mánudagur, júní 12, 2006

Bad Karma for Dye-O-Rama

It's the last day of DYE-O-RAMA and just on spot I sent out my yarn today. I planned to do so earlier because it has to travel a long distance - but the obstacles!
I meantioned the Kool-aid desaster. The sachets I bought on ebay where almost confiscated by custom officials here. I still don't know excactly what the problem was. Okay, they made a funny noise in the envelope. Anthrax, drugs? The concern of protecting Icelandic children from funny-coloured pooh? Anyway, just before last weekend, the Kool-Aid made it to my doorstep and so did the undyed yarn.
My pal stated she would be very happy with sef-striping yarn but not in the same colour way. Sigh.. not that easy with the selection I got here.

Kool-aid stripes
or like this
Kool-aid stripes
I was surprised to find out that even when dyeing only a part of a skein, there was not nearly enough colour in one sachet to dye the yarn in saturated colours or at least evenly. Loads of white spots all over the place. Could it be that the superwash quality of my yarn caused this effect? But if, why not in the sample threads? Furthermore in contrast to this theory is the black cherry result. It is fabulously red and juicy but therefore doesn't fit to the other colours/stripes. [double sigh]
To make a long and desperate story short, I will better show you the results. [shiver]

This tangled mess reminds me painfully of batik print. The style of blouses my more alternative teachers liked to wear around the time, trendsetter or fashion victim Nena was attending singing lessons in the humble premisies that were also my elementary school.
batik stripe failuresbatik stripe failures
As mentioned before, I like the black cherry red, but the rest? I was/am not in the mental condition yet to try any over-dying yet. Rest in peace, little skein.

Next was the plan to create a midnightsun colourway. Midnightsun over Hafnarfjordur
That was before I found out that I don't really have orange because Tropical something was more brownish than orange. And one of the blues was not as dark blue as hoped for either... And what is the green doing there anyway?

batik stripe failuresmidnightsun failure

In the end, the combination blue-green-purple is not that horrible in my opinion (which might have to do with all the handling, rewinding and the ability to aquire taste after all). Also, the yarn, Trekking, is very nice. BUT, idiot as I am, I wrapped the yarn in a wrong way! The green stripes are only in the first (or last) half of the skein, the rest is only blue and purple. Lesson learned!

Last attempt was strawberry/apple striped yarn (Take strawberry and apple colours and rack your brain to not include the word strawberry in the name for the colourway!) The result looked again kind of unpleasant in the skein with all the undyed white spots. Desperately, I decided to knit a swatch and lo and behold it is not that bad. I even like how it looks now but I kind of have to. I can imagine it being a fresh and girly Jaywalker for example.
strawberry failuresstrawberry failures

I am afraid, however, that it is not according to my pals colour preferences. But then, she said she is open to anything and I really did my best. No yarn, no colour left for another attempt and I am afraid, I couldn't do better/try harder anyway :-(

To add some cuteness factor to this post I'll give you some kittens I visited over the weekend. Friends of me seem to really enjoy upgrading their family. Not long ago, they had a daughter (who is already grown out of this sweater [scroll down]). Now they are into breeding Norwegian Forest cats and those cuties are only two weeks old.
strawberry failures
Say with me: AAHH!

13 ummæli:

Nafnlaus sagði...

The yarn is GREAT!

Stephanie sagði...

I really like that second colorway. Too bad about the wrapping. :(

The Little (Knitting) Hedgehog sagði...

I think they're all lovely. Even the speckly ones, they look like Manos del Uruguay. I'll mark you down as having sent your yarn!

~~Noelle

Cheryl sagði...

I tried Kool-aid dying today for the first time. Some colors were good and others not so good. I too had lots of white. My yarn is still wet and I have not wound it up into hanks yet.

The kitties are just too too precious.

Nafnlaus sagði...

I think they all look lovely.

And I'll say it with you - Ahhhh....the kitties are too cute

Rebecca sagði...

Those kitties are SO CUTE. We want to get one of those if we ever get another cat. The yarn is beautiful as well, even the "mistake midnight sun" one. But I like the last one best (the one you are using.)

Customs in Iceland is weird. I wouldn't think much into the Koolaid thing. Sometimes I think they just get bored and want to open packages. I've sent my boyfriend tons of packages and they've wanted to open I think 4. It's really kind of annoying especially when it's something personal inside.

Ashley sagði...

Those kitties are adorable.

It's too bad about the green in the blue/purple/green skein because I love that one-it's beautiful. but I really like the strawberry/apple one as well, and I think it would make supercool Jaywalkers.

Alliesw sagði...

What perseverence--I had the same struggles in my kool aid dying, but I love your strawberry AND your blue/green/purple. Thanks for visiting, too!

Theresa sagði...

I don't know anything about dying, but I do know that I started eating the Icelandic sweets you sent me - those ones with coconut are amazing!

Unknown sagði...

Seeing this yarn and your lovely colourwork... I wish I could do it too..Do you sell yarn?

alison sagði...

The yarns look great! This swap was so much fun, wasn't it?!

WandaWoman sagði...

I love that second colorway, the yarn looks great. I'm sure your pal will be happy either way. I'm sorry for not getting back to you, just have been busy. Hope all is well.

brendah sagði...

I think your yarns look very nice, and they will look even nicer once they're knit (that's what's important!). The white spots will add interest, like an additional color. I just visited you from the Dye-O-Rama site cuz I like to see what everyone else is doing. Wasn't this swap fun?