Wilton Dyeing

'Twas a very dreary, rainy weekend & I had nothing to do. So I headed off to yonder Michaels and procured a quantity of icing dyes. What follows is a pictorial representation of events. :)

Honey stated that this "looks like a tie-dye exploded!"
But in a good way.

Behold the finished skeins!

The skeins are much lovelier when viewed individually, but I thought this post was already a bit picture heavy.

The 2 skeins on the left are worsted weight and were my 1st skeins dyed. I hand-painted them and then tried to set them by simmering them in a pot. The colors ran too much and muddied, so I ended up overdyeing them. They turned out pretty good considering.

The 2 skeins on top right are fingering weight (sock yarn). They are self-striping and were dyed using the same method as my previous kool-aid dye session.

The 3 skeins on bottom right are hand-painted and were set using the microwave.
I'm really pleased with this batch of dyeing. The wilton dyes are easy to use and blend soooo much better than the kool-aid. The colors are more vibrant as well, although they still pale next to professional acid dyes. However, I don't have a dedicated dye-space, so the non-toxic food coloring will work for me for now.

BTW- I will be off for a few days. Honey & I are going to Seattle on Friday to finally meet Declan and hang out with his parents as well as Honey's brother & family. It's a short trip, only for the weekend, but well worth it. I will be sure to give the rundown when I return! :)

If That's What You're Into

Finished the first Gryffindor sock! Whee! 4th time's the charm apparently. I'm very pleased with the pattern and the resulting sock. Seriously loving this yarn too. It's the first time I've knitted with this particular brand, but it definitely won't be the last. Yummy!

In Sockapalooza news, my downstream pal finally received her package! I was so worried that it was held up in customs or lost. Such a relief! And she appears to like her package! Yippie! My upstream pal contacted me last week to let me know that I'm not forgotten and that she is almost done. I hope to have my package within the next week or so.

In other news, Honey & I have been catching up on episodes of Flight of the Conchords On Demand, thanks to the encouragement of Joanne. OMG! This is my favorite show right now (aside from Dr. Who). So incredibly funny! And the song spoofs are brilliant! The stars are a comedy team from New Zealand, and the premise of the show is that they are a band from New Zealand trying to make it in New York City. Honey says that it shows everything about the music business that Spinal Tap missed. The "Bowie" episode is particularly great. Here's a little taste... (Psst, this isn't for the kiddies!)

The Owl Has Landed!

Hallelujah! The new sock yarn has arrived! My poor owl is getting quite a workout with all my indecision on this project! The red isn't as dark as I had hoped, and there is a little bit of orange in the yarn, but I think it will work perfectly with the pattern I have chosen. I just hope my fair Gryffindor pal will be pleased.

Off to knit...

Stardust

Just got back from seeing Stardust. Fantastic! As some of you know, Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite authors and I've been anxiously awaiting this film's release for quite a while now. Unfortunately I had to delay seeing it because Kris was away with the circus last weekend. It was totally worth the wait!

Y'all know I'm not that eloquent when it comes to reviews (or anything for that matter), so bare with me.

The film is remarkably faithful to the novel, I suppose that's because the author wrote the screenplay. The casting was great, wonderful special effects and they managed to squeeze a lot of the plot in with out it feeling rushed (unlike the recent Harry Potter movies). Robert DeNiro was especially good... very different role for him! :)

This is the first of Gaiman's novels to be made into a movie (Neverwhere doesn't count, it was a tv movie before it was a book!) and I couldn't be more thrilled with the result. This is infinitely better than the film representations of his other works, especially MirrorMask. This gives me great hope for Beowulf, for which he co-wrote the screenplay.

This is a great film for the whole family. There is a bit of violence, but it is not at all graphic. I will be dragging my niece off to see this one. Mary, if you're reading this, you must go see it if you haven't already!

Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke

This sweater was actually completed on the 4th but I didn't want to post until Autumn received her present, which she did this evening.
I don't know why the image is showing up grainy on blogger, it's fine on my computer & flicker. (sigh) If you click the image you will be able to see it better! Unfortunately the sweater doesn't photograph well when not being worn.

Pattern: Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke by Pam Allen
Yarn: 5 skeins of Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca D.K. in Lilac (Color #1720)
Needles: size 4, 5 & 6.

Notes: The only modification I made was to use smaller needles, the pattern calls for size 6, 7 & 8. By dropping down 2 needle sizes I was able to size down the sweater to a 25" chest following the directions for the smallest size. I knit the sweater to the length called for in the pattern as well.

I really like this pattern. It was a quick knit and the cables added enough interest to keep it from getting boring. I'm very pleased with the results. And it fits her perfectly!

Drats! Foiled Again!

Ok. These Gryffindor socks are out to get me! I worked the leg on both socks, turned the heel & started the foot on one. It was looking kinda small so I tried it on. Well... I attempted to try it on. I couldn't get the dang thing over my heel. Now, Avada's feet are a little smaller than mine but not much. If I can't get it over my heel, the likelihood is that she won't be able to either.

