Psychedelia

I just can't stop dyeing sock blanks to get self striping yarn . . . . . and here is another example! One side was dyed black, and the other was supposed to be yellow, turquoise and bright, fuchsia pink. Some of the colors bled, giving some areas of purple and green. Not what I intended, but wow, the finished socks are quite fabulous!


What do you think?!

More from the Cauldron!

I had a great weekend this weekend working with the cauldron and dyeing up lots of lovely yarn including some super-soft MCN (merino/cashmere/nylon) that I kettle dyed.

I also dyed up some sparkly 'Twinkle' yarn (the rose/green/yellow and the lilac/green/yellow) Although it is hard to see on this photo, the yarn has little strands of silver running through it - very pretty!

Finally, I inadvertently bought some sport yarn rather than fingering and so I will be knitting this up myself; toe-up I think, so that I can get the most of the yardage. The blue/brown cream and the rose/brown cream is that yarn. Completed socks will be posted here :o)

The yarn is for sale in my Etsy Shop - so pop over and take a look!

Before and After

So here we go - this is what some of the blanks look like once knit up - starting with a rainbow dyed blank that had diagonal stripes. All the blanks are knit with double strands, and the socks are knit TAAT (two at a time)

For this yarn, I also wound it into a cake to show how the stripes looked. Fab!

And here are the socks - as you can see the color transition into each other sue to the diagonal dyeing.

In comparison, these socks were knit front a blank with horizontal stripes. The stripes are more pronounced, but nonetheless, they look great!


This blank was dyed to represent sky, grass and earth - a bit of a mish-mash of colors . . .

And they were knitted up into a pair of socks for hubby. Lovely - and more to follow!

Fresh out of the Dyepot!

Well, I had a fantastic weekend playing with the cauldron and this is what emerged! I wanted to try out dyeing sock blanks as the transitional changes of color can be quite spectacular. I made up the blanks on my Bond knitting machine using two threads so that the socks would be pretty much the same when knitted up. This design is based upon a landscape - blue sky, green grass, brown ground. It sounds uninspiring, but I am sure it will look great when knitted up - these will be for hubby xxx


The next blank is a rainbow - Dad wanted rainbow socks . . . . really! I actually did two rainbow blanks - one with horizontal stripes and the other with diagonal stripes. The diagonal striping will have more gradianting (it is a verb you know!!!) color stripes, it will be fun to see the difference!

At the end of my dying session I usually have some dye leftover - I also already have some made up solutions, so without further ado a splashed it all over a final blank . . . . it will henceforth be known as 'Fugly' - but I bet it turns out the best there is!


And finally -I dyed up some self striping yarn. This is my first attempt and involved a 32 foot circumference . . . . I won't be doing that again in a hurry! I had some spare yarn left and have a 'test skein' to knit up - photos to be posted soon!

Titanic

The Titanic Exhibition is here in Calgary, and what a fantastic exhibition it is. When you enter you receive a replica of the original boarding pass with details of one of the passengers. As you go round the exhibition you get the opportunity to learn a bit more about your passenger - the deck that they are on, and if you are lucky, you can see some of their possessions. As you leave you find out whether your passenger survived - I am pleased to say that mine did, but hubby's perished.

The actual items recovered from the sea bed are (in some cases) in amazing condition. One such items was a toothpaste container of which you could buy a replica in the gift shop.


Oh, and there is a piece of the ship in the exhibition that you can actually touch - it really is quite amazing and well worth a visit.

More FP's!

Well, this month has started the year off brilliantly. I have managed four finished projects - and I think that I may manage to sneak in another before close of business tomorrow!

First of all I have a pair of 'Knuckle Dusters' using Sue Brady's Basic Fingerless Mitts pattern (on Ravelry). The yarn is a smooshy cashmere/merino blend that I hand dyed. They fit perfectly and I have received many comments about them - I think that I will be knitting many more pairs for future birthday & Christmas presents :o)


I then completed a pair of 'car socks' that I can knit in the car on the way home from work :o) The yarn is Felici from Knit Picks and is just as lovely to wear as to knit. Lovely :o)

Finally, I finished the Christmas socks from the kit that Santa bought me. They are made from another cashmere/merino blend that is fully washable (yay!) So, if I keep this up, I could have 52 finished items by the end of the year . . . is it possible . . . we will have to see!

