Ravelry. People post wishlists, and if you have something on their list, you can send them a gift. I love sending out surprises, and it makes opening the mailbox a lot like Christmas morning: I either get an itchy "novelty" sweater from Aunt Sara (bills and junk mail) or Lego and comic books (Yarn! Or postcards! Or candy!).
Today I got a fabulous package from one of the ladies in the group, and it included this natural yarn from
Gaspereau Valley Fibers. I opened the website and paraded around the house telling everyone "THIS yarn came from THOSE sheep!" Okay, probably not those exact sheep in the photograph, but at least some of their relatives and friends.
The yarn itself is lovely. It's a nice, soft creamy color. Feels nice and wooly (little bit of lanolin, but not much). It doesn't smell of sheep like wool does sometimes, even when wet.
I'm planning on splashing some dye on it, but leaving parts natural to let the wonderful sheepy color show through. Color scheme to be decided when I plan on what to make with it! Laceweight doesn't come my way so often, so it's a special treat when it does.
Yarn Stats:
2 ply wool
25 micron count (Being a geek, I love that they include this on the label! I've never seen that done before!)
100 grams per skein
800yds/100g
3200 yards per pound
I measured it myself with my handy WPI calculator, and it looks like it's about 18.
Thanks again, Karen. Definitely a gift to be treasured.
What wonders are to be found at the local library!
I was wandering through in search of a book on Microsoft Office for my mother (try as I might to teach her, she just needs to have instructions open in front of her), when I stumbled across this title. A book on spinning, written by someone who started out with no knowledge at all and got to be an expert? Sounds like a good read to me!
Before you pick the book up, realize that it was published in 1971. This may make it seem a bit "dated" if you're expecting glossy pages, artistic photographs, and modern prose. You're not going to get any of that. My copy smells a bit musty, there are no photographs, and the writing style isn't like the knitting books I'm used to. What you do get is well-drawn (and sometimes funny!) black-and-white illustrations, and an interesting approach to the subject matter.
Rather than writing as an instruction guide, Marilyn Kluger tells you a story. She starts with her first exposure to spinning at her grandmother's house, gives you tips on finding a wheel based on her own experience, and explains what she found was the best way to detangle and clean a raw fleece. Reading her book, you feel like you're learning right along with her, not being lectured.
The book does focus mainly on wheel spinning, but even as a spindler I found things to appreciate. There is one chapter on using a hand spindle, and the sections on finding, preparing, and dyeing fiber are useful to spinners of all tool preferences.
Maybe someday I will pick up a wheel and put more of the book to use, but for now I'm happy to appreciate what I can. After all, we're all just making string out of sheep.
We all know hand-dyed yarn is gorgeous and to be coveted. and something you dyed yourself is even more so, since it's completely one-of-a-kind and custom-made to your own tastes.
But sometimes we don't want to jump in to dyeing our own fiber. Maybe you have small children and don't want them accidentally playing with potentially-toxic chemicals. Maybe you don't want the hassle of keeping your dye pots and utensils separate from your cooking pots and utensils. Or maybe you're on a budget and don't want to spend a lot of money on dyes, mordants, and all the other supplies you'd need to get started.
Well, no more excuses for you! There is a way to home-dye that's cheap, non-toxic, and easy. All the necessary supplies are available at your grocery store, and you probably already have most of them at home. What would you say to that?
Personally, I say....
Yes, that's right, Kool-Aid. It comes in tons of colors, and you can mix them to make even more. It's acidic, so it will dye protein fibers (wool, silk, alpaca, soy... I even used it to dye my hair as a teenager).
You can use any microwave-safe plastic or glass bowls you have on hand. Some people use metal, but personally I shy away from them because they could potentially react with the acidic dye. Since everything you're using is non-toxic, you can go back to using them for food after a wash. They may stain a little, but the residue isn't harmful.
You need:
1. Your protein-based yarn or fiber. You can use a blend if you like, but the colors won't come out as vibrant and may fade more quickly. For this batch, I used a 100% wool roving.
2. Lots of Kool-Aid. For bright colors, a good rule of thumb is one packet of Kool-Aid per ounce of yarn. For less saturated colors, use less. Since I wanted a semi-solid with some fiber left white, I used one packet per two ounces. The color is called "Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade".
3. Water.
4. A few large bowls, plus cups and spoons for mixing.
5. A turkey baster, paintbrush, or other method of applying dye (for painting). I love to use my
basting bottle.
