We won't stop until somebody calls the cops

The borrowed spinning wheel is looming, staring at me, waiting for me to finish my spinning homework. I think I know what I'm going to be doing with atleast part of my Sunday. I've still got a bit to get done before my next class on Monday. Thusfar I've really enjoyed spinning, but hanging out with friends I haven't seen much trumped sitting in my room. It's almost embarrasing to realize you've barely talked to people that live less than 30 yards away from you.

Yesterday pretty productive, as far as days off go. I got pictures taken of last weekends dyeing experiments. I'm pretty happy with most of those-- I tested out frosting colors in earnest (the first time was kind of half-assed and didn't go well at all) and "overdyed" some less-than-spectacular Kool Aid yarn. I also found that I LOVE Ashford's purple dye, despite it not really being purple. I'm hoping I have enough left to dye up a sweater's worth of yarn. I'm thinking it might lend itself to a Wicked sweater, or atleast something wicked-esque.

I also got the front of Baby's First Tattoo pinned up and set aside, and the back is about done with just a few decreases left before it gets set aside for sleeves. With any luck, this thing might be done while Wyatt is still small enough to wear it! (Then again, I cheated and started knitting the 1 year old size for my five month old brother.)

Now if I can just fortify myself long enough to finish Rambling Rose, I'll be set!

It wasn't until about three seconds after I dropped the yarn in the pot of dye that I remembered Samurai Knitter's experience with purples. It seems I am now left with something that looks somewhere between magenta and violet, though I'll probably have a better idea once it's dry. At the moment though, the only word I can think to describe it is "ultraviolet".

Thankfully, it was only a small hank of some of my handspun that I was using for an experiment (do two different colors of undyed fiber come out the same color?) , but I think the addition of a dye that is notorious for breaking down and making crazy colors might just affect my results. Ah well.

Pick your heart up off the ground, I'm sure it weighs a ton. You're no better and no worse than any mother's son

Progress check:

I finished one exterior side of the Hoop Purse-- which wasn't actually on the list I made yesterday, but still counts in my mind since I started it before the Grand Proclamation was made. Only three more sides like it (one outside, two linings) before I can throw the whole thing in the wash. I also got another pattern repeat on the argyle scarf knocked out on my lunch, so that brings the remaining length down to four feet, 10 inches.

Tonight we go to see a really good local band for their last show. Sometimes I think local music is dying around here, though I don't usually voice it because it tends to start arguments. Venues are shutting down for various reasons, bands are breaking up or moving out of town, and there are becoming fewer and fewer reasons to bother leaving the house at night. Hell, it's gotten to the point where the bar that seems like someone's basement is the one of the best (and only) places left to see a band.

Then again, maybe I'm just getting old and longing for the "good old days". You know, the ones that were really only so-so, but are really, really great in your memory. Cause really, one of the inherent traits of a college town is bands that come and go, and although there really is a dirth of good venues around town these days, something new will eventually pop up. Things ebb and flow around here, and we're probably just experiencing the latest downswing. If anything, I'm learning to appreciate how good we really had it.

It's shaping up to be a nice weekend after two weeks of downpour, so I might break out the barbecue and dye some more yarn. I want to test out the icing colors I bought, and maybe do an experiment with some hibiscus tea. It should produce a nice rosey color, but I want to see how deep a color I can make.

For now though, it's back to my purse. I'm hoping to get the first lining cast on and a bit knit before we go out tonight.

At long last, I finally got to update my ravelry and flickr accounts. I've been meaning to add pictures to my projects for some time now. It sounds silly, but it helps me feel like I've actually accomplished something recently to see it in list/thumbnail format.

I took a break from Christmas project knitting by doing some other knitting last night. I swatched for The Spencer Jacket from Fitted Knits, but still haven't quite gotten gauge yet. I also started in on the Little Sky Sock, and so far it seems to be making sense!

For now, it's back to the Christmas grind-- time to recast on the Pirate Mittens (my gauge got way too tight and they had to be frogged) , start the tea cozy, dye some sock yarn and make some rice! (I made curry.)

Cooking up some yarn.

I made another dyeing attempt this week on my (much-needed) day off. I've been kind of obsessed with dip dyeing lately, but wanted to find a set up that was easy to clean up and easy to keep the dog away from. When the solution popped into my head, it was so simple I couldn't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

Enter the grill.

Using the gas grill on my patio gave me an option that let me keep Gus inside and avoid potentially ruining my kitchen. During the process I put a tray on the main grill surface to keep the burners from getting spilled on and give me an additional place to set things. I probably could have just as easily left the main part closed, but I kept bumping the side of the cover so I had to get it out of my way.

Here's where I felt pretty cool. I screwed in a plant hook I picked up at Home Depot and added a 36" extender chain that can be taken off when not in use. I think the two together cost a whopping $4.00.
Hanging the yarn from a clothes hanger, I was able to move it up the chain to change the dye strength.

I grabbed my dyes (Louet Indigo and Saltbush, in the interest of full disclosure) a couple of skeins of white/natural stuff out of the yarn stash, two of Naturally Yarns Harmony and one of Araucania Nature Wool Chunky, and did a test run.

I need to work on getting my dye ratios worked out, because I didn't get the brightness of color I was looking for, but otherwise the endeavor was successful. After dropping the hank into the dye bath and very gently stirring with a wooden spoon, I hooked one end around the hanger and hung it up, raising it a couple of links every few minutes.

The result is a very subtle variegation that shifts almost imperceptibly from very light to a medium tone, leaving me with two skeins almost the color of faded denim and one muted lavendery-but-not sort of purple.

I think the lack of serious color saturation has more to do with the fact that I'm using yarn that's been previously treated for this little test project. I threw in a small sample from a different type of yarn and it turned SUPER dark. So we'll see how it goes with some dye-your-own product the next time around. Either way, I'm incredibly happy with how easy everything was to set up/take down. I was able to clean everything up in ten minutes flat!

Alrighty, off to swatch and see how my newly colored fibers knit up!