Now I have a dilemma. I really like this pattern...
but the number of stitches is not adaptable. The yarn I have needs to be knit on size 1 needles or smaller. In order to use this pattern I will need to find a different yarn that can work on size 2+ needles. I actually have some Lorna's Laces that would be perfect but they were picked out by Autumn especially to be knit into socks for her. I think she would hurt me if the yarn was misappropriated.

So, do I search for a different yarn? Or do I go on yet another pattern search in order to use the yarn I already have? Input is desired and the cats are no help!

UPDATE: I have just purchased yarn that I think will do quite nicely for this project and should allow me to up the needle size! Now I just need to wait for it to arrive! I guess I will just have to cast-on something else to knit in the meantime.

Why I Love Joss Whedon

Can't believe it took me a year to find this.

Equality Now

btw- if you're wondering who the heck he is, among other things, he's the creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly/Serenity... and he wrote the screenplay for Toy Story.

Tagged Again

I've been tagged for another meme. This one comes via Mary.
A Harmless Meme . . .
10 Firsts
First best friend - Kristi
First screen name - midnightangel
First pet name - Dusty, a wonderful mutt who lived 18yrs.
First piercing - earlobes
First crush - Oh, I can't remember.. probably Micky from the Monkees, Mark Hamil or Parker Stevenson (loved them Hardy Boys!).
First CD - The White Album by the Beatles. First album? Probably the Robin Hood soundtrack.
First school - Henry Ruff
First house location - On Alvin in Garden City, MI
First kiss - oh, I can't remember his name... Glen somebody? Couldn't of been that good, didn't make a lasting impression. Now, if we're talking first time.. that I remember. XD
First car - 1979 Mercury Capri hatchback. Loved that car. It threw a rod whilst doing 70mph down I-75.

9 Lasts
Last time you smoked - Smoked briefly as a teenager. Quit when I was 19 or 20.
Last food you ate - Masala Dosa (just had dinner at an Indian restaurant!)
Last car ride - Home from Borders & Indian Restaurant
Last movie you watched - The Simpsons Movie yesterday with my niece.
Last phone call - Kris
Last CD you listened to - Nineteeneighties by Grant Lee Phillips
Last bubble bath you took - Can't remember.. at least 2 years ago
Last song you listened to - Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me by Grant Lee Phillips (see above)
Last words you said - Kris, let the dog in please.

8 Have You Evers
Dated a best friend - yep, married him. :)
Been arrested - no
Been on TV - Not that I'm aware of
Eaten sushi - no thank you.. I don't even like cooked fish. bleck.
Cheated on your b/f or g/f - nope
Been on a blind date - yes
Been out of the country - yes, Canada
Been in love - definitely

7 Things You Are Wearing
Glasses, t-shirt, jeans, socks, shoes, bra, panties

6 Things You've Done Today
1. Fed the animals
2. Went to work
3. Blog surfed
4. Bought a new book
5. Played with puppy
6. Kissed my hubby

5 Favorite Things (not in any order)
1. Knitting
2. Reading
3. Music
4. Movies
5. Spinning

4 People You Most Trust
1. Kris
2. Dawn
3. Joanne
4. Brian

3 Things You Want to Do Before You Die
1. Travel Abroad
2. Move to another state
3. Make a living doing something creative.

2 Choices
Vanilla or chocolate - chocolate
Hugs or Kisses - Kisses

1 Person You Want to See Right Now
Declan; I'm dying to meet the little guy. :)

BTW- I finished the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke Sweater. I will post pics after Autumn's birthday. :)

August Yarn Of The Month

It's that time of the month. I received my August sampling yesterday.




First off is Tara By GGH. This is 72% cotton/28% nylon. The yarn is a bit fuzzy and very springy! While fondling it I kept thinking this would make a super comfy robe, and at $7.35 a skein that isn't an unreasonable project.



Next is Organic Worsted Weight Columbia by Nature's Palette. This is 90% Organic Columbia Wool/10% Mohair. This is a very rough, scratchy yarn. Not suitable for garments, but I believe it would felt well. Although, at $20 a skein you are better off sticking with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for your felting project.

I saw this review of the yarn that is of an entirely different opinion from mine, but I can't help think the reviewer was swayed by her liking for the manufacturer. I love that it's made with organic yarn and natural dyes. The color is beautiful, but I don't think the product justifies the cost.

Lana D'Oro By Cascade Yarns. 50% Alpaca/50% Wool. When I saw the Alpaca content I thought this would be softer than it is. I would say it's slightly rougher than merino. It has a nice luster and I believe would give excellent stitch definition. At $6 a skein, this is a good buy and would be great for a man's sweater.

Lastly, Ty-Dy By Knit One Crochet Too. 100% Cotton Yarn. Very soft, smooth yarn. Lovely colors. Nice twist, so there shouldn't be too much splitting. The $12.85 price tag is a little high for my taste, but it definitely is a high-quality yarn and I don't think the price is outrageous.