Dyeing and Summer Tweed
Yesterday when I went to the LYS to work, I brought my new felted bag and the samples of the kool-aid dyed yarn. I had mentioned to Molly that I wanted to Kool-aid dye some yarn and she pretty much dismissed it as silly/bad, she said "it's not fast," etc. So I showed her how pretty it looked, and she only made one disparraging comment, which is that a lot of the dye came out when I felted the tropical swatch. Which is true, I just didn't like her saying it. =) The best part of this was when I showed her the woolspun. . . she had forgotten that I had bought white woolspun from her, and what I showed her was shaded pinks. . . She didn't realize I'd dyed it! She thought i had bought pink woolspun. SO THERE! HAH! I must have done something right. When I bought it she said it wouldn't dye well. . . if I haven't proved her wrong, I don't know what would! I will eventually try real dye, but not quite yet. I'm having way too much fun with Kool-aid.
I took a skein of my new Summer Tweed in to show her what I had been talking about, and she told me that it's bad quality silk! She explained the process of making silk yarn and how those little snubs in the yarn are the "leftovers" of the process. They sweep the floor afterwards and that's what you get. It's technically not even called silk, it's called silk snub or something. She said those little blobs will fall out! And she really believed all this, she was like, "I am not stocking this" which I can totally see. But I am rather pissed. The label says 70% silk 30% cotton, not silk whatever. And this shit is expensive! Where do they get off selling stuff that's not top-quality as if it were???
Molly said that in general, Rowan yarns are not always the best quality on the market. Which surprised me because the impression I have is that everything they make is great.
I am still going to make something with it (I've decided on a sleeveless mock turtleneck), and we'll see how it works out. How did it work for those of you who're using it/used it?
New bag!
My typical pattern of very productive late nights/early mornings continues. Finally did something with my favorite grey sweater that got felted in the wash: I washed it again so it REALLY felted, and have turned it into a bag!
To make the bag, first I cut about 2 inches along the sleeve selvage on each side, then I cut across the body at that point. This gives that nice shape to the bottom. Using some old (and I mean old here, probably at least 6 years old) baby yarn doubled up, I whip stitched the bottom together from the inside, then turned it right side out and steamed the seam to make it straight. Next I cut out of the top of the body a small pocket to put on the inside, for holding pens and things. I sewed the pocket inside the bag using whip stitches again. Next I cut out a pocket for the outside of the bag using one of the sleeves. I made sure this pocket was larger than the inside pocket and sewed it onto the outside of the bag on the same side as the inside pocket, so that the outside pocket now covers up the stitches used to keep the inside pocket on. For the outside pocket I used a buttonhole stitch to sew the pocket on and also for the top edge of the pocket. The final piece of cutting was the strap, which I made from the other sleeve by cutting two stips that are about 2" wide. I sewed the two sleeves together and then sewed them onto the outside of the bag at the seams, then buttonhole stitched around the whole strap. Finally, I added buttonhole stitches to the top edges of the bag! One last little detail I added was a loop on the inside to use to clip my keys onto (I always lose my keys). To make it I just cut a long narrow piece and tacked its ends together then tacked it to one side of the bag where the strap is.
Total work time is just over 2 hours! Not bad, and now I get to enjoy my former favorite sweater as my new favorite bag! I can't wait to use it!
AH! Finished another project! The
AH! Finished another project! The chenille redo blanket is done done done done done. =) And sitting nicely on the back of the couch, looking pretty. It really does look much better knitted than it did crocheted. And it drapes better and feels better; we'll get much more use out of it now. For both the crochet and knit versions I just did the typical diagonal dishcloth pattern, only made it rectangular by increasing on one side and decreasing on the other before decreasing both sides (if that makes any sense). While it can get really boring to do this pattern, it always seems to work out so well! Especially in variegated yarn.
So now I can move 2 green dot items up to the red dot list. The WE sweater and the AV sweater are now red dot items, and Matt's mom's blanket and the toe-up socks are now green dot list items.
I've revised my rewards schedule, too. ;o) Since we went to the mall yesterday and Matt spent $100 on clothes (plus got $100 worth on gift certificates), and I spent $20 on clothes and bought some coffee, I get to buy yarn! Woohoo!
Wow look what someone on
Wow look what someone on the knitU list told us about! Knitting FURNITURE! Check it out:
KnitChet
Of course it's too rich for my blood, but it's very cool! Someday. . .
And if you need some creative knitting inspiration, check out Loop-d-Loop!
AH! I am so honored! Dangerous Chunky linked to me! Go check her site out, Dangerous Chunky!
As you've probably all noticed, this has become more of a rambling diary than a project checklist. Hopefully that is ok with all you readers (not that I really think there are many (any?) of you out there).
Though my most recent project "duh" is that my awesome Adrienne Vitadinni sweater is unwearable. YES, unwearable. This is the Shaped Pullover that was published in Vogue Knitting and then republished in their Very Easy Knits book. I even found the exceedingly-expensive wool on sale and make it in the right stuff. Today I put it on, it's around 30 degrees F here, and before I walked from the room to the kitchen, I was sweating. Considering I'm possibly the most permanently-cold person in Central PA, PLUS that I'm SICK at the moment, it's pretty clear that if I can't wear it today, I can't wear it EVER. SO, I spent over $100 on yarn, a bunch of hours knitting, and worse, SEWING up this sweater, then fighting with the neck and finally redesigning a new neck, only to be left with what? A very expensive, heavy, warm, beautiful. . . thing-I-have-no-use-for. It's worse than an expensive trinket or piece of jewelry, or even a silly Boyds bear or some other useless collectible. At least you can display those!!!!!! Somehow I think hanging a wool sweater on the wall would be a BAD excentric interior-design concept. PLUS, it would stretch out of shape.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I am now easing myself into the thought that one day, I will rip the sweater up and make something else out of it. Maybe a hat and scarf set, or a vest (as if I wear vests). I suppose it'd make a decent fall coat, but there isn't enough yarn for that, especially after ripping. Sigh.
Gonna have a diet coke and watch Reba to make myself feel a little less depressed. Grr and I'm still sick!
[knitting: redo of chenille blanket]
[fos: Pepper's blankie]
[wim's: hats!]
Oh, the curse of almost-finished-and-you-find-a-problem
Oh, the curse of almost-finished-and-you-find-a-problem projects!!! Is it just me or does this happen in half your projects???? First the failed neck piece thing, then the too-big hat (and many previous too-small hats), now the chenille blanket!!! I'm finishing it right now, only the last bit of yarn is falling apart!!!!! Wah!!! Why me?