First Finished Project 2011

Last night I completed my first pair of socks for 2011. They are Coral Hederas and knit from Cookie A's Hedera pattern using Patons Kroy yarn hand dyed by myself. I'm very pleased with these and will probably test drive them today!

I did not keep a record of how many socks that I knit in previous years, so I am ready to start here! I would hope to knit at least one pair per month as a minimum but will aim for two pairs. I shall update the bar on the right with my 'finished' so watch this space :o)

SSS

Also known as 'single sock syndrome'. Sigh . . . . this is the bain of many a sock knitter - well, those of us who knit one sock at a time! So here is a small selection of some of my 'singles' who are looking for a partner!

This sock is knit using Knit Picks Tonal yarn - a lovely merino superwash yarn. The pattern is Serab by Hunter Hammerson and is a quick easy knit. I'm very pleased with this sock, and plan to knit its partner very soon! Hunter is about to release a book of sock patterns, I have pre-ordered the download version, and this pattern was a 'taster' from the book. If the others are anything like this, I am in for a treat:o)

I have used my 'Billy Basic pattern for this sock - it really is a simple pattern. This is the yarn from one of my Christmas presents which I photographed for an earlier post. The yarn has cashmere in it and it is supper soft. I have cast on for the second sock and it will be one of 'commuting' projects that I knit in the car when hubby is driving.

I am taking part in a KAL (knit-a-long) on Ravelry and this is my sock for January on the Cookie A KAL. The pattern is called 'Hedera' and the designer, Cookie A, is giving a talk and class in Tofino in April. I have booked to go and see her and am very excited about that! The yarn is my hand dyed 'Cherry Love'. I had planned to use the yarn for Serab, but it is a bit too thick for the tension - however, it suits Hedera perfectly. I am halfway down the foot so should have the pair finished this weekend. Another quick and easy project . . .

And finally a taster from my dye pot :o) I have played around and produced a spectrum that I will be using when my 'bare' yarn arrives. The colors here look so glorious and vibrant, I can hardly wait to start dyeing. I will be using the trade name of 'Witches Brew' and will be selling it on my Etsy site - so pop over and take a look!

Out of the Dye Pot!

OK, so I officially have the dyeing bug! After playing around with Kool Aid, I thought that I'd play around with some more dyes - in this case, Wilton's. I'm really pleased with the way that these have come out and wanted to share them! i used the microwave to 'cure' these yarns. The first is a Knit Picks Merino Bare and violet dye. I love the way that the dye 'broke' and the component colors, the pinks and blues, look lovely.


I am totally in love with this colorway, and will be replicating it in the future under the name of 'Kingfisher'. it consists of a number of blues/teals and copper for that contrast. Love it, love it, love it!



This is from a kit that I bought about a year ago from Gina Brown's in Calgary. The kit is by Louet and consisted of three 50gm skeins. Hubby loves the color way, so it looks as though there will be a pair here for him!


And finally, this is an experiment that went (a little!!) wrong, but I rather like the result! The plan was to have light green, yellow and lilac stripes. The green turned brown (it looks khaki in this picture, but is truly a lovely warm brown), but still looks pretty good! To me it seems as though the dyes know what they want to be and do rather than wanting me to impose my designs on them. . . . more practice required before I become the 'yarn listener'.


My next step will be to make a color wheel comprising of 12 colors. I've got one last ball of Patons left, so will probably use that to make mini skeins to practice with! Once I've done that, I think I will be making up yarn for my Etsy Shop. Woo hoo!

Happy New Year :o)

The New Year is nearly upon us and it is time to consider some resolutions . . . . well, got that over and done with quickly – now I can party :o) OK, OK, I resolve to use up my yarn stash and to sell on Etsy my surplus (as if there ever could be such a thing!) hand-dyed yarn and project bags – which lead me very nicely into a few items that I have just put in my Etsy store – go and take a look, you know you want to :o)




The project bags are my favorite design and came about because when I knitting my socks, this is the size and shape that I go to. I can fit one project per bag - they are lightweight, easy to carry and store, and look so cute. They follow my philosophy of sock knitting as well - let me explain. I love hand-knit socks. once you have tried them, you won't go back to shop bought ones again. But more than that, you can buy some very luxurious yarn - you only need 100gms, and that is pretty much it. No dozens of matching balls of yarn, worrying about dye colors, getting bored part way through a project etc. The same is true of these project bags, I am like a magpie with pretty fabrics and I only need small amounts to make one. And of course hubby is happy as my fabric is now moving out of my craft room and into the hands of a deserving owner!

