I get into some neat conversations with people over dyeing. Today, for instance, one of the workers replacing the walkway to the studio asked me if I saw the new season opener of Project Runway last night. (He'd told me that he liked fashion, something I would never have guessed from the outfits he wears.) Then, he launched into his surprise at the girl who grabbed paper bags and Rit dye, and then dyed them up to create fabric for her project. 'At first,' he said, 'I didn't like what she did. It looked like a mess! But, then when she made something out of it, it looked good. Now, that's creative!'
It was so good to hear about his recognition that someone had a vision of an end product and, while he may not have liked the individual parts, he loved the finished product. Which goes to prove that the whole is equal to the sum of it's parts!
6 comments:
I tend to get those kind of reactions, too. When I chat with people in the workplace, and we're talking about hobbies or interests, I mention my love of dyeing and spinning wool. They always seem amazed that anyone does that. Of course, you and I, Sheila, live in the part of the world where ALL of our friends do this! And, then I'll pull up my pant legs to show off my fancy socks, that's when they are really impressed!
So true, Sheila. I was so pleasantly surprised when during a remodel, all the framing and drywall guys were standing outside discussing a beam as I walk out to see what needed to be done (I happened to have my knitting with me - socks, of course!). All eyes fixed on my little color bundle and one guy says: hey, I knit too!, as one of the dry-wallers chimes in: I crochet, my grandma taught me. One by one, the whole team turned out to be knitters and three did crochet, except for one who got a lesson that day and went home to practice his cast-on.
Oh, and the Platinum sock yarn feels so yummy! One question: how do you easily divide the hank if you do not want to dye the whole thing the same color? Are there tools available? Will a swift work?
Cheers.
My husband's license plate reads "DYE WOOL" and he gets into fiber-related conversations daily with the most unlikely folk!
As for dividing the larger 8 oz skeins, Annabella, it is time to buy a yarn winder and swift, and you can have more control over the size of your skeins. Once you get to the point of needing to divide the skeins, you're ready for winding equipment! We are talking about making up smaller skeins in the future to see how well they are received.
I already have them, and was wondering if working in reverse (from ball to swift) is the best way to divide the skein for dyeing. My kids are really into dyeing their sock yarn, so I want to divide into smaller bits and still have the long areas to do the dyeing.
Yes, Annabella, that's a good way to measure out skeins of a certain size. Just be sure you have the measurement around the skeinwinder, and maybe allow a couple of extra revolutions, just to be sure! My electric skein winder makes a taut 2-yd skein, for instance, so to make a generous skein for a pair of socks I'd wind 225 revolutions, giving me a 450 skein.
Great! Thank you, Sheila. It appears I will be a bit slower on the swift, but the kids love to wind yarn so they might be perfect for the task. I can't wait!
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