March 06, 2008
Itchy fingers, up to no good!
So I mentioned the other day when my new shawl book arrived that it had given me itchy fingers. I resisted for a few days, then I could resist no more.
I went stash diving to see what I could find to knit Hyrna Herborgar. It calls for Icelandic laceweight, which I don't have. I did however, find this anonymous cream single that I got from eBay years ago. No idea what it was, it was just advertised as laceweight wool, but I figured it was close enough to Icelandic Laceweight. I had just over 100g, and that was around 800 metres according to my calculations.
But I didn't want to knit in cream again, so I decided to dye it. Here's where all the dramas started. I decided I'd like to knit in blue for a change, so I pulled out my dyes and decided on Gaywool acid dye in Iceberg. The colour on the label was a nice light blue.
What came out was much closer to grey than I wanted.
So I redyed it with just a tiny bit of Landscapes Opal. This time it was a much prettier blue, but not exactly light blue.
But that's okay, I liked it. So I cast on, and got going.
Problem. I'm not happy with this project in this yarn. Back to the old drawing board.
I thought about it overnight, and decided that I wanted my Hyrna to be red. The only red laceweight I have is earmarked for another project. But that's okay, because I have some Gaywool "Garnet" dye in my dye stash, and garnets are red, aren't they?
So I wound off around 500 metres of Zephyr in Ladyslipper (Pink) and dyed it with the Garnet dye. It turned a kind of rusty colour.
(I should point out right now that there are three colours that I'm really, really not fond of. Orange, Brown and Yellow. This will make sense in a bit)
I did not like the rusty colour, so I decided to throw some hot pink dye at it and see what would happen. What happened? Not much. So in my infinite wisdom, I threw some purple dye in the pot, hoping to brighten it up.
Hmmm. It didn't exactly brighten it up.
It's brown. I have Brown Zephyr. It's a kind of purply brown, but it's still brown. With hotspots of rusty orange and purple, where I had the skein tied too tightly.
Not happy. I figured that the mistake must have been either the silk content of the Zephyr, or maybe starting with pink yarn. So I dug out some KnitPicks bare in laceweight (880 yards), and dyed that with the Garnet dye.
This is not Garnet. Garnets are red! I bought Garnet dye, because I thought it would be RED! I cannot make my yarn red.
And I'm tired of trying, so I pulled something else out of the stash instead, and I'm going to use that for Hyrna, because I'm easily frustrated.
Fibreworks Possum/Merino Laceweight in Pink Correa. If I can't have a red Hyrna, I'll have a pink one.
If you'd like one of my misdyes, let me know, and it's yours. Just tell me which one you're interested in. I'll leave it open until Sunday night. If more than one person is interested in one of the yarns, I'll draw names from a hat.
Posted by Donna at March 6, 2008 08:15 PMComments
I think the colors are scrumptious. I especially like the pink (KnitPicks bare in laceweight (880 yards), and dyed that with the Garnet dye). Pretty please to have the pink. ;-) Buttercup is beautiful! Thank you.
Posted by: Misty at March 6, 2008 11:28 PMthose yarn did turn out pretty even if the colors didn't turn out right for you... turns out I'm not one for lace knitting, bummer cuz the purple/brown one is the one I like best.
Posted by: Vicki at March 7, 2008 12:01 AMPut my name in the hat for the brown. I think it's gorgeous!
Posted by: Wool Winder at March 7, 2008 12:11 AMThe turquiose one is gorgeous--I'm willing to trade! I have some Knit Picks bare laceweight and some crimson dye--want to swap?
Posted by: Cathy at March 7, 2008 12:28 AMI think the brown is beautiful!!! Not sure what I would do with it, but it looks great! I think that there are bad browns and good browns. Yours is a red based brown, way prettier that an orange based brown! I bet it looks yummy in the sunlight! Good luck!
Posted by: Stacey at March 7, 2008 12:53 AMI love the brown! But then, I am a brown, orange, green person. All the colors of Fall in the Midwest. I would like to be considered, and will even trade for it.
Posted by: Chris at March 7, 2008 12:55 AMWell you got lots of practice in dyeing!
Posted by: Karen at March 7, 2008 02:11 AMI love the "garnet" one that is really pink!
Sorry that the colors didn't turn out quite right for you, that's why I still haven't dyed my knit picks bare fingering weight, lol.
Posted by: Meadow at March 7, 2008 02:45 AMMaybe I should send you some grey lodband:-) I got some in my stash.
Posted by: Agneta at March 7, 2008 04:15 AMOh my sounds like you had a adventure! I like them all...I would take any of them. If you want to put my name in the pot :-) If I had to pick though... I like mistake number two. Remember one knitters stash trash is another knitters treasure! :-) Your knitting is so wonderful though that no matter what you use it would look amazing!
Posted by: Stacy at March 7, 2008 06:56 AMWow! you did get lots of practice in dyeing, didn't you?
I'd love the Zephyr brown or the Ebay Blue; please put my name in the hat! Thanks.
