Dye Job

This does not refer to the dye job I quit doing.  (Free at last -  I started going grey in High School.)  Evidence of that decision is in this beautiful photo by Sarah Walker.  For more adorable boys and horses, check out her blog.

No, for the first time ever, I tried dyeing yarn.  I am making a Stockinette Squares No Sew Blanket as a going-off-to- college present for one the kids I make Christmas presents with every year.  Every year, she wanted to do tie-dye.  We tie-dyed shoelaces, napkins, pj’s, t-shirts, socks and other things I can’t remember.  I wanted to have an element of that in the blanket,  but couldn’t find any machine washable yarn that worked.  So, tie-dye it myself, why not?  After searching for good info on the web, I ended up buying Gorgeous Hand Dyed Yarn at Home from Three Irish Girls.  I had a few good laughs with the Irish Girl  at Sock Summit, she has beautiful yarn, so I figured she  must know what she’s doing.  It is an excellent booklet. I may buy the one on gradient/self striping dyeing, too.  If it didn’t work, I could always overdye whatever turned out.  I went with tie dye colors: scarlet, purple, turquoise, yellow.

I followed her directions more or less, but instead of heating on the stove, I used a crockpot I found at Goodwill for $5.00.  It was perfect.  A few lessons, though.

Don’t shake the jar unless you know the lid is on really tight.

Even thought the yarn does not look like it will be pretty, be patient.

Wound into balls, it looks much better.

There can be significant variations in one dye lot — how it happened, I have no idea.

Best of all, the yarn really looked like it will work with the solid colors that I chose for the squares.

Finished product modeled by recipient soon.

MLE