The Knaughty Knitter

Have you ever dyed?

Hand dyed yarn is a joy to knit with.  You can do your own without too much mess and chemical knowledge - just use Kool-Aid.  No need for dedicated dye pots and microwave and the kids can help out.  There are tons of tutorials on line for how to do this.  But here's how I usually dye with Kool-Aid and it seems to be a bit different method than most.  Use the one that you have to add sugar to, not the artificial sweetener kind. Set your yarn (wool or silk or fiber to spin) to soak in water. No vinegar needed - Kool-Aid is acid enough by itself.  Seriously, don't drink the stuff.  Get a large pot and fill it with water, heat to boiling.  Turn off the heat, pour in a packet or 5 of Kool-Aid depending on how intense you want your color and how much wool you have. Squeeze most of the water from your yarn and gently place it in the water, cover and let set about 20 - 30 minutes until the dye is absorbed.  If you gently stir it a time or two you will be sure to get the dye onto it evenly, but for a kettle dyed look, just let it set in one place.  You can also sprinkle another color onto the wool and if you leave it set with no stirring, you'll have spots of different color on your yarn.  Let it cool, rinse, hang to dry and you can knit your pretty yarn.

This bag was made from Kool-Aid dyed yarn before I opened the store (10 years this week).  Never fades...

Oh and the point of all this.......I got a LOT of dyeable yarn from Brown Sheep last week and thought I'd put it on sale for a bit.  The weather might hold for a while yet to do some outside dyeing so come get it.  There's Burly Spun, Bulky and Worsted Lamb's Pride and it is 15% off through Saturday this week.

New from Frabjous Fibers

I got a big box of spinning things from Frabjous Fibers....3 feet of sheep, lambs tails, Center Pull bumps for spinning self striping yarn, hand dyed roving braids, and then some merino and silk from Ashford came too.  If you want a new thing to spin for Tour de Fleece, it's here.  I think I will reward myself for all my spinning with a center pull bump at the end of the Tour.... Any one up for a spinning day at the store?  How about Saturday August 1st from 12-4.  Bring your wheel or spindle and come spin awhile.

Dye Days

Great weather and days off and energy all coincided lately and I got some dyeing done.  Here are pictures - dye porn if you will.

Oh the scarves are here and for sale... though I kept this first one for me.

End of Year Spin Off

Okay so I was searching for something in my closet in the fiber room at home this week and never found it of course.  But what I realized is that I have more fiber for spinning than I knew about.  I decided that I am going to spin like crazy for the next week and see how much I can get done between now and the 1st of the year.  I have already done about 7 oz since Thursday and have a luscious pale grey and white merino yarn, and lumpy bumpy novelty yarn with coils and sparkle in pinks.  I dug the 1/2 lb bag of camel down out of the closet and will have about hundreds of yards of fingering weight camel yarn in a couple of days (that takes longer to spin than the lumpy bumpy).  I got a spindle full of it last night though.  

So then on the way to work I was thinking we spinners might have a little stashbuster contest.  Who can spin the most yarn between now/today and Dec. 31st?  So send me a picture or a list of your unspun fiber stash, and then spin as much as you can between now and then.  Bring it in on Dec 31st (we close at 3 that day) and we'll record your accomplishment.  At the end of the day I'll see who did the most (by weight)  and they win a 4oz package of hand dyed roving.  Sorry Lisa, you work here and aren't eligible to win this one....

Handspun Yarns and more

I was looking at an old Knitscene a little while ago and found an article about Knit Collage - a relatively new company whose yarn I love.  They hire women in India who prepare the fiber and then spin every skein.  They are a fair trade company so they pay a living wage to the women there. Often folks come in and are shocked at the price of hand spun yarn.  But think of the labor involved in just one little skein.  One of their lines is Rolling Stone and has little bits of other fibers and sparkle and other things spun in.  Gypsy Garden has little flowers in it as well.  All those those things require an extra step in preparing to spin and more time and attention in the actual spinning.  A single skein of 35 yds can take an hour or two just to spin.  Even my own handspun here at the store with fewer fancy elements requires a lot of time and energy.  Often it is hand painted fiber (mine or someone else's) and then spinning 4 ounces of fiber can take a couple of hours or all day depending on the thickness.

Enough lecturing now....Here's my latest thing - the knitted version of the Sparkly Cowl that I put out on Friday.  The crochet version can be purchased in store or on Ravelry.  I will put the knitted version up this afternoon.    I must confess I like the crochet version better - it was faster.  Sorry for the picture, this camera won't do the colors very well....It is really a nice Christmas Red with Shiny Bits......I did this one in Plymouth Aire - a super soft Alpaca yarn that feels awesome.

 

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Spinning Circle, Saturday, August 11

Spinning circle is Saturday, August 4, August 11, from 1 to 3:30. Bring your wheel or spindle and spin with us. Spectators are welcome to stop by and see how it works.

 

Sequins are here!

I know that may not make you all excited, but I have been anxiously awaiting them.  This is String Me Along by Southwest Trading Co, and I have a bobbin of hand-dyed wool at home on the wheel - waiting to be plied with some sequin yarn.  We have 9 colors.  This yarn can of course also be strung along with a regular yarn or some other novelties to jazz it up.  I love sparkle!

Look what's new!

This alpaca yarn from Heart of the South Alpacas.  This yarn is like one that they donated for door prizes at the Fiber in the Boro and before they were picked up I used to go get them and just sit and feel them.  This was some of my favorite yarn of the festival and now it is here!  Alpaca fiber from here v. South American feels much different, somehow more substantial and solid than the South American.  When you come in next feel them both to compare - you'll be surprised.  These were grown here in Tennessee and mill spun.  They vary in weight and price, and are really wonderful.  No dyed ones though.  Just a bunch of colors of undyed fibers.....I got some spinning fiber too by the way.

I have added a hat class to the end of January's schedule.  It is a class where you can use any yarn, any needle, and make your own hat.  There are just some simple rules to remember and you don't need a pattern anymore! 

And I got an opportunity today to order some basic tapestry looms.  Is anyone interested in a tapestry weaving class?  Let me know and I will get them.

Gift Suggestion # ...oh who knows

But Thursday would be the last chance at getting a spinning wheel or loom here before the holidays.  I keep knitter's looms in stock but spinning wheels and the larger looms have to be shipped from the west coast so order today for delivery before Christmas.

Oh and yesterday was cowls....here's one I made this morning between customers.  1 skein, the pattern is free with purchase of Souffle by Berrocco....easy easy easy!