6. Your microwave
7. A plastic sheet (such as a tarp or garbage bag) to protect your workspace.
Step 1: Wash Up
Fill your sink with water, and swish in a little bit of wool wash or detergent. Wash your yarn and rinse well. Then drain and re-fill the sink with clean water. Let the yarn soak until you're ready for it.
Step 2: Mix Up
Do you want your yarn to be solid or painted? Solid yarn will be the same color all the way through. Painted yarn will look mottled, variegated, or striped depending on how you apply it.
For a solid yarn, add some water to a large microwave-safe bowl (make sure to leave room to submerge the yarn!). Then dump in the Kool-Aid packets and mix well. The ratio of water to dye doesn't matter, just the ratio of dye to yarn.
For a painted yarn, mix your packets with water in a cup (coffee cups work well for this). Again, the ratio of dye to water doesn't matter. I use about 1/2 cup water per packet of KA.
Step 3: Time to Dye
If you're making a solid yarn, this next step is simple! Just dunk the soaked yarn into the dye bath, making sure it's all covered up.
If you're making a painted yarn, this is the fun part. Lay the wet yarn out on your plastic, and start painting. You can drip, pour, squirt, brush, or splatter the dye on. As mentioned before, I use a basting bottle, which lets me do a little of each. Get creative, and have fun. When you're satisfied with your results, transfer the dye-covered yarn to a microwave-safe bowl.
Step 4: Cook It
Heating the yarn/dye/water mix will help the fiber absorb all the dye and make it permanent. Just stick the whole thing in the microwave, covering it loosely with plastic wrap to avoid splattering.
I heat mine in 2 minute cycles: cook for 2 minutes, let cool for 2 minutes. Repeat until the water looks mostly clear (which meand the yarn is absorbing most of the dye). My batch today took 4 cycles to get clear, depending on how powerful your microwave is and how much dye you used, yours may be more or less. Just keep going until it looks right!
Step 5: Cool It
When the water is clear, drain it off (leaving the yarn in the bowl), and let the fiber cool to room temperature. In the meantime, grab some sock knitting you've been procrastinating on.
Step 6: Rinse Clean
Once your yarn is cooled off, it's time for the final wash. Get a stream of running water close to the same temperature as the yarn, as sudden changes in temperature can cause it to felt. You may see a little dye coming out in the water, or you may not. Either way is no cause for concern.
Step 7: Oh, Hang It All
Your dyeing experience is done! Now all you need to do is hang up your yarn to dry.
To make it dry faster, I like to lay out the yarn and gently squeeze it between two towels. Be sure not to wring or twist, as this can break fibers. Just press it gently. This step is optional, but if you do it, you'll have much faster drying.
Now hang the yarn someplace well-ventilated. I do it in my bathroom, or outside on a sunny day.
Once it's dry, you're ready to enjoy your results! Isn't custom yarn a beautiful thing?
Things have been insane in SP-land lately, and I've had almost no time to post!
Finally I've slowed down enough for an update to post some fibery goodness.
I'm drowning in yarn!
A semi-local yarn store (The Yarn Gallery in Dunedin, FL) is closing down at the end of the month, and I got a chance to hit up the closing sale. I ended up with some Cherry Tree Hill Merino Lace and some Regia sock yarn.
The Regia is in the Mirage Fog colorway, and will be turning into a pair of socks for my dad. I haven't decided on a pattern yet (suggestions welcome!), but probably an interesting rib pattern.
The laceweight is an interesting story. I bought it because there is a ton of it (2400 yards!), it was a good deal, and it's beautiful. No idea what to make with it yet, there's enough for 2 shawls or sweaters! I'm not much of a shawl person, but I may make some of it into a lacy shrug or scarf. I've been eyeing Jeanie from Knitty, or maybe I'll modify Arbor. If all else fails, I'll sell or trade it on Ravelry.
Bye-bye, Yarn Gallery. I'll miss you!
Later today I'm heading out to meet a lady from Freecycle about even more yarn. She has a few old sweaters she's giving me for unraveling purposes. Personally, I love recycling things. Why throw away an old sweater when you can make it into a new one? But a lot of recycled yarns have the disadvantage of being faded, stained, or just not exciting.
Well, with a little work and creativity, we can change this! My plan is to handpaint the yarns, re-skein them, and wash them so they're like new again. And since I've got more of this than I can (or want to) knit, I'm planning on setting up an Etsy shop to destash a bit and spread the love of beautiful, environmentally-friendly fiber. More information, and a link to my Etsy shop, will be posted when I get everything set up.
