Anecdotal Knitting

This motif was traced from “The Motto Book” cover, then enlarged. Embroidered in split stitch in over-dyed wool yarn, measures 7.5 inches x 6.5 inches.

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Knit Picks fingering Gossamer merino wool, colors are Sunrise (shown here over-dyed in Acid WashFast Golden Yellow) and the original Blue Jeans.

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Dip dyed small skeins to produce a range of colors quickly, original colors are in the center.

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My method for dip dyeing: Wind yarn into small skeins, soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Boil a pot of water (8 – 10 cups or more) with 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt, keep this pot boiling. In another pot on the stove (used for dyeing only, not for food) add a couple of cups of the boiling water and a tiny pinch of dye powder, keep the heat high enough to keep the dye bath at a simmer. Squeeze the water out of a skein of yarn and swish it in the dye bath until the desired color is achieved. Wearing rubber gloves squeeze out the excess liquid from the yarn and set aside (in a dyeing only vessel) to cool.

Discard the dye bath and repeat the process with more water and dye for the next color.

Once all the skeins are dyed and cooled rinse out the excess dye in cool water.

Simmer all the skeins together in a pot of water with 2 tablespoons vinegar for 20 minutes. If you are concerned about bleeding, separate the darks from the lights and simmer in two batches. Or if you want a mottled variegated effect, don’t rinse any of the skeins, simmer all together without stirring.

Let the water and skeins cool to room temperature then rinse again and let dry.