It sounds so eco and easy and fun…but when I tried it with t-shirts, not so much.
My daughter and granddaughter are here for the summer, and we decided to try tie dyeing t-shirts and some yarn with koolaid sprinkles. First off, I had trouble finding a good variety of colors. I bought what they had and needed much more than I thought. So, a trip to the store to search out alternatives like other powdered drink mixes and even jello flavors was our Hail Mary. Please, don’t follow my instructions because I’m not instructing! I read a caveat somewhere that you have to use koolaid that is unsweetened, specifically the kind to which you add sugar. Makes sense. And most of our alternative products did not fit this description.
In the end, my skein of yarn using only koolaid turned out …and the t-shirts faded out in the first wash, except for the jello bits. That turned into permanent crusty blobs.
Here’s photos from the second attempt, using Rit Dyes. Fingers crossed the colors stay!
First, flats to paint!
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Can’t rotate this
T-shirts are dyed a second time (after the koolaid fiasco). Looking good!
Blanks: It keeps me up at night thinking about blanks… Here is a palette which is knitted up double. It's intended for socks, for sure, because once you paint it you have 2 balls of 50 grams each, one for each sock to be identical.
I have to chuckle, because when I started to knit my two socks, I THOUGHT I would knit two-at-a-time on one circular needle. Knit them without rolling the yarn into a ball! But my real intention was to figure out if my pattern on the blank would convert to the same pattern on a sock. So, a better use of my time would be to do 1 sock, and see if that's what I wanted.
I knew it wasn't going to be simple, and a bit disappointed that it wasn't MADE simple by KnitPicks. First of all, what you see on the blank is knitted double with a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch. On the label it says the yarn is to be knitted with needles #1-3 for a gauge of 7-8 stitches per inch. And second, and maybe even MORE confounding is the fact that the blank is knitted in stockinette back and forth (flat) and socks, well, are circular.
big foot sock – notice purple is pooling as I had hoped
After much deliberation (instead of a good night's sleep), I figured that a symmetrical pattern located at the vertical mid-point could line up with using each row of blank as one row of circular knitting. I knew I wanted 64 stitches around in fingering weight with small-ish needles, but if that didn't "eat up" a full row of blank, the pattern wouldn't line up. And… it didn't. Not until I loosely tensioned the yarn with US 4/3.5 mm needles. Even then, it wasn't totally reliable, and the fabric was very loose, and you could see right through it. That, my friends, makes for very poor socks…socks that will wear out fast, and your "big-foot" recipient will hate it. Even as a hanging Christmas stocking, there would be no surprise as to what's inside!
I found knitting at the 7-8 sts=1 inch gauge makes a great sock, and the colors swirl around, and I'm very happy. (See email for photos.)
OK…I'm done with wordpress for now. I'm going to continue my ramblings directly to you on email. Let me know if you want to be removed from my mailing list. (WordPress isn't "talking" to my photos, and I can't be bothered to figure out the problem.)
I recently was commiserating with my fellow knitter as she was finishing up a (gorgeous/ingenious) blanket project that used up hundreds of bits of fingering yarn. The original stash buster! But, as the end neared, the dreaded "weave in the ends" process made it painful. So painful that she confided that she had COUNTED the remaining ends just to give herself some solace that she was gaining ground. I suppose counting 60 plus ends was a respite.
Now it's my turn...two mittens...
Any guesses how many ends? No contest; I'm not counting!
The finished mittens sure are…”original”. Used countless patterns to create them.
To the uninitiated eye, these look like ordinary masked women... but in reality, they are knitters/crocheters extraordinaire(s)! We decided to NOT wait for the San Juan County Fair 2021 and host our own event.
Enjoying the 90º F backyard, awaiting the tallying of votes, patiently, we resisted the urge to just award EVERY entry a first prize.
A Table full of lovely items...and a line of more lovely items. Lots of hands on here! Click to enlarge.
Not room on the line for all!
Everyone had something that was either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, and we all took home various white elephant gifts. And feasted on Apple Pancakes and other treats, AND we took home produce from Jenny's and Callie's gardens. WIN-WIN-WIN!!
Muttering overheard (above): "This is impossible to judge."
And the WINNERS are: TWO BEST OF SHOW... It was a tie!
Kay with Baby Sweater and granddaughter Jenn with a stunning silk shawl!
For closer looks at my articles, you'll have to go to Ravelry Here.
Starting something, when I had many others on needles, is the thing to do, just to make oneself happy... Most of all, I need to have socks on needles in case I have to go out. But who's going out these days? Not me. So I started socks with this beautiful yarn only to discover that it was SOOOO beautiful that I couldn't stand the thought of wearing it on my feet!
Using my book of Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders I found this pattern called Celeste Shawl. The photos in the book really didn't do it justice, and I was fully prepared to get to a point where it would be disappointing and I would rip it out.
But it didn't disappoint, and with blocking to bring out a pointed edge, I LOVE IT! And the color!!!
Yarn: Rockshelter Sock by Meadowcroft Dyeworks. 100% merino. YUM!
And speaking of YUM...
I'm learning about sourdough bread making. This is definitely my best attempt at making the "big hole" type of "rustic" sourdough. A friend shared her starter, and recipe, and with the help of the Internet I've been making bread 2-3 times a week.
Plus, the need for face masks... I've made 4 so far, for ourselves. I've been tempted to make them in great numbers like my friends have, to give to the many who are requesting them, yet, when I get done with 2 (at a time) I'm not as eager to continue.
