Puppy CAM

I say a watching bunch of puppies is one great reason for internet cameras. Click on the link below to watch and listen!



http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shiba-inu-puppy-cam

Yarn after dyeing

I just realized I never posted the picture of the finished koolaid varigated dyed yarn. Here it is with the original yarn beneath it.

The Second Afghan

I started my next afghan after koolaid dyeing lots of yarn in green, blue and purple. This time, I'm using two colors in each mitered square. I knit with the first color until there are 9 garter ridges and I am on the right side. I think this is when there are 14 stitches on each side. Then I switch to a second color. I love doing these squares and can envision many variations. I'm going to try and change just one thing at a time.

In the picture you can see that I have completed 2 squares in the first column and I have started the third square. I have to admit, the first column is not my favorite. I LOVE the ease of just picking up stitches that comes after this column is done. I took this photo late last week. This morning, I started on the second column!! YEAH it is all knitting nirvana from here on.

It is Finished!

I finished my 9 x 9 block afghan this week! To stabilize the edge, I did two rounds of single crochet with a size G hook. It is a bit ruffled, but it still looks good. I have posted two photos, one of most of the afghan from the front and a second that is more of a closeup and shows the back of the afghan. I really like how this pattern makes an almost perfectly reversible afghan. I didn't block it. Any comments on that? I usually block garments, but this seems really fine the way it is.

Dyeing the Yarn

1. After hanking the yarn, I place two hanks in the shallow container (lengthwise, in the picture the white yarn is at the top and the natural yarn is at the bottom) and add lukewarm water. Next, I make sure the yarn is totally saturated with the water. You can let the yarn sit to make sure it is saturated, then pour off the excess water.
2. Now you need to mix the koolaid. I add about 1/4 cup of water to a glass and then a full pack of koolaid. Stir it until all is dissolved and it is ready to go on the yarn. I usually use three packs when I dye two hanks in the shallow containers. For this one, I mixed up 1 pack of Berry Blue in one glass and 2 packets of lemon-lime in another glass.
3. Pour one of the colors on one side of the container and then push the color through the yarn with the back of a spoon. Pour the other color on the other side and push through the yarn. (The top picture shows the yarn before it goes into the microwave)
4. Put the container in the microwave with the cover loosely over the top. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Check to see if the water has cleared. (The second picture show how the water clears when there has been enough heat.) If it hasn't then continue to microwave for 1 minute intervals until it is clear. Usually, the water will clear in 2-3 minutes of microwaving. You do not want to heat it anymore than necessary.
5. Now you need to let everything cool down. You do not want to add cold water to hot wool yarn, it will felt it. Once it cools down, rinse it with lukewarm water, wring out the excess water (I use my salad spinner) and then let it dry.
6. THAT is IT! It is simple, safe and fun!

Getting Ready to Dye

I dyed all the yarn for my afghan with Koolaid! Koolaid dyeing is fun and safe. All you need is wool yarn, some containers and a microwave.

1. First, the yarn. You need wool yarn. I live in a rural area and my closest store is a Ben Franklin. They have two brands of wool. I buy different colors. The picture with this post shows you four colors that I like to work with. The white yarn gives bright pure colors. The grey heather yarn gives much darker more muted colors. The natural and tannish color give less bright colors.
2. I turn the balls into hanks by winding them around a chair and then I tie them with a piece of string. I wind 2-4 hanks from each ball. I dye two of these hanks at a time in my shallow dye containers. I use 2-3 packages of Koolaid for these two hanks. SO, you will need 4-6 packets of koolaid to dye one of these balls of yarn.
3. I buy lots of Koolaid and keep all the colors stockpiled. There is really only one green, that is lemon-lime. This summer, I found Berry Blue and now I have a really good standard blue. I use grape, cherry, black cherry, orange and lemonade as base colors. You can mix almost any color with these. The grape has lots of black in it and is very good for toning down colors.
4. You'll need containers. It is best if they have a cover. When I dye multicolored, I use a shallow container that I bought at IKEA. It is about 9" x 12" and fits perfectly in my microwave. I also use 1 lb dannon yogurt containers I eat lots of yogurt and have a stack of these containers! Mostly, I use these for dyeing single colors. Gather you goods and in the next post, we'll get dyeing!

Selecting the colors of Squares

My sister, Heidi, asked for suggestions on how to select the colors for the squares. I had to think hard about this one as it is something I do on the go.

My only guideline in picking the next color was to try and make sure it looked good with the colors next to it. That and I tried to mix up the blue and the green as much as I could. I didn't have much of the purple, so I tried to keep those far apart.