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.