and I really do love it. Of course I cheated a bit, first off I didn't use the eyelet pattern, the Bucilla Linora that I used made the eyelets look weird. Second I worked the fronts and back all in one, just leaving a gap for the tie to come through. I also tapered the ties due to the added thickness caused by the yarn I chose. But if I do another I will taper the long tie far more than I did this time. I don't much care for the added thickness across my back. If I find the right yarn, one that would make the eyelet pattern look nice, I'd certainly like another one. (btw the color is "off" and the pic' doesn't show the texture)
***
The wrap was finished about 3 days ago. I've hardly been idle since then although I wasted one whole day casting on different projects only to rip them all out as I moved on to the next idea. I finally fixated on a shawl from an old Anna magazine. I'd even swatched it and was happy with it....but it's now cooling like yesterdays other passions and today I woke with the urge to play in the dye pot.
And so I did.......
This is 2,080 yds of merino. (if it had really looked this pretty I would never have changed it)
I brought the fiber back from England two years ago (part of a 17 lb mixed bag and a bargain) and spun it into 3ply. I didn't like the color at all and I hadn't done a very good job with getting any real match with the mix. So it had been waiting for me to learn more and one day wake up and do something with it.
After the prep' work and a trip to the store for KoolAid (I've got oodles of Cushing dyes but they are still a bit scary) I set to work scribbling with a small squeeze bottle and Grape. Hence the name of the yarn..."Grapes of Wrath".
I rolled each skein into a sausage with plastic wrap and nuked each one for 3 minutes then popped them in a bowl of hot water.
It still looked pretty boring so I took five assorted packets of KA and mixed the dried crystals in a bowl and went about "finger painting".
Actually I just patted it on to all the brightest green area's....trying to cover it and add some interest. Then I had to nuke them all (9 skeins) again. After they cooled they took a spin in the washer then hung outside to dry. That didn't take long as it was a lovely 80 f. and sunny.
This is the swatch and I'm absolutely thrilled with the results....and somehow all nine skeins are fairly uniform. Now what shall I do with it...oh the choices.
I'm so eager to knit with "The grapes of wrath" yarn! Got any idea's...it swatched (4"x4") to 20 sts x 24 rows on size 6US. (I could go to a larger needle) A patterned stitch would be lost but perhaps something with a nice "cut" with the addition of an interesting rib at most.
....and the colors finally show up accurately (on my monitor).
***
Are you up to seeing more of my "day to dye for"?
Well.......
Virgil has a friend with a sheep who gave him a fleece for me, but... she didn't know how to shear the sheep....so her first shearing job wasn't so great but I'm sure she learned a lot. So much of it was double cut but I did get some nice locks out of it...about 1.5 lb. So here's my play day with it...
I used Cushings "wine" for this and experimented. I'd decided to try for a mixed level of saturation. I mixed the dye and put it in a spray bottle then with part of the fleece on the plastic wrap I sprayed in blotches.
Wrapped it and nuked it...then plopped in a pot to cool....
and so on until it was all squished in the one pot.
Then as last time.....a quick spin and sandwiched in nylon, it went outside to dry.
This is it almost dry and hiding in my "playroom". Looking awfully bright but close to real.
And...God willing...tomorrows another day.....whew.
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