distractions

I got some more self stripping yarn in the mail the other day, so I started knitting a little to add to my blankie-from-sock-yarn project that I started a couple weeks ago. Plus, I finally got around to picking 3 winnners from the Black Yarn Swap that I organized a while back, and I'm getting their care package prizes ready. I'll probably mail them out next week some time.

5 more squares done!

Knit up in Patons Kroy 4ply in 'houndstooth', I believe the colour is...

I've also found a few people on ravelry who are willing to part with some variegated sock yarns - either full balls or scraps - to contribute to my blanket! Hopefully they'll arrive next week!

just look at what I'm getting myself into...

Thanks to ravelry, and the Blankiemania group that's there, I've found myself starting up a new blanket made from sock yarn project (pattern details are in the right sidebar). Ho-lee-cow. What am I getting myself into. I see months of frustration ahead. And yet, I'm strangely optimistic at this wonderful o.c.d. knitting project. How conflicting.

So far, this is what I have:

5 squares using Patons Kroy Jaquard 4 ply yarn in Tutti Fruitti, that I have left over from socks I knit months ago. This is going to be fun.

Dying Yarn - a post about this was bound to appear on a knitters blog!

It seems that whenever I sign up for a knitter's swap, I find my random internet surfing to coincidentally coincide with the swap's theme, and it's no different with this hand dyed yarn swap that I'm currently involved in.

I took a personal day to dye my swapee's yarn, using my own version of Kool Aid dying - a variation of how knitpicks and knitty go about doing it. And later this summer I plan to dye a wicked batch of sock yarn using Wilton's food dyes (instructions found here). As I was doing my skein today, being the environmentally concious person that I am, I was thinking what the process would be for more natural dying. (Anyone who has Polish grandparents like I do likely remembers colouring Easter eggs with onion peels!)

But then - (and here's where the random coincidence falls in!) - I get my newsletter email from Lionbrand about natural dying, using turmeric, yellow onion skins, grapes, and beets. And just for kicks, and also to not completely and simply endorse Lionbrand's website, dying yarn with black tea. I'm sure there's a link somewhere out there on how to dye with coffee, berries, and other naturals, I just can't find the links at the moment. But these shall hopefully keep you busy.

I've bookmarked all of these as things to do this summer while on vacation!

Oh, and just for kicks, knitty.com has a good article on hand painting yarn in a few methods - worth a gander if you haven't done so already!

woo hoo! my punk rock gift came in the mail!

I received my Punk Rock Gift Exchange package from Marion yesterday! Can't have too much sock yarn! I love the colour! A new sock pattern (with beads!) will be a fun one to knit up, and I'll have to better master my hand at sewing in order to use the skulls-&-crossbones material she sent! Oh, and btw, I think the kitchy key chain is rather cool! :) Thanks!


oh, and just for kicks... I found this maze game which is kind of fun... tee hee... enjoy...

woo hoo! sock yarn swap!

Suh-weet, I found a sock yarn swap! And not just any sort of sock yarn swap, it's to swap Hand Dyed Sock Yarn! If you're interested, sign up - Celena's looking for at least 25 folks to join, so please do!

http://www.thehanddyedyarnswap.blogspot.com/

I'll put a link in my sidebar for easier notice/attention for those of you whom are interested.