The Cat is Getting Restless

She's walked across my lap about 20 times today for no apparent reason except that I am sitting here. I think she has missed my presence on the couch for the last few days. Let us back up shall we?

This is what 6 pounds of fiber looks like.
It took me 3 hours to skein and weigh all the yarn and roving for dyeing.

This was the most helpful tool that I got with my acid dyes.
A complete color chart of all the colors of Washfast Acid Dyes. I cut all the little samples up individually so I can put different colors next to each other and experiment.

Here's the (k)nifty little electronic scale I got.
In case you can't see it, that is exactly 4 ounces of BFL roving. I can also understand why spinners like roving so much. This was a pillowy cloud of softness. A pillowy, shedding cloud of softness.

And this is my first attempts with the acid dyes.
Let's look closer shall we?

Specimen #1: Bulky weight in lilac, shamrock (green), and brilliant blue
Issue I have with this: I used way too much dye stock. The dye didn't exhaust and I had to rinse it a billion times before it even stopped running blue. Also, everything is just too blue.

Specimen #2: Sock weight in the same colors as above.
Issues: I think I got the dye stock proportions right this time but alas I realized after I put the yarn in to soak that I had forgotten the citric acid. Kind of need that for bonding purposes. I tried to mix it in but I don't think I did very well and the green came out this light-ish green/yellow.

Specimen#3: Roving in same colors.
Issues: Ok, the blue and the lilac did well. The shamrock, not so much. I think it was because I put the citric acid in first and the dye clumped to it and didn't fully dissolve when I added water. When I took the roving out of the green it was a shade of blue with some yellow bits and the water was yellow with green settled on the bottom. I'm going to fix this green problem by experimenting with some leftover sock yarn.

I have been knitting. I know that Kate was concerned I'd get too distracted by dyeing but fear not! :)

This jacket is going to be in contention for World's Thickest, Warmest Knitted Garment.
It's coming along. I'm praying that I don't run out of yarn...

Jaywalker socks...
Eh, same. But oh look!
A new project! Some socks for charity. I do wonder why though, on nearly every pair of socks I knit I have HUGE gaping holes on the sides.

Doesn't matter if I do a heel flap or short row heels. Same color or different color. And I hate gaping holes at the heel so I always have to go back and stitch it together. Hmm....going to try and fix that on the second sock as well.

And finally...

I have totally and completely been sucked into the Twilight series.
I picked this up at the bookstore on Friday and I'm already on chapter 16 of 24.

I also picked this up at the bookstore on Friday.
The inaugural edition of the Debbie Bliss knitting magazine. I saw this awhile ago and I liked it but I told myself I would pick it up later. I'm glad I got this copy. It was the last one on the shelf. Will make for good reading when I'm done with my book.

The cat has settled down on her blanket again and I'm nursing a pretty bad headache right now. My allergies are killing me and it doesn't help that I've got a lot of tension in my shoulders or that I spent the last few hours at a very emotional communion service at church. Thankfully tomorrow is a teacher work day so I won't have children with me tomorrow (which is good because for some reason I'm really feeling like I should be on an extended holiday and I'm not looking forward to going back to work). I do have meetings and I told myself I would clean my room but hopefully when I get home tomorrow there will be more dyeing, more knitting, and a little nap :)