From the DIRTY Little Secret Files:
Two things happening here:
- first, the apparent need for cappage, due to the inclement weather
- second, the apparent need to run and get a camera and document it.
But no, no simple photograph will do! It must be grainy; it must have giant hands in the foreground; it must be a REFLECTION from a BATHROOM MIRROR!
In honor of the un-counted times I've lost control and found a camera in my hands in that very room, in that very posture, smirking, I've dubbed a title onto this photo to remind myself of my visual redundancy. I have no idea if the count is correct, but it seems likely. By doing this, in the photo world, it now becomes A SERIES!!! Who knows! Maybe some patron will spot me some day and I'll hang on the walls of MOMA at last.
NOT.
But in the meantime, I'm hot on the trail of the Christmas Elves, flinging hats and scarves in their direction, hoping to hit a bag-o-presents or two. I've been making bucket hats in the mornings with my coffee and blogging.
This is my first Aran Bucket made from OK - those with severe ACRYLIC ALLERGIES AVERT YOUR EYES - Red Heart Classic! This took one little skein (3 oz) of Color #0971 Camoflage. I think I paid $1.77 for it, but it could've been less...
I love it and plan on living in it and pity the poor teenager that was going to get it as a gift (but will still GET IT because, heeehe, I splurged and bought 3 whole skeins). In fact, I have a hoodie I made out of this yarn a couple of years ago. My mom and I went on a Kmart bender in Northern Michigan where the LYS Beast is almost extinct and most folks get their goods at a Walmart or Kmart. Me too...
Today's WX: "...Blustery, colder! Readings 15-20° below yesterday. Some rain from a thick overcast settles south, low/mid 30s all day."
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MORE DIRTY Little Secrets:
Today is the first day I will wear the SNUGGIES - the Long John's - John L Sullivans' Drawers, if you will. The rule in my line of work is: Snuggies from Halloween to Easter in the fabulous MidWest! Apparently, I've been really lucky and just didn't notice...
Feeling a Need to Slack in this pathetic weather? Read THIS...
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TGIF!!!
One of the odd quirks about the Rat Race of Work, is that even when the Project/Event Merry-Go-Round STOPS one can still spin and spin. It takes me, especially, about a week to get a bead on a *new* horizon - one that's hopefully moving slower and gentler. In the meantime, it's still full speed AHEAD! simply out of habit, and instead of drinking myself to death, becoming a workout freak, or cyring my eyes out, I've been dyeing my pants off...
Good idea? or Fool's Mission - you decide...
This particular yarn falls into the Extreme Category of Barn Yarn. Now, make no mistake, barn yarn is my friend. By BY, I usually mean tightly spun, heavy duty, work horse yarn that I can make sweaters I can work outside in. Sometimes, I've even purchased the yarn in a barn. Other times, the sheep just grew up there and their yarn made it across the Atlantic and on my needles all the same.
The yarn above is the Barniest of all barn yarns I've ever possessed. I performed a Yarn Rescue from eBay on this lot a few months ago. It was advertised as "Wool Knitting Worsted", tan, 15 skeins, peanuts...
AND, it was exactly that. Cheap and well made! What was omitted from the description was that this yarn, in it's orignal owner's storage box, was home to something unadvertised! I giddily took the top couple of skeins off the pile I saw when I opened the box, and LO!! there was a little nest made in one corner of the box, with tufts pulled out of some of the skeins, making a soft bed for, dare I guess, FIELD MICE!
These critters had *left the building* a long time ago but now another sort of Rescue was in Order, in fact, the dyer in me demanded it.
Here's where it gets interesting - I decided this nice stuff would make a great bucket and cowl in what else: PURPLE in honor of its obvious Barney nature. But no cartoon purple for me - give me a deep Ash-Purple Blackberry of sorts and I was off - with mixing cup and spoon.
So I put the BY to its bath and then I got a phone call. A loooong phone call. I got up and stirred the pot once then forgot all about it while I was chatting away until I heard a hissing noise. THIS was the sound of the Simmer becoming a BOIL and I lowered the flame at once!
But witness what happened to my Barney Delight:
AHA! This is what they mean by Kettle Dyeing - you have varying depths of color where the yarn has absorbed the dye in different areas of the heated solution in the dye pot itself. Notice where it's darker = closer to the bottom of the pan and heat source. Lighter Shade? Must've been floating for a LOOONG time at the surface of the liquid and where the skein ties were.
This was not a look I was going for - but after it's all said and done...
I LOVE IT! I actually think it's going to be more of an interesing cowl and cap!
Barney ON, dudes...
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