Having segued into nicely into knitting socks, I have now finished my Dolly Mixtures Socks, using up leftover yarn. Love, love, love them :o)

Merry Christmas to One and All!

Well, Christmas was all I could have hoped for. Great food, company and pressies - all wrapped up in one very special bundle!

I was very spoiled with LOTS of yarn from Knit Picks and a fantastic kit from Simply Socks (see pic below). I plan to knit a pair of plain stocking stitch socks that will show off the colors beautifully.

So - how was Christmas for you??!

And Re-Skeined . . . .

This is how my Neon Punch looks after re-skeining it to a more acceptable length to fit my swift - pretty neat huh? I'll need to wind it into a cake before starting to knit, but I'm getting there!

Now I just need to choose a pattern! I suspect there will be some pooling, so I'm thinking a nice simple rib pattern.

For the Love of Dyeing . . .

To me, yarn is manna from heaven. I love the touch, the smell but most of all . . . . the color. I'm like a magpie when it comes to collecting the colors - I'm particularly fond of a green/yellow/lilac combination, and have one or two skeins in my stash that meet that criteria. I also see combinations day-to-day; you know the type, a beautiful sunrise, waves and sand on a beach, a wildflower blooming in a grassy field and those are just the obvious ones! So, I thought it would be fun to try out some yarn dyeing - and oh boy, I'm hooked! My first two experiments involved the use of Kool Aid. There have been many tutorials written on the subject, so I'm just going to give you the links! This Knitty article was very useful, as is this article from KnittyOtter.

So, after a trip to the supermarket, I was armed with some Kool Aid in Cherry, Orange and Lemon/Lime. I had some Patons Kroys sock yarn in Ecru sitting by, waiting for an opportunity to show how lovely it could be! I re-skeined the yarn and then soaked it in mild soapy water for 30 mins, meanwhile I dissolved one sachet of Kool Aid in two cups of water - three bowls, one color in each. After squeezing out the yarn and rolling it in a towel to dry a little more, I dipped a third of the yarn in each of the bowls, being careful not to mix the colors. I left a bare patch between each of the color joins and carefully squeezed the dye to fill the gaps. The yarn was then coiled into one of the baskets of my steamer, and left to steam for 30 minutes.

Once cooled, it was given a good rinse and left to dye. A quick twist . . . and it looked like this!Pretty cool huh? I need to re-skein it, but I proudly present to you, Neon Punch (1201).

I loved the effect the cherry had, so I mixed a second packet with the dissolved dye and dropped two more prepared skeins in to get Cherry Love (1202).

It must be love, love, love . . . .

Peppermill Exchange

It all started with me wearing a pair of hand knitted socks on a training course at work . . . I was wearing my September Mockery Socks and my colleagues commented favorably on them. They are rather cute - lovely fresh green lacy socks with cute silver lined crystal beads . . .

So, my colleague was looking for a Christmas pressie for his wife . . . . and he is a wood turner . . . so I now have a lovely handturned wooden peppermill, and he has . . . .


Hope she likes them :o) And on the subject of Christmas Gifts, we take our recycling to a small local dump where an old boy by the name of Willy always gives us a hand. Hubby got talking to him during the last visit and they got onto the subject of cold feet, hand-knitted socks, you get the picture? Well, it had to be done, and I knit a pair of chunky socks for Willy - and the name (well really, what else would you call them??) Willy's Warmers!

Prairie Skies & Yoga

I cast on on Monday for the mystery socks by the very talented picnicknits on Ravelry. A clue is released each by the designer in the form of a portion of the pattern. The clues run for four and at the end . . . . you will have completed a pair of gorgeous hand-knit socks. I chose some lovely lilac Tonal yarn from Knit Picks, and called my project Prairie Skies - the yarn just reminded me of one of the stunning skies that we get to see over the prairies. So, at the end of clue one . . . here is my sock so far . . . .

The yarn is actually more pinky lilac that the bluey lilac in the photo.