Good news! After starting and restarting my Las Cruses cardigan (Laura Nelkin design), and ripping out parts 3 times because of bad calculations on MY part, I came to the point where I ran out of yarn. That's the good news? No, good news to come:
Yes... the rookie mistake. And not just ANY yarn! A dye lot created for the Taos Wool Festival 2019 in beautiful bamboo. Limited supply... and where did they go? Well, a close friend bought some for a project, yet NO ONE BUT ME, entered it into Ravelry!
So, tracking down enough yarn to knit the collar, which is a thin band down the fronts and around the neck.
The tracking begins (even before I ran out, because I could see it coming):
1) I give a shout out to my friend but she hasn't finished her project and is hesitant to commit. Friendship only goes so far!
2) An email to the dyer, and to the shop where I bought it. Dyer replies I should try the shop.
3) Shop owner of Mooncat Fibers, in Taos, replies (the GOOD NEWS) that she thinks she has almost a full skein left at home!
4) This morning, she's sending it my way. Last night I dreamed I used that leftover to "begin" the finishing. A bit of a restless night...I never got past the first three stitches of the collar, redoing it over and over...
5) I got plenty of time!
6) A drawback to Nelkin's designs... They are difficult (or maybe I should say impossible) to try on for fit, and upon finishing, I discovered the sleeves were WAY, I mean 8" WAY too long. And had I known that, I wouldn't have had to buy more yarn. Bamboo, drapey, and nice but difficult to judge how long it will be...I ended up shortening the sleeves, and now, it's finished.
I usually love my cats... until I sit down to knit, put my feet up, and one or more land in my lap. They know I'm less likely to move, and it will be comfy for them for a length of time. And they let me know how happy they are by extending their claws into my thighs, and making me jump, and swat at them, and leaving me little reminders of their love.
This is one of them....
And my other "skinny jeans" all tell the same tale. The elastic that makes them skinny catches on them, and, well, I curse those cats every time it happens.
Today, I thought I must be resourceful enough to make this less of a reminder every time I wear them.
I must say, it turned out to be easy, but not before I attempted to use a tiny needle, which led to using a needle threader, (after 10 minutes I managed to do the deed). On my second "pull" I found I needed 4 hands to hold a needle threader, needle, crochet hook and push the "pull" through. But WAIT!
With only the tiny (size 11) crochet hook, the process was sped up, and in no time I had fixed 4 pairs of jeans of numerous pulls. Once I had fixed a few, more and more became evident... which I gladly fixed (by pulling to the wrong side) and I decided I can live with my cats....again.
I wish I had taken photos of my deep blue jeans. They were quite the wreck and little white pulls in the deep blue made me quite ANGRY!
All is well! I'm so lucky to have JUST THE RIGHT TOOL!
Just a thought... Time for a tea cozy. Languishing in a cupboard for almost 4 years, I finished this in 3 days, and decided rather than making it for a teapot, it could be used for a mug.
How many times I've made a cup of tea, set it down to steep, picked up knitting, and half hour later... not hot. Maybe this will work!
Naming techniques of knit stitches was discussed last weekend...Bavarian, twisted and traveling stitches can all mean similar things yet here's the ultimate traveler! Traveled hundreds of miles today and thousands more coming up... what a riot of colors! Certainly not a subtle craft when I pull it out of the bag.
At the Riga airport, I lost my points....SAD FACE! And I was very grumpy, too. Security said no knitting needles under 5 mm. THAT'S US 8! Huge! Because I was traveling with knitters, of course, I had needles. My tiny (indeed dangerous) 1.25mm and 1.5mm dpns were taken away which were actually in a project...(pulling them out took a deep breath and sigh) and the points were cut off, leaving the cable in this sock. I didn't point out that my traveling companion (in another security line) had the same.
This was taken AFTER my friend offered her extra 1.5mm.
Some thoughts: Maybe it wouldn't look so lethal if they had been separated. In fact, the dpns were all nested together. The Circular needle wasn't noticed in the first scan, but I offered them up for inspection before the second scan.
A little info about rivers in the West and Southwest:
Even though this is dated in April, the same is true today. Raging rivers... very soothing and noisy in Dolores, CO on our visit to the Dolores River Campground. Big attraction: Stay in a Conestoga Wagon. Very cool, in fact, COLD in the night! Used fan during the day (90ºs F) and heater at night.
In my "Where in the World" section to the right: I recently put in my mileage. Updated my Finished projects page, and was amused at all I've done! See anything interesting?
A few years ago, we got a new dog from the shelter. Everyone loves Mystic! She's oh-so-soft, and only barks if there's a large bovine in the backyard. Her tail wags constantly, and she's pretty much the perfect dog.
BUT, and there's always something, when she first arrived, she exhibited some anxiety issues which manifested itself as chewing up soft things on the floor. From that point, I learned I had to pick up my socks... In the picture there's a green patch on the top sock which I recently knitted in to make them wearable again.
Turkish Socks repaired
She's over most of her anxiety, however, it now only comes out when we have guests, and are preoccupied with having a good time. Then she disappears into another room and enjoys herself with a good chew, sometimes on our guest's clothing... Beware!
I was so lucky to find kind people, like Mette, who contacted people and arranged for me to meet with my friend's niece. And then Kaja (the niece) who took an afternoon off from moving to show me the family cabin I visited 45 years ago.
Here is a mix of photos from 2018 (summer) and 1973 (winter-long hair!).
Walking in to the cabin
Cabin - doubled in size from 45 years ago
Tea time
The fireplace is original
Games while it snowed
Sun after a dark winter 1973 (who are these people?)
Mick and Laila, going places or maybe cleaning the rugs
Easter egg coloring contest winner!
Enjoying the view
Kaja fetching water from the well, with just the right tool
A visit after 45 years with niece of our friend from the past. When we were there in March of 1973, there was snow so deep, this was unrecognizable.
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