Posted by: Lynne at March 7, 2008 08:31 AMOh, you have been busy dyeing. I love the way they all came out. If spring would come here, I can't wait to play in the dye pot again.
I will put my hat in for the KnitPicks in Garnet.
Posted by: Suzanne at March 7, 2008 10:26 AMI think that they all turned out well, but I would like to throw my name in the hat for the "garnet" knit picks. It's just a color I've been looking for
All this dying experience must be fun. I'd love to have the time to dye! Um... that sounds really weird when I say it in my head. I'm glad there is a spelling difference between dye and die. :)
You can add my name to the hat for the Zephyr brown. :o) I've not worked with laceweight before so maybe this could be a good time to think about it. :o) I'll leave it in fate's hands - and your hat. :o) As other's have said, at least you got plenty of dyeing practice. Something positive came from it at least!
Posted by: Terri at March 7, 2008 10:52 AMOK, my name to be added to the hat for the Zephyr brown. Although all the yarns show are great colors.
Posted by: KSee at March 7, 2008 11:01 AMI love the blue - oh pretty please pick me. I don't have much to trade - how about a silvery white (Merino by skacel I think) something in lace weight. Bought brown instead and don't see myself knitting anything with this one.
Posted by: Sharon at March 7, 2008 12:27 PMI think that shawl will be fabulous!
But your experience is perhaps why I will never try to dye yarn for myself!! (although I do really like the brown - with the purple undertone, I think it is fabulous!)
Posted by: Rose Red at March 7, 2008 01:38 PMSee, just when I was thinking that you should start a blue project, here you are one step ahead of me! That blue turned out just lovely! Just looking at it brightens up a gloomy, snowy Midwestern day! The brown and the pink are beautiful too.
Posted by: Mandy at March 7, 2008 03:03 PMSorry for the double-comment, but am I the only one thinking that we need a stash photo? I mean really, what other pretties do you have lurking in that stash that you aren't showing us?!
Posted by: Mandy at March 7, 2008 03:06 PMThats quite a journey you had there. I can understand the search for the right colour that hits the right spot - it happens to me alot. Hyrna Herborga looks really pretty... Anticipating how this project will turn out for you. :)
Posted by: Kessa at March 8, 2008 12:19 AMI think they are beautiful, but I too love the way the brown turned out. I'm slowly venturing into lace and can't wait to see how your pink Hyrna turns out. g
Posted by: gaylen at March 8, 2008 02:55 AMI like the purple-brown dye job!
Posted by: bells at March 8, 2008 01:49 PMI like both the brown and the pink yarns. I especially like the story behind them; I love a yarn with a yarn as it were. I would be grateful to receive either of these yarns.
Posted by: Rhiannon at March 8, 2008 05:51 PMI felt your frustration as I read your post. :(
That's probably why I don't dare dye anything myself, honestly I'd have a hard time coping with the disaster!
I kinda like the 'iceburg' yarn myself. ;)
Posted by: Patrizia at March 8, 2008 08:16 PMOoooh, I think the brown is gorgeous too!!
How frustrating not being able to get the colour you want!
ps. your Buttercup is so pretty - i love the arms! =)
i've been meaning to try dyeing myself. there's a couple hanks of kp yarn lying around somewhere waiting for me to get started, only, i'm afraid of making mistakes.
i love the color of the garnet kp yarn...could i be in the hat?
Posted by: karyn at March 9, 2008 01:35 AMYour buttercup sweater is too cute. I've been wanting to hand-dye yarn myself for a while, and I'm finally taking a class at a yarn shop in a few weeks. Having dyed fabric before, I sympathize with your dyeing mishaps. Could you through my name in the hat for the brown/rust/purple yarn too?
Thankyou. Happy knitting!
I love all the colors you've dyed. Quite beautiful. I can't wait to see you knit Hyrna! This is on my list one day in the future.
Posted by: Madame Purl at March 9, 2008 12:28 PMi like that light blue/grey colour before you went made trying to change it!
can you dye it back for me please ;-)
Posted by: jacqueline at March 9, 2008 01:32 PMGosh, what a lot of work for a shawl, but I know what you mean, if it's not all working in harmony they the work becomes a chore.
I love the turquiose, but I'm not going to ask you to send it all the way from Australia!
Have fun with your shawl and hope it all comes together.
Buttercup looks fantastic!
Posted by: angie at March 9, 2008 05:01 PMWow, they're all gorgeous! That really stinks you couldn't get the color you wanted though. :( If you don't mind, put me in for the pink or the blue. I love them both, they're gorgeous!
Posted by: Krystal at March 10, 2008 05:16 AMI think they are all lovely, though I must admit that brown would look great with my red hair! Just teasing. I keep as small a stash as possible, so I've never had the chance to go stash diving until I found just the right thing. I am jealous! I must convince my David to let me expand my stash.... Any hints?
Love all your knits, you inspired my to start knitting lace (it's going well).
Oooo I love the blue! I still haven't mastered the trick of dying yarns without massively tangling them when I try to wind them.
I friended you on Ravelry (i'm tickleturtle). Hope that's ok!
Posted by: Belinda at March 6, 2008 09:49 PM