Friday, October 26, 2012

Knitting, Bowling & Dyeing...Oh my!

KNITTING
I started, frogged, started, frogged again, and maybe even did that a third time before I think I finally have a sock started. I am thinking I would have given up on socks if I had not discovered the circular needle method the last time I was knitting, but I could not locate the size of circs I needed when I started this one, so I am doing this sock on dpn's. I am going to finish it and then on Saturday I get to head to the post office to pick up my ChiaoGoo interchangables! I am super excited to get these and can't wait to cast on my next sock on these. Plus, I will be able to get back to doing 2-at-a-time socks, which is good for me. I get bored by the time it comes to do the second sock, so doing them both at once solves this problem for me. It was good to do this first one on the dpn's so I could get comfortable with knitting again. I might even be able to churn out a couple of pairs for Christmas presents if I stay motivated.

Here is where I am on this one...just a basic pattern, nothing fancy:


I found a pair of socks I was working on before in my knitting project bag and I could have finished those, but at some point during my hiatis, my grandson found scissors and made cuts in the skein of yarn I was using as well as the connecting strand. (I keep telling myself)Better the yarn than the cat, or his hair or something much worse. That boy is sneaky...and that is all I have to say about that.

Another procject for this weekend is to weave in ends on some dishclothes my friend picked out from my tub-o-cloths. When I was learning to knit I participated in a couple dishcloth kals and have quite the stock pile built up. I always let her pick out a bunch, but then I have to weave in the ends, because most of them I did not when I finished them. It only takes maybe 10 minutes total...but I keep putting this off. This morning I set them on my chair with the intention of finishing them first thing when I sit down before I get involved with my sock knitting. Weaving in. Blech.


BOWLING
For anyone who may be reading this that may be concerned since my last woeful post, my bowling game has improved. What I discovered is that I had mild lower back pain that was keeping me from standing up straight. I stood up straight and got a 257!!! I think after this past Wednesday I have pulled my average up to 170 again (it was at 158), so I am happy with that. The 257 holds at the moment as the women's high scratch for the season. I don't know if it will hold until the end of the season, but now they remember I am there and still competition.

DYEING
I have decided that I am going to finally learn how to dye wool/wool blends. I have threatened it in the past, bought some supplies to experiment with, but now I really am going to do it. I want to expand my shop offerings and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I will have lots of sock yarn to knit with for years to come. I have had quite a few potential buyers disappointed about my thread not being yarn, so I figured I would give it a go. I am going to experiment for the next couple of weeks, then I am hoping over the Thanksgiving and Christmas break I get, I will have the process down and I will be able to dye a bunch of thread and yarn. I have been scouring tutorials and I think I am ready to actually try a batch this weekend. In the meantime, I am buying various types of superwash to sample and experiment with then I will stock up on my favorites for my dye-a-palooza in December.

This weekend, I am going to dye up some thread. I have the hanks soaking and they will be all ready to go. If I still have energy tonight, I am hoping to actually get them dyed tonight and possibly have tomorrow to do another batch. It's the rinsing I hate though, and the more I dye this weekend the more I have to rinse. I am looking forward to what looks like minimal rinsing with wool dyeing. But I do so love my cotton threads!!!