Dyed in the wool...

I've finished one project using my kool-aid dyed yarn...

This is Andrea's Shawl and it has turned out to be the perfect cool weather accesory.  I just wrap it around my neck and it adds a bit of eye-catching fall color.  Of course, 'cool' weather doesn't last forever in Minnesota.  Arctic blasts will be on their way soon enough so I've begun some coordinating items to accompany my shawl:

These simple, striped mittens based on the mitten pattern in Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns are now occupying my knitting chair.

Crisp Air

Fall is just beginning here but the air is crisp and cool and there are a few splotches of red and yellow among the leaves.  In celebration of the solstice and what is yet to come of autumn I thought I'd post some leaf/knit-peeping photos from fall last year.

Foliage!

Scarfage!

Sockage!

Mossage!

Crazy orange buggage!

Happy Autumn everyone!

Dyeing Experiment Numero Uno

I've wanted to try dyeing yarn for a long time (among so many other crafty things!) and I've just recently made my first steps.  It all began with a bunch of orange yarn gathered for me by my wonderful Mom from an estate sale in Arizona.  It looked like this:

While I like orange in principle, I was having a hard time picturing an entire item made out of heathered orange yarn.  The solution?  Kool-aid!

You can see a swatch of the original orange yarn in the lower right corner. I tried dyeing a short length of the yarn with grape, black cherry, and lemon-lime Kool-aid.  I was pleased with the warm brown I got with grape and the vibrant red that black cherry resulted in.  I decided to make Andrea's Shawl using the brown and red to show off the coordinating colors with some stripes.  First some reskeining and then into the pot with you!

Re-skeining...

Grape!  It's amazing how quickly the yarn pulled in the dye and the water went from nearly opaque purple-blue to clear.

Black Cherry!

Now the yarn has been rinsed and dried and is hanging out in my knitting chair and slowly turning into a shawl: