Yarn Was Flung

It's been a challenging year in my academic life, so it is with much relief that summer is here.  What better way to get it started than to get together with Oogy for a few days of dyeing, eating, meeting the World's Most Cute and Sweet Pooch, and knitting? It was bliss, and we each have a large pile of yarn to show for it.  

Here is my pile:

 Some of it has already jumped onto the nearest needles!

Wool/bamboo sock yarn

becoming a sock with an afterthought heal

I've been experimenting with using a single color as a highlight at one end of a skein, or with dyeing only one end of the skein with a few colors, which limits the appearance of those colors to a short segment in the knitted item.  Of course, it all depends on the size and gauge of the item.  There really is no end to the fun of dyeing.

wool/silk/cashmere blend fingering weight yarn

on its way to becoming a drop-stitch scarf.  

You can see how the blue dyed portion of the skein has made short runs of blue in the scarf. I was going to make a big shawl with this yarn, but it is so intensely bright that I know I won't wear it.  So, it is going to be a smaller piece, more like a scarf.  Pop of color, for sure!

I'm always learning a new skill from Oogy, and this visit was no exception.  Here is my inaugural sock tube: 

I dyed the wool/silk/cashmere blend awhile ago and thought it would be a good candidate for the sock machine.  Now I can't wait to make a pair of mitts, some short socks, and use what's left as an accent color for a cowl.  

It's so great to have a new pile of bright yarn to play with, especially because I now have more time to knit, and I'll be reminded of the wonderful fun it was to dye it all. 

Consequences of not swatching

I've been happily making great progress on my Fair Isle project.  It was especially exciting to finish the last large border pattern.  I was happy with how the color changes came together, and was getting ready to begin the lace section.  Then I viewed the work from afar and discovered the appearance of...well, you can generate your own perceptions.  

I put it aside for a few days, until I was psychologically prepared to unravel back to the beginning of the pattern. I changed it to fill in the open area between the Xs and Os and tried to blend the background better.

Now I'm back to being nearly finished with the Fair Isle section!