When Good Yarn Goes Bad!

It's not a pretty sight! I was trying to make a plum color. My first try resulted in a faded blue look, so re-dyed and tried adding some 'berry punch'. It actually looks a lot worse than it does in the picture. Do they make black kool-aid?

Kool-Aid Dyeing Progress

It's 84 degrees and sunny out - everyone else in town is out planting gardens, mowing lawns, etc. But not me.....I'm dyeing yarn! This is so easy, I just couldn't believe it. Especially with Vigdis' wonderful tutorial which you can find here . (Directions are in Norwegian and English - click on the first picture to begin) I admit I didn't follow her directions to the letter. First of all, I didn't have any plastic gloves, so I used plastic bags on my hands - hey it worked, I only have a few stains on my fingers! I didn't use the vinegar because I didn't have any plain and didn't think balsamic would work! But that didn't seem to matter. And... I didn't take her advice about starting with only two colors - I tried, but couldn't resist adding a third. I used Knitpicks 'bare' yarn 100% wool, and Berry Blue, Watermelon Cherry and Grape Kool-aid. I tried to dye two skeins the same so I would have enough for a large scarf or shawl. The small skein is some leftover white Cascade wool that I died with the Watermelon Cherry. It should dry fast in the sun and warm breeze that's blowing (see the pretty dandelions growing in my yard? :)

Oh, and one more thing I ignored Vigdis' warning about - dyeing yarn with kool-aid can become addicting.....off to buy some more kool-aid!

And the finished product - dry and rewound.

MEME

I've come across this MEME on several blogs and decided to try it, although I did change a couple of things.

Mark with bold the things you have knit at least once, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.


Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens:
Cuff-upMittens
Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a weddingHousehold items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) using magic loop
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/feltingKnitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
EntrelacKnitting
purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linenKnitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories

Dyed in Kool-Aid

My friend Vigdis in Norway has become addicted to Kool-aid! She doesn't drink it though - she dyes yarn with it. The problem is that she can't get Kool-aid in Norway. So her friends on Whoduknit have been sending it to her by the planeload! I sent her a bunch - and look what I got in the mail today - isn't it beautiful! And with her own label too. Can you believe that was dyed with kool-aid in her kitchen! she has the directions on her blog.





Do you know what the wooden thing in the picture is? Well, I have to admit I didn't either until I asked - isn't this just the greatest idea? And Vigdis makes these too!

I'm inspired to attemped my own dyeing, and have my supplies all ready. Just have to find the time to do it!

Beautiful Day!

Today was a beautiful day! We went out for breakfast with my daughter and her family. It was a buffet, and the easiest thing to do with the kids, since they don't have to wait and can eat as much as they want. They gave me a gift certificate to the Dress Barn - it will be fun to shop for some summer clothes. I gave her a gift certificate to Victoria Secret, as she is a pretty sexy daughter and the mother of my beautiful grandchildren!
Then home to watch the Red Sox game. The Orioles were on top 5-0 in the 9th, and the Sox came back and scored 6 runs to win the game! My son called from Texas to tell me that he had arranged that for my Mother's Day gift. (in other words he was too broke to send flowers LOL) While I watched the game I knit my own flowers from Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flower's book, which I bought with my 50% off A.C.Moore coupon - a Mother's Day gift to myself.

Now DH is cooking dinner - something involving pork and pears. And tonight - the Survivor Finale. You see, it really doesn't take much to make me happy :)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

For my mom, who has been gone for 15 years, but lives on in the hearts of all of us who loved her,

...... and for all mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in
their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry
Kool-Aid saying, "It's alright honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who
can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair
and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween
costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And
the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes. And for the
mothers who lost their baby in that precious 9 months that they will never
get to watch grow on earth but one day will be reunited with in Heaven!

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on
their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at
football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their
cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could
say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For
all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And
then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their
shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted
for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their
daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little
voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring
are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach
aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get
calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them
up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the
words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or
children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally
unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their
14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the
mothers of those who did the shooting.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad
hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a
shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you
feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street,
walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you
from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the
back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2
A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are
safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and
hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child
dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young
mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And
mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.

Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Please pass along to all the Moms in your life.

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

My Lucky Day (yours too?)

I just found out I won the prize for the "Life's Importance" Necklace that I made for my KTC Joy Luck Club project.
Four skeins of this lovely cotton blend yarn and a mahjong bracelet!
Today, I also received the autographed copy of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Cast Off that I won on the Unknitted Blog. Thanks again so much girls!
Patty received the package I sent for the Whoduknit Spring Swap. I had posted a little contest on my blog to guess what I made from the yarn she sent me. Unfortunately no one guessed - that was a pretty safe bet! Here is what is was:
Glass cozies! Patty lives in Florida and has an 'oasis' in her back yarn - a cozy place where she goes to read. So I sent some things for her to enjoy in her oasis. I had fun knitting the glass cozies - each one was a different pattern. Even though no one guessed correctly- I do appreciate those of you who took the time to try - so I did a random drawing - and Vicki (Dandy)'s name came out! A cool windsock will be on it's way to you Vicki.
I love contests!!!

The Glass Castle

Believe it or not, I don't always read mysteries! I just finished reading an amazing book called The Glass Castle - a memoir by Jeannette Walls who is a regular contributor to MSNBC. It's a true story about growing up in poverty -in the most unbelievable circumstances - in a loyal but dysfunctional family, and overcoming all the odds against her. I highly recommend it!

Whoduknit Mystery Swap

I received my swap package today from Patty today and I love it! I really didn't give her that much to work with - I followed the rules and sent her just one small skein of fingering weight alpaca yarn in a pretty shade of blue/green, that I loved, but didn't know what to do with. I can't believe what she did with it!!

She made me this beautiful crocheted collar, which I really love, a pretty smelling sachet, and a cute bookmark.

She also sent this beautiful crocheted doily - she does such beautiful work! There is no way I could ever make anything like this!

The books she included were Rumble on the Bayou by Jana DeLeon, and (I laughed when I saw this one) Murder Can Depress Your Dachshund. I think Marielle (her doxie) must have put that one in the package. There was also some yummy candy and chocolate, which I managed to get a picture of before sampling.
Thank you so much Patty - this was a great package - I love everything!

Whoduknit Spring Mystery Swap

Patty's package for the Whoduknit Spring Mystery Swap is ready to go. Here is the yarn she sent -two skeins of a beautiful Artyarns Supermerino handpainted yarn, from which I had to knit something for her.

And...this is what is going back to her. Any guesses?

Well - of course there's a prize for a correct guess! And it's a duplicate of one of the items in the box!