...MonkeyKnits... A Knitting Blog

Dye-o-Rama!

I have had a lot of fun with this swap. I've done my first "real" dye job... I had only used Kool-Aid before, and not that there's anything wrong with Kool-Aid, but it just doesn't seem official. So now I've officially used "real" dyes and I had so much fun!

But, before I show you photos of my creations, I have to show you what I got from my Dye-o-Rama swap pal, Carrie. I'm not sure how it knits up - I think it's self-patterning. I know Carrie put a lot of hard work into the dyeing process. Thanks, Carrie!

Now, here's a little peek at what I've been up to in the dyeing arena... This first one is the one I'm keeping for myself. I really like the colors, and I think the skein ended up being a little skimpy (less than 400 yards), so it will stay here at Chez Monkeyknits. The colors remind me of a tiger lily - oranges and reds and yellows with a hint of brown speckled in like pollen.

Here's the one that I'm sending off to my Dye-o-Rama swap partner. I *really* love the way this one turned out. I will definitely be trying to replicate this colorway. It reminds me of the sea and the desert at the same time. The colors are turquoise, chestnut brown and several hues of green. I hope my DOR pal likes it!

Kool-Aid Dyeing

Here are the photos from my first experience with Kool-Aid dyeing. As with anything else, the first time was a learning experience. There are things I would do differently the next time. But I had a lot of fun with this, and I will definitely do it again. I would recommend using the instructions offered at Knitty.com. That's what I used, and what the following photos are based on.

Here's my little pile of goodies gathered together and ready to start dyeing. I had Kool-Aid (several different flavors), rubber gloves, turkey basters (couldn't find syringes), plastic wrap, instructions, and of course some natural-colored wool. We're ready!

(warning: lotsa photos ahead!)

Fruit Cocktail

Guess what I did today?

First, let me show you what I got in the mail on Tuesday...

A lovely package from my Secret Pal! Have I told you all how amazing my Secret Pal is? Well, let me tell you again. She's amazing! This grand finale package included: three skeins of KnitPicks wool, lotsa Kool-Aid, instructions for Kool-Aid dyeing, a wind chime, MONKEY CARDS(!!!), hand creme, and some beautiful pink roving. Can you believe how lucky I am? I'm a lucky monkey!

So, of course, I couldn't wait to dive into the Kool-Aid dyeing process. I took a bunch of photos, and I will post them all very soon. The results were great! And the kitchen smelled mah-velous!

Also, as you've probably noticed, MonkeyKnits got a little makeover. What do you think? I've been trying to hone my Fireworks skills... Fun, fun!

And to all you lucky ducks out there going to MDS&W this weekend, I am sooooo jealous. *sigh* I can't wait to live vicariously through your photos and blog entries!