Monday, October 29, 2018

Sock dying, sock knitting

This was a first for me.  I spent a lovely afternoon with my knitting friends, in the company of a yarn dying expert, who taught us to hand dye “sock blanks”. What are sock blanks?  They are rectangular machine knit superwash merino and nylon sock weight yarn blank in natural white.  This one is knit with two strands together to produce for two skeins of identically dyed yarn.  So the socks will match.  Magic!

 The dying was done with many of my favourite colours layer out in rough triangles. It should produce gradual fade from pinks to blues with interspersed lines of all the other colours. Can’t wait to see these socks.
 Then, because I like knitting smooth straight yarn (it is kinky when you unravel the blank), I threw the doubles yarn on the niddy noddy, and wet blocked it for a bit.  Then from the swift, I rolled two identical balls of sock yarn.
 And here you see the first done, and the second started.  I of course used my favourite sock pattern...
The Best Sock Pattern EVER.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Sweet Handspun

I have just finished spinning this lovely sport weight hand dyed yarn.  It is spun from 70% blue flaced leichester, and 30% silk, custom dyed roving, and was sold at an equally lovely shop in NE Ohio, by the name of Long Tail Knits.   Please stop by and say hi to the gang there!

Shortly, I will post a pattern made with this....  150 grams (5.5 oz) of sport weigh yarn.  (about 250 yards).  For now, enjoy the yummy photo and visit the website and etsy site of LTY.