Inquisitive Felines and Fibers

Okay, let me be clear about this one. Winding boucle from a cone onto a niddy noddy is almost as fascinating a past time as watching the cars rust. Really. If I’m to continue to do my own dyeing I will have to figure out how to fix my Clock Reel Winder. The skeins I’m winding are 560 yards, not sure why that magic number exactly – I tend to think it was the amount of yarn I needed for a shawlette I’ve made in the past – but that’s the number I’m sticking to for the moment. The final count of skeins from one cone is 10 with a smidgen of yarn left over so I can play to my heart’s content and not worry about wasting too much. It just makes it a bit easier to try doing something new for the first time.

I know that is only 9, but I wound another while the Marigold blossoms were simmering on the stove top, which I might also add lends a truly unique aroma to the kitchen. Luckily I had 2 pounds of the golden-yellow blossoms to use, it’s what the recipe called for, and the skein count turned out to be 5 to make a pound. This will allow me to try some over dyeing and experimenting later on so I was very pleased to discover that it worked out this way. I’m just itching to get dye into a spray bottle and start spritzing some yarn, but that will be another day.

I did simmer the yarn in an alum bath before I put it into the dye pot. I’m not entirely sure what the make up of the yarn is, I can’t decipher the label on the inside of the cone, but I decided that the first time out I shouldn’t get too innovative. Following the instructions the first time has usually worked out well for me in the past so I saw no reason not to trust it again. Here I have to admit that I’m not big on reading instructions first, I tend to fall back on them as a last resort, but I thought that this was a form of cooking and I always make a recipe the recommended way the first time…then change it to the way I want it from there on.

So there it is! There was something a little magical about putting the yarn into the dye and watching it change color that I fear could become addicting. I have a starter acid dye set and packages of Kool-Aid still to experiment so who knows what will come of this…except possibly the purchase of more yarns, this time undyed! Eventually I hope to spin well enough to dye my own yarn as well, but I’ve too many things going on right now to spend the time I need to practice daily. It’s on my list though. Just imagine what the feeling of going through the entire process yourself can inspire.