KOOL AID DYEING

In December of last year I joined the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry. I posted my wish list and sent out various bits and pieces to other people - all arrived safely to their various destinations over a period of time (well it was approaching Christmas). I was amazed at the response to my wish list - I received one of my requests within a matter of hours by email - I then started to receive little packages through the post - of Kool Aid Woohoo - I also was given some by a friend in our newly started knitting group - so I ended up with a large and fabulous selection of different colours to play with.

My first play day resulted in this selection

When I went over to Hilary's I took some blue, green and yellow and did this

Here it all is ready to go to the next phase - which is the admire and fondle phase

The first spinning I did was with some Blue Faced Leicester that I'd dyed with left over liquid - one batch grape and one batch mixed reds and pinks - I spun them separately and then plied them together - and was then terribly disappointed as I didn't feel they worked particularly well together. I then spent some time humming and hahing and came up with a plan to make a scarf in broomstick crochet - and, actually, it really works with the yarn, bringing out the best of it.

I have also spun some of the red/yellow/pink mix and that is on it's way to being (hopefully) a hat, scarf and gloves set.

I'm daydreaming at present about spinning the turquoisey mix into a lace weight yarn and knitting a nice shawl - but by the time I get to it my plans may change!

Having added my mosaic picture to one of the Ravelry forums I received a good offer for some more Kool Aid - 18 packs hee hee - off to play now :-)

MOBILE PHONE BAGGY THINGY

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself - I've just finished a wee project that I hadn't even planned to start! A little bag thingy for my mobile phone - bright pink.



I started it on holiday - actually I suppose I started it earlier than that, because I spun the yarn - an energetic singles (half of a two ply barley twist) - at a guild meeting in August (for the Ireland scarf fringe).

When we were in Norfolk I took it off the bobbin to create space - whereupon I started to look at the yarn or maybe it looked at me - anyway I ended up picking up a pair of knitting needles to do a little sample - but I didn't stop - it ended up as a strange, long, slightly twisted, knitted strip - I looked at this and thought "mmmm - mobile phone cover..... it needs another colour - shocking pink and..... ah yes lime green speaks to me". Next stop Etsy for a button! oh and of course a necessary trip to handweavers for some lime green merino.



So, there we have it - finished. Very girly it is too - must charge my phone!

HOW TO DO A CURLICUE

Just in case anyone wants to know - here's how to do a curlicue - it's really easy - a great finishing fringe for a beginner - or novelty earings made from those wee bits of really fabulous handspun yarn.

start by making a chain of any length you fancy - for the green & pink one in the pic I did a starting chain of 7.

Next do another 3chain to make your first treble (double for Americans) then do 4 trebles into 4th chain from needle.

from here on do 5 trebles (doubles) into each chain.

The principle here is that there are too many stitches for the piece of work to lay flat - so it will all curl up on itself - once you've finished just manipulate the curl as you want it.

The picture above is how it might look as it comes of the hook - just start at the end and coil it up on itself so it looks like the picky below

now all you need is to do is make enough for your fringe





Woad dyed curlicue earings - made with yarn dyed in Norfolk.

IRELAND SCARF - ALL FINISHED

Over the weekend I finished off my Ireland scarf - hoorah! I'm really pleased with it too - it's been my consolation for the lousy "summer" weather, because I've had an excuse to wear it!

It was the simplest pattern:

I made a chain with an uneven number of stitches

then I did a row of double stitching (singles if you're American) before starting the pattern rows

then the patten consisted of one row of - three chain to make first treble(double if you're American),* chain one, miss one double stitch, treble into next double stitch repeat from * to end.

then three rows of double stitching - then repeat pattern row and three rows of double to end of scarf (finishing with only one row of doubles after the final pattern row).

I added some rows of double stitches in a solid colour and then some more in a matching barley twist yarn at each end, then I added a row of curlicue danglies done in the barleytwist yarn.

notes about spinning of the yarn I used for this can be found at

http://fromfuzztofinished.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html