New Yarn for Valentine's! - Update

Yep, just as lovely dry and rolled up. A good knit too! It's chunkier then I thought, it knits somewhat tight on size 8 needles, and appearantly stripes perfectly at 24 stitches...(I hate when it does that!) I think I will keep the sample on the needles and add the sample from my next batch, sooner or later it'll be big enough to make something.

This yarn is now for sale here, at 15$ a skein it's quite a deal.













Since my sewing machine's been out at the shop since my return from Japan I've been itching for craft time. So this weekend I spun up the last of my goergous merino roving and put the dye pot on to boil. With Valentine's coming up I figured I'd join the senseless commercial crush and hit the pink and red while I can.

This was a perfect dye bath, with both colors totally absorbed, clear water in the dye pot and a very quick rinse out. And no staining of the invisible grime in my sink (stainless, hah!).

It also prevented the forming of small pink pools on the floor while hung up to dry. Now if I can get Jet to stop whining about the vinegar smell... OK, it smells a little.

Lovely reds and pinks, I can't wait to knit up the sample. I have started always including a few extra wraps on the last skein for me to use, samples, small accents etc...

Now, many dye instructions say to stir the fiber freely, but I'm lazy. No, actually I like the effect achieved by letting the dye settle. (Alright, I'm lazy too)

The heavy tones in a color will sink, I'm no chemist but the purple end of the "fuschia" dye settles and makes some nice little spots at the bottom of each skein. The red is not a complex color, being a primary and all, so it's less exciting. The capilary action of the wool also draws up dye and blends the colors.

I'd almost forgotten the joys of color mixing on yarn, I just bought an'other pound of white roving, and Fancy Tiger has some drawers of alpaca fleece calling my name... I hope my Bernina doesn't get lonely when it comes home!