Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Tea Dyeing!

So, here's the story. I can't buy yarn this year, so what happens when I wantwant*WANT* a certain colour? Well, I decided to dye up some Knitpicks fingering weight and try to get my colour, which is in this case, a rich orange-bronze sort of thing.

I tried using part orange Kool-Aid, part Crystal Lite, and the iced tea didn't take at ALL. So I was left with this.



Pretty, but not what I wanted.

Then I decided to overdye the peach with tea! Lots of tea.



Ten bags of tea. Three of a really horrible Chai tea that I wasn't drinking, because I love Chai tea and this was just not Chai, and seven of regular old Red Rose. So much tea.



And then in goes the yarn!



Simmer for ten minutes, turn heat off, squish with potato masher, leave for...a while, and begin process all over. Here's two.



And the finished three in various poses, with disinterested, yawny cat!







That's Chewie.

So this yarn will be a sweater for the Knitters of Avalon KAL, along with a hank I dyed some time ago in a sort of fireworks colourway, for the collar and some bands around the sleeves, if I do sleeves. Not sure yet.

I'm not starting a thing until I finish the back of the House sweater though, I can tell you that much. I am being good, see? Good.