Shut Up & Knit!

And a Cranky Tuesday To You, too!

This is either very early and evil PMS or I'm going to be something to behold in five/ten years.  o.0

This week's Ten on Tuesday is about fads you don't get.  Since I'm trying to not to offend people intentionally this week, I'll be taking a pass.  However, next week, things may be completely different.

How about ten things that would happen if I was in charge?

1. Massively huge prize awarded to the person who figured out how to poke/smack/stab people over the internet.
2. Even more massively huge prize awarded to the person who figures out how to kill people who ask stupid questions or easily googled questions on the internet.
3. There would be a test given before anyone would be allowed on the internet.
4. Anyone giving a blogger shit about their posting habits would be sent off to a work camp.
5. There would be a return of the ancient Greek way of thinking.  Fit and smart.  Pretty and stupid would send you to a work camp.
6. Geeks would be worshiped as the living gods and goddess that they are.
7. Typing in all caps would get you a strong electrical shock.  Each and every time you press a key while the caps lock is on. 
8. Drama whores and the overly needy would be sent to an island to live together.  The lone survivor could write a book and do a press tour before being sent back to the island.
9. Pay per view for #8, of course.  Don't want to raise taxes if we don't have to.
10. Classes in practical life skills would be a requirement for everyone.  If you did not pass, you would not be allowed to live on your own.  Ever.

I could have done twenty without trying.  /sigh

Hey!  Remember that roving I solar dyed back in May?  I over-dyed one of them last weekend.

That was red and natural. 

Now not so much.

I may have been channeling Claudia.  I'm just sayin'...

I hope that I'm the only cranky in your Tuesday!

Can't knit. Spinning!

Heddy asked me how the solar dyeing went.  She's not the first, but she is the latest person to inquire, and since my in-progress knitting is sad and lame, here we are.

I love solar dyeing.

LOVE!

That is 4 ounces of New Zealand Silver Merino top that I got from my local yarn store.  I used Kool Aid to dye the roving and my solar dyeing method to set the color.

Equal amounts of something blue and Pink Lemonade.

Yeah, I suck.  It's not news. 

Shut up!

 

Four ounces of Corriedale (?) wool roving also purchased at my LYS.

Opal, I used several packets of Black Cherry Kool Aid for this one.

I put water in a pasta pot and soaked the roving in it while I wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes.  (All this happened around six on a Saturday morning, people.)  Then I took the pot with lid out onto the patio and left it in a spot that would get full sun for most of the day.

I used a glass measuring cup and a butter knife to stir in the Kool Aid into tap water.  Once the Kool Aid was dissolved, I went out onto the patio and poured the color onto the roving. 

For this one, I only poured the color around the outside of the pot.  Leaving the inside undyed.

I replaced the lid and went back inside.  (More aimless wandering.)

I checked on the pots about four hours later and all the color had been taken up by the roving.  However, because it was already hot out, I left the pots on the patio.  The next morning, I went back out, got the cooled pots and brought them inside.  I gently rinsed the roving, squeezed it a bit and hung it to dry in the garage.

All of this happened on a weekend when the temps were around 107F.  However, this will work if it's not that hot where you are.

This is more of the merino.

I used Black Cherry and Pink Lemonade Kool Aid for this one.  The Black Cherry around the outside of the pot and the Pink Lemonade on the inside.

I know it's a lot of pink, but it's me. 

Be honest.

You'd be disappointed if there wasn't any pink.

I am thrilled with the texture of all of this roving when they were dry and done.  All remained soft to the touch.  No felting or weirdness.  I had been a little worried.

Now I'm looking forward to playing with and spinning with it.  Not sure when that will happen, but a stash is good for a girl.

Right?

Oh, and all credit and loving blame for this whole solar dyeing thingy goes to Sarah, who did it last month and sucked me right in.  She really is fabulously evil, ya know.

Questions?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

It's still Wednesday, right?  o.0

Do the math, darlings

+

+



=

???

Y'all know the answer, right?

Show & Tell: The Manise-Along Shetland Triangle

The mysterious (and blogless) Manise and I were emailing last month (I think it was last month) and she mentioned wanting to knit lace from a chart.  Since I love knitting lace from a chart, I offered to help her figure out charts and suggested the Shetland Triangle as a great starter pattern.  She agreed and we started planning on knitting this pattern together.

Not that Manise needed me.  While she did email me a few questions, by the time I got to those emails, she had already figured out what she was doing on her own.  (I live three hours behind Manise.)  I explained things here and there.  Offering my limited (and weird) brand of lace knitting wisdom and encouraged her as much as I could.  That's what friends do, ya know.

Then I smoked her.

(Clickitty to Hugeify)

Shetland Triangle by the fabulous Evelyn A. Clark.  Ten repeats of the main chart.

Dye Your Own Damn Yarn Lace Weight... held double.  Dyed a few times using Kool Aid and my new favorite dyeing method, solar dyeing.

US 8 needles

Knit with Manise! (Ravelry linkie)

No, it's not really that color.

It is 78 inches across the top and 31 inches down the spine.

I think this is the best pattern for learning how to knit lace from a chart.  The main chart is ten rows.  Half of them are purl back wrong side rows.  Of the remaining five, one is a nothing but knitting and YOs that are done on every right side row.  That's why I tend to think of this as a four row repeat because there are only four rows of actual pattern knitting/chart reading going on.

This is also a very good pattern for learning how to read your knitting and for understanding how lace works.  The hardest stitch in the pattern is a slip 1 k2tog and pass the slipped stitch over that worked stitch.  Not really hard when you think about it. 

In fact, in some ways, for the beginning lace knitter, I think the cast on is the hardest part.  Still simple to figure out, but a provisional cast on is a little weird the first time out.  However, the directions are clear and simple to follow. 

Just sayin'...

Hey Manise!  How's your shawl coming along?  :D

How about some blue skies yarn?

I dyed that Thursday, using KoolAid and my solar dyeing method.

I set the yarn and dye in the pot around eight in the morning and left it out to sit and cook in the sun.  I went back for it the next morning and found that all the color had been taken up by the yarn and everything was nice and cool.  Since I was not using superwash wool, the cool part was very important.

The very hot weather did a wonderful job of cooking the yarn for me.  The jury is still out on the color.  I think I'll need to see it knit up before I know if it's done or has to go back into the dye pot.  Since it's barely July, I have plenty of time to decide what I'm going to do.

Today is much cooler than it's been all week.  It is such a blessing to have a break in the weather.  Cool fresh air really is fabulous, ya know.  Even if it takes baking hot temps to make me realize just how fab the coolness truly is.

I'm enjoying the cooler weather and gorgeous breeze by being fairly lazy today.  It really is a nice break from all the craziness, stress and weirdness that seems to fill my days.  There will be some sock knitting this afternoon and, hopefully, some cat cuddling since it is cooler. 

Tomorrow the Sunday Socks... whether ya'll want it or not.  :p