Knitting Musings

I LOVE Long Weekends!

My attendance at work today was "optional." And even though I'll pay for it a bit on Wednesday because I'll have to finish up my project in one day, it's totally worth it to have a blissful 4 day weekend.

Saturday was spent watching the World Cup, and working on my official World Cup Knitting - what started out as the Moderne Baby Blanket from the Mason-Dixon book. I'm using the yarn I dyed in my last dyeing adventure, and I really honestly was following the pattern. Until I didn't anymore. (But really, kn0wing me, is anyone surprised?) This is perfect for watching the soccer games as I basically never have to look at it, and the rows go on FOREVER. I think it'll become a lap blanket for my Grandma.

The only downside is that the blanket's current size means that you get a lap-full of wool when you're working on it, and it's been HOT here. How hot? This is how poor Abby spent the 3 hours following her afternoon puppy walk on Saturday -

Sunday was even better than Saturday. Erin came over and helped me "use up" my dye stocks. I tried handpainting for the first time...

This is destined to become a baby-kimono. From Mason-Dixon. Because apparently I can't knit anything else...

Erin tried handpainting...

And I made some decent yarn - this is yarn that I handpainted in shades of red and pink. It looked too "Valentine's Day," so I overdyed it lightly with purple. I may make a felted box out of it. (Quick - one guess where that pattern is from!) Or it may just hang out in stash for a bit until I come up with a project. Except that it's not superwash, it would be perfect for a little girl sweater....

I also overdyed some mustard-yellow superwash yarn (it was an AWFUL color. I got it for free at a yarn swap.) And now it's a nice, variegated copper.

But my best dyeing project? I turned the Socks-That-Rock yarn that looked like this...

... into lovely, coppery yarn that looks like this. Because no matter how much I tried to pretend I liked the combination of teal, 2 oranges, hot pink, purple, and green, I just hated it. And now it may be my favorite sock yarn of all time.