Adventures in Dyeing

In 2006, I took a class in yarn dyeing. The woman had been a fabric dyer for years and well as dyeing fiber for weaving. It was a wonderful class because I was the only student and what we did was play after all the instructional stuff.

I had brought in three skeins of Katia Ingenua to try to over dye. No one thought it would turn out the way it did. It was not rocket science either, we just skeined the yarn on a swift, tied it up, shoved it into a large zip lock and I dumped different colors of dye into them. It came really cool though.

Well, I was taking stash pictures for my Ravelry account (ID: Kamala) when I found them. So below is the original color and the new over dyed one.

Will you look at that.

I am still alive...I have been rather busy but we all say that.

Since I last posted, I have made what is turning into the yearly trip to the Isles-this time Ireland. More on that later (man you take over 1000 pics getting them ready takes along time). But in the mean time-knitting!

I got some of that ultra coshie goodness Malabrigo Merino. I only bought two skeins but I should be enough to do Shifting Sands.

While I was in Ireland, I started Clapotis again. And well, it is going to be really long. I had started the decrease rows and realized that I was no where near the end of the third ball. So I pulled back. I have four balls of this yarn and there will be no returning an unused ball to stash.

Couple days before Christmas, I got on this must make presents for next year. No one got any knitting gifts...actually I usually don't give handmade gifts for Christmas. But by golly that is changing this coming year. I found this yarn in my stash but not recorded (hmm how did that happen), I think it will make a nice scarf for one of the guys in the group or for a friend who is really into camo. It is the Mistake Rib pattern...very nice but man a yarn eater.

Also in my stash was was Microspun by Lion Brand. I had enough to do the body of Knitty's Mariposa, so with Joann coupons and mother in hand I picked up to purple ones for the trim.

Hello from the lost blogger...

Not only a post but a post with photos!

Imagine my surprise walking into Staples and discovering they are going to be carrying RollaBind Products. It is the same product as Circa byLevengers only no shipping. It hasn't come in on time but I can get some refill paper at least.

I picked up some other things including a Franklin planner that was on clearance. I really got it for the binder for myDIY Planner

]

One of the cutes things I picked up was this little notebook of graph paper.

On the knitting front:

WHAT THE HECK?!?!? NOOOOO!!!!

My Knit Picks needle separated from the cord. Lucky me, only 10 stitches went off and I had some watch glue to fix it at home. Good as new but still...

I was going through some old notebooks and found this. I have no clue what I was trying to design or when-some piece of jewelry.

The OMG Moment

This week I just started listening to the Stash and Burn Podcast, like Jenny and Nicole I decided to sit down and update my yarn stash spread sheet...well for the yarns I could find-since I have a bad habit of leaving them in bags and putting in strange places. Not that I am trying to hide them or anything I just tend to misplace things easily.

TOTAL YARDS: 111,388.5 yards.

OMG how did this happen...I have no will control when it comes to yarn. What is scary is that I can tell you what project I bought every skein for.

Anyone have a Bond knitting machine that they would like to go to a good home. I think I am going to need it.

Rita and Golden Heart

Congrats to all the finalists for both the Rita and Golden Heart!

Especially ROCKI!!!!!
She is a double RITA finalist for Best Novella!!!!

K

Guilty Pleasures

This week was a so so week for me. Not much writing going on (had a Brit Lit paper to write about Comparing 2 poems one from the Romantic era and the other Victorian). I did do some knitting though. I am working on this Laines Du Nord scarf and a pair of socks from VK. I also cast on for Pomatomus and for a felted purse.

My guilty pleasures for the week have included listen to Tokio Hotel, a German band, and Blood Ties on Lifetime.

Blood Ties are based on a series of books by Tanya Huff. The books were good but the show is 100x better. There is something about seeing these characters on the screen that captures me in a way the books were not able too. I hope Tanya will write in this world again. (Maybe I should try reading them again.)

Tokio Hotel is a boy band from Germany. I surprisingly remember enough German to understand what they are singing about and the songs are very good. Now they have recorded some of them in English but they loose something in the translation. Rette Mich and Spring Nicht are my favs by them.

Ahh Guilty Pleasures we all need them.

Yes, I am still alive

I have to admit I have not been doing much knitting of late. I do have reason:
A NOVEL
Well actually 2 novels are being worked on this year. My first is a futuristic paranormal (kind of) story. CSI meets something I have not quite figured out yet. But it has a vampire like society and touches of Jack the Ripper. I had started the story a while ago and have totally ripped (no pun intended) apart on the advice of a friend and have made some serious changes. So this is where we are now

13,556 / 100,000 (13.6%)

The second book is being plotted and I have a few scenes typed out. Plotting a story is becoming an interesting experience.

It is a Paranormal Romance set in Salem. Dresden Files meets CSI meets Anita Blake and Merry Gentry.

We have two murderers running around in a paranormal world.

1,800 / 100,000 (1.8%)

But yes some knitting is being done and some beading.