I've also recently taken up yoga. It is something that I have thought about for some time, and after one of my colleagues mentioned that she was going at lunchtime from work - I thought that I would join. I have been for three sessions so far - it looks as though twice a week will work well, and it is great. I certainly feel better for it - more stretched and relaxed. I have muscles where I did not realize muscles existed - and I only know that as I am so sore! Having lost 37lbs with Weight Watchers, I am hoping that this will tone me up, and help me lose the last 30lbs :o) It has certainly opened up a whole new world and I look forward to finding out more about this past time!

Trossocks & Somewhere Down the Lazy River

I've finally got round to releasing two more free patterns - Trossocks and Somewhere Down the Lazy River. They were both test knit on Ravelry, and here is the info on them:

Trossocks

In my head, where quite frankly this is plenty of space, I have this vision of Mr. D’Arcy striding across the moors with a kilt swinging in the breeze (hey, it’s my vision!) wearing a handsome pair of cream hand-knitted socks with cables and textured stitches. Sigh . . . ! I, of course, am waiting for him in front of a burning log fire in my matching socks (lilac for me please) – the perfect unisex footwear!

This lovely pattern, which suits all Mr. D’Arcy’s and his ladies alike, is made up of a pair of cables that run down the side of the sock and then split with two following the top of the foot and the other two bordering the heel flap. The centre front and back panels have a simple but effective textured pattern that keeps your attention without detracting from the Mr. D’Arcy vision. This is a cuff-down heel-flap sock with a wedge toe using the beautiful and economical Knit Picks Palette. Enjoy!

Somewhere Down the Lazy River

You believe that dropping stitches could be a design feature? Check!

Well, these socks could be for you! The drop stitch pattern reminds me of water running down a slow moving stream, meandering around rocks that are in the way. The yarn works really well with this pattern, but don’t restrict yourself to blues and greens :o)

The pattern is a fun, quick to knit, 20 row repeat. It is quite a loose fitting sock as extra stitches are used and dropped. Stitches should only be counted after rounds 9, 10, 19 or 20. It is a top down/heel flap design.

Both pattern can be downloaded for free if you are a Ravelry member, or for just $1.99 from my Etsy site. All proceeds from the sales of patterns on Etsy will be donated to my local greyhound rescue organization, SAGAA, and MacMillan Nurses.

Thank-you

WIPS & SSS

A common problem for many sock knitters is SSS (second sock syndrome) - in other words, they have completed one sock and for some reason they loose their mojo and the sock sits in the knitting basket all lonely . . . . . well, I thought that it was time for me to check out my own WIPs (work in progress) and see how things were looking. Oh goodness - 11 pairs waiting for a partner. To be fair for some of them I've only knit the cuff and one or two pattern repeats, so I guess that's really FSS (first sock syndrome!), but I have 11 pairs started that I would like to complete :o) A couple of pairs relate to patterns that I was going to sell on Knit Picks, but either I was not too enamored, or they weren't. I actually have three patterns for sale:

Ramage Socks


Funny Valentine Socks

3rd Dog Socks


So, dear readers, my commitment to you is to complete one SSS project per month. For October I'll be finishing off the socks for Sharon that I mentioned in my previous post, and November, hmmm, not sure yet but I will announce the 'winner' on November 1st!

Socks, socks, socks!

I just love this time of the month . . . . finishing off socks for one project on Ravelry and time to start planning the ones for the next month. This month I completed the SKA mystery socks - which should have been knit in black or white yarn . . . . . . what do you mean . . . . . . . these socks are not black or white??? I think you need to adjust your monitor :o) I called them my Mockery Socks (mystery-socks, geddit?!)
The pattern was a lovely one that included dainty beads and was a joy to knit.

I'm also about 75% of the way through some socks for my lovely sister-in-law - they will be winging their way to her for Christmas xx

Of course, this means that I have been using up my stash, and it needs to be replenished, so I have an order with Knitpicks that should be here in a couple of weeks. Woo Hoo!!

A new begining . . .

I've started blogs a few times - in fact, I have a couple floating around with about 10 or 15 posts on them. But in the end I kind of get bored. Well, not really bored, it's just that so far they have been about one particular subject - knitting, sewing, losing weight. Of course, the upkeep and maintenance takes time and they begin to fall by the wayside along with my enthusiasm. So, I had this idea . . . . why not just have the one blog and talk about everything in the one place. Clever huh! Bet you didn't think of that did you!