I'm Dye-ing!

Ha! So many ways to go with that title, isn't there? Anyhoo, anyone who knits usually knows you can buy undyed yarn to be custom dyed for a project -  my next project I've been unable to find a color in lace weight that worked and I've wanted to try this for awhile so perfect! On the downside this venture might have been better done in October since it involved hot yarn, boiling water and I still have no central air so it was I imagine pretty similar to how they dye wool yarn in the Congo. So I sent my my request to the Gods Of Amazon plus $7.31 and I got my dye. I read the directions online fairly carefully and only ignored half of them, good on me!

I had bought as you remember four 2,500 yard skeins of lace weight alpaca from the alpaca ladies even after they swore they were out of the yarn business. The Power Of Being Annoying occasionally pays off, doesn't it? I tied up the skeins first, lace weight alplaca yarn is fairly delicate and very tangly without sticking in a pot of water and stirring it so I did that first. I knew I might get a little tie-dye effect but that's ok, it will look fine I hope. So I heated the water and dissolved the powdered dye, then mixed it in the pot I'd bought. I had purchased a cheapie pot from Walmart yesterday before reading the directions about it needing to be ceramic or stainless steel, not aluminum. Oops. Oh well, too late now!

So, now I'm trying very hard not get to dye all over creation because we all know how I am but so far so good. I dunked the first skein in and held it under the water like an ex-husband, then went back for the other one. The other one was still hanging on the door knob because I thought it made a more romantic sort of picture.  Note to self - when dyeing two skeins of yarn bring them BOTH over at the same time so I'm not walking around with wet, dye drippy gloves. Sigh. 

This is the part where you have to heat it slowly to about 120 degrees - I knew I had a thermometer in one of my drawers but then again I was wrong so I ended up having to eyeball and imagine what 120 degrees would look like. That is not half as easy as it sounds, that sounds like it might be boiling, doesn't it? Had to google that - it is simmering, but kind of a low simmer, staring doesn't help figure out what 120 degrees looks like at all. In case you're wondering yarn boiling in dye in the middle of June does not smell half as warm and cozy as you think it does. It smells like a sheep you left out in the sun too long. 

Then you have to add vinegar to set the color - so now it smells like a hot and tangy sheep. And you get to simmer it at your imagined 120 degrees for another half an hour. After this it gets washed with - you guessed it! - MORE hot water. Yarn that has been boