This is the time of the year I think I love the best…
Gone is the scorching light, the kind of heat most of us hide from and in its place: cool breeze, fresh…
And all over the place, special seasonal outdoor fun is kicking up – my favorite being the ones that are all about the fiber…
Last weekend, I went to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby; at the same time there was a wonderful event in Michigan – Northern Michigan Lamb & Wool Festival (over by West Branch) and there’s fun percolating all over soon to come (Rhinebeck, anyone?)
But needless to say, working it outside whether you’re attending or showing can be really challenging especially in the really unpredictable weather at this time of the year.
My best friend? A sweater, a sweater with a hood. :)
Last weekend I went digging in the wardrobe and picked out my Cassidy to go to Canby.
But I’ve been working on something else that is just a little more adventurous.
To reward myself for getting some especially buggaboo work done, I pulled out the dyepot, in hopes of resurrecting this:
You don’t even have to look closely to see what is w.r.o.n.g. with this cardi – a TWIST style knit from taupe Cotton-Ease yarn.
Not sure what I was thinking but I’m pretty sure the lighting in my old house must’ve been super bad!
Can you see the different dye lots all over the landscape on this thing? Really impossibly ridiculous!
If I recall (and it’s been awhile, one of the downfalls of having a super stash), I was so excited by Sale Yarn that I soldiered on to the end when it just might’ve been smarter to just not go there at all.
But there it was. And I just wasn’t going out of the house wearing it even though, as far as the knitting went, it was Gorgeous.
DYEPOT TO THE RESCUE: Procion MX fiber reactive dye – Black (one bottle) & Navy (1/2 bottle); 3 cups salt; 1/4 cup soda ash AND, and this is important because this is a cotton blend yarn: HEAT.
I kept the whole thing on an almost simmer throughout the process. Total time on the stove was 1.5 hours start to finish.
And here is what I got for all that trouble (besides the one black thumb I got when I almost dropped the whole soggy mess on the floor while adding the soda ash):
I’m so happy I could dance!
Join me in celebrating this “urban renewal” with a little sale – for the next 48 hours, take 25% off the TWIST pattern – just enter the code twist25 in the Ravelry cart (area’s at the bottom) and VOILA! …expired on Oct 6, 2013…
[TWIST is a very wearable, classic design and includes both Hood & Collar instructions, all in a quick aran gauge. Leave off the sleeves for a really sweet vest!]
Now what’s left to do?
Why, take it out for a spin, but of course… {Don’t forget your scarf and some Doc greasy’s – perfect for the rain!]
