Yarn to Dye For

When I ran out of yarn, I was sure I would have plenty to knit before I get the missing yarn, which should be sometime next week. That seems like a year away now, for I realized that despite a mile-long to-do list, and some 100 lbs of yarn, I have nothing to knit. Nothing! I could start a Fair Isle cardigan, but that would need some experimental dyeing. And somehow, when there's no pressure, I get great (well, acceptable) results, but now I should be able to get exact colors, and that's not good, when you're looking for a no-brainer project. And UFOs - what UFOs? -, well... I felt I almost should start something new, now that that cunning Telemark tricked me and I ran out of yarn. I should, shouldn't I? That's what I thought. ;)

Most of yesterday and all of today I have been digging frantically through my stash. In desperate and vulnerable state (both conditions are required if you are to dye yarn), I came across two yarns I have been meaning to soak in some Rit-Dye. So, to take off the pressure from dyeing, and to just do something and play with yarn, I grabbed my dyeing gear, and went on almost blindly, not thinking. (This is not very hard, since all you need to do is mix a little powder with water and soak the yarn in. However, it is possible to make catastrophic mistakes. Trust me, I know.)

So, these are the two yarns I started with: some fuchsia Vuorelman Helinä (a discontinued Finnish yarn intended for machine knitting), and some Novita Nalle (again, some Finnish yarn). Nalle is good for Fair Isle-projects if you don't have a sensitive skin, and the Helinä.. well, there's almost 700 yds of it in 3,5 oz, so it's right down my aisle!
värjäys alkutilanne

And here's what I got:
värjäys valmis
The fuchsia yarn is now amazingly pretty burgundyish purple, deep with hues of red wine. Actually, it is rather close to KnitPicks Shadow Vineyard, although I didn't get a very even color, which makes the yarn even more interesting. And the other yarn is a very nice blueish purple, or purple-ish blue. Maybe it is close to a dark cornflower blue. (I couldn't get the color of it quite right, not even with PhotoShop.) Both yarns are a lot better than what I started with, so I'm happy.

However, this doesn't solve the question of what to knit next. I have plans and even swatches knit for the next few projects, but I don't have the yarn yet. I could finish the Urban Aran cardi, or knit another pair of Latvian mittens, or maybe go the easy way and knit Eris. I think I'll climb to bed, next my snoring Mr HairyFeet, and see if I'm any wiser in the morning. Ta-ra!

Mie värjäsin vähän lankaa, kun iski epätoivo, että mitä neulois seuraavaksi. Suunnitelmia olisi, mutta niiden suunnitelmien langat on vielä postipaten armoilla. Tongin lankakaappia pienen manian vallassa, ja löysin vanhaa Nallea ja Vuorelman Helinää, jotka päätin nakata väripataan, kun en muutakaan keksinyt. Lopputulos oli oikein soma, fuksianpunaisesta Helinästä tuli viininpunaisen ja tumman lilan kirjava, ja vaaleanpunainen Nalle on nyt kaunis ruiskaunokin sininen - ei ihan reilu sininen, muttei ihan lilakaan, vaan jotain siltä väliltä. :)

Vieläkään en tiedä, mitä neuloisin. Ehkä aamu on viisaampi - nyt petiin!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oi, mitä värejä! Etenkin tuo Helinä on täydellinen, lääh!

Niina said...

Iih, kauniita värejä kyllä. Molemmat.

Makepeace75 said...

NAM! :o)