Navajo Plying and Kettle Dyeing

Here's proof that I finished spinning Mom's sweater yarn. I didn't bother to set the twist before dyeing, because I figured that I'd do it after. Its SO SOFT!!

This has all be made possible by JoAnne (who is truly a goddess) who sat down with me and helped me think through the mathematical labrynth of gauge conversion. I have to confess, I haven't done that before with anything where it really mattered. Hard to believe? Put it down to avoidance and denial. But this time? I went all the way. Because I had to know when I could stop spinning!!

Does this photo frighten you? Is it that my kitchen is a mess? Is it that I dye right on my stove? Or is it that I have the Hugest Friggin Dyepot in the Whole World?? If I have to stir all the way to the bottom, I have to get a stool. If I have to stir at all, I have to stand on tiptoe.

That's a lot of blueish greyish tealish dye.




And while that was cooking, I decided to ply the other sock-worth of the sunrise-on-frosty-field colorway you might remember from my last post. This is me navajo plying. The discerning viewer will note the fabulously good looking spinning wheel; I named my spinning wheel Annemarie. A Reeves 19" frame. Yes. I've been in love with this wheel since its arrival just before Christmas. (Another nod to the fair JoAnne, giver of very fine gifts, and more than deserving of more socks!)

Here is my second sock. I'm sure you'd like to see what's up with the first sock, but its not time yet.

You see, I only have this much of this yarn per sock, and I want to use it all. So the only solution was toe-up socks. Did I do the round toe? No. I consulted Twisted Sisters most-fabulous sock book and am making a double-increase regular kind of toe, starting with a provisional cast on of 16 sts. rrrrr.

I'm about to drive a tiny size 2 dpn through my heart getting the damned toe done! Ok, maybe my gauge is a little snug. Maybe I'm a little tired. For sure I need reading glasses. Enough said.

And the blue yarn is done. It has color variations that I hope will be winsome and fetching in the knitted state.

I let it stew for a little while, then I weighed it down so it was all immersed and let it sit all night to cool. Rinsed it this morning, and spun it in the washing machine. Now its all hanging from the shower rod.

Its beginning to look like I'm going to be able to give this to Mom for Mother's Day! I even have the needles!