I dyed this weekend!

I wish I could dye all the time, I love when I dye.

Okay, okay, enough of that. It's early, it sounded funnier in my brain.

I love dyeing yarn. Actually, I dont love dyeing the yarn but I love the preparation, the picking out of colors, mixing up different shade and planning what I will do.

You need to use vinegar to dye yarn and I HATE the smell of vinegar. I don't like getting dye on my fingers, or splashed in my face so that later The Mister tells me my nose is a funny shade of yellow. I hate the smell of vinegar.

I love the results, I love seeing how different yarns pick up different shades of color, and how different the yarn looks in the end from how I pictured it in the beginning.

Did I mention I hate the smell of vinegar? 

And so, I don't do it very often, but when I do I always think 'I should dye yarn more often.' 

This will be a Little MIss Who for Ris eventually. I'm testing the pattern for Keltie, my BKF (Best Knitting Friend)

This is why I have been so quiet

I've been waiting on needles so I can finish some socks, I've been working on another pair of socks, and I've been feverishly knitting away at this...

Defeat

I seriously tried to love using double pointed needles, I tried to pay homage to socks by using the most original method. But I'm so slow with dpns and I am a sucker for instant gratification.

I chew hard candy, I break huge jawbreakers into pieces so I can eat them faster and my nail polish is always smudged because I can't wait for it to dry.

It is only natural that I choose the method of knitting that is easier and faster for me. And so I succumb to defeat. I've retired my dpns and cast on my next sock with circulars. I will knit via the magic loop method from this point forward.

This blog is becoming a bit boring

What with all the socks. 

Another FO. 

Started the sweater...

Got it out of my system, worked until i joined in the round and then picked up the sock again. Happily knitting away on Glynis for now. And tinkering away on the Mr. Pitts Socks for the Mrs when i need brainless knitting.

Knitting through Sock Innovation

In an effort to improve my sock knitting skills I have created a challenge for myself. I am going to knit through Sock Innovation by cookie a., front to back, no exceptions.

I started my challenge a few weeks ago, but I only had self stripping yarn on hand and the first sock is a very patterned sock. The self striping yarn ate up the pattern pretty badly. I was a trooper and pushed through the first sock, until I realized I had been forgetting a step in the pattern the entire time so the pattern was not lining up. FAIL.

I frogged and was going to wait and see if I get what I think I might get for my birthday (Tanis Fiber Arts sock yarn) but then we made a trip to the city...and the Mister needed to stop at a fishing tackle shop...and I didn't want to go. So, I went to Micheal's, the craft store, with the intent of buying yarn for a sweater I promised to make a friend last year. (it was already agreed upon so this doesn't count as breaking my yarn diet resolution, right?). I was perusing the yarn, feeling, touching, caressing...lets face it, I was molesting the yarn. And then I noticed some reasonably priced sock yarn in some uber nice solid colors...and I justified that one challenge sort of trumps the other, and as long as I promise the yarn gods that I will use this yarn to knit through my book challenge, it is allowed. Right?

SO now I'm faced with my least favorite issue. I have two different socks on the needles. The self striping yarn being made into some Mr. Pitts socks for the Mrs.

And Glynis being knit with Sock-Ease in Green Apple

And I am itching to start the sweater I have been promising to knit for almost 2 years.

What to do...start the sweater? finish the Pitt socks before starting the sweater? Finish both pairs of sock before starting the sweater? Hmmm.

"that ain't my baby" slippers