I'm dyeing again!

I'm so happy to report that I've got my dyeing mojo back again! It's been months since I've done any yarn dyeing, mostly due to the fact that I only have one skein of undyed yarn left and I am trying to sell some more of what I've made before I buy more.

But then I actually got around to doing what I've been planning to for ages ... start dyeing some of the yarn I've recycled from sweaters. And with as many of the great sweaters I've found at Goodwill, not very many have been white or cream. So I'm trying to get creative.

My first experiment looks awesome! It's the sleeve from a 100 percent wool medium gray sweater. I am using it like a sock blank. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, thinking that maybe the gray was too dark to allow much color to be noticed. It's lovely though ... a heathery rainbow. I have another I dyed very similarly, but it's still pretty wet. I can't wait until this one dries all the way so I can measure the length of the yarn (I also got around to making a homemade niddy-noddy this weekend - it's about time) and then put it into a center-pull cake. And then find a project to make. Yay! The last time I dyed sweater sleeves into sock blanks, I got both socks out of one arm, so I'll be interested to see how this one works out.





p.s. I also found the Ziploc bag that contains my one green rainbow sock and the yarn for the other. I have been looking for it for a while, thinking it was a lost cause.

Feeling blue

Last week I was lucky enough to get tickets to go see the Blue Man Group on campus. I was very excited about the show, but didn't really know what to expect. All I could think of before hand was this:

Tobias

Sadly, the show did not feature any never-nudes* (at least none that I knew of), but it was really cool to watch. Here's a couple cool shots I got from the show.







*Note: I can't help but throw in Arrested Development references when it comes to the Blue Man Group.

Stashbusting update - February

I'm now two months into the Stashbusting Contest. I definitely fell off the wagon!

Finishes:
- The top of my Santorini by Lila Tueller layer cake top. I haven't even thought about what I'm doing on the back yet.

In progress:
- Postage stamp quilt
- Polka dot paper pieced quilt
- Wonky log cabin quilt-as-you-go scrap quilt

Purchases:
- Here's where I slipped: At the quilt camp I went to last weekend, it was a Nancy J. quilt shop weekend. It's been the first time I've been to a camp with her shop there -- I loved her fabric selection! So many beautiful brights! And obviously very tempting. Here's what I caved in and purchased.



I have not decided what I'm doing with these yet, but I love this color palette and all the patterns. I can't wait to pick others from my stash to mix with these for a project.

Other fabric in:
- A BUNCH of scraps from people at quilt camp, lots as birthday surprises. I didn't even check the trash cans this time! Here's hoping I get a lot done in March.

Welcome to the zoo!

Guess who got finished tonight? (OK, it was really around 2 a.m., but close enough!)



I haven't picked out a name yet. Truthfully, I'm not even sure if this little elephant is a boy or a girl. You would think I would know, after I spent all that time stitching its hindquarters.

I think my favorite names thus far are Horatio and Violet. Any other ideas?

Anyway, now the elephant and I are headed to bed. I'll try to post more about the pattern, the materials I picked out and why this was a lot more time-consuming than I thought it would be.

A sneak peak

Just a little sneak peak of what I've been working on this week ...



I cannot wait until this is finished. I just stupidly drank a diet Mountain Dew, so there's a chance I get it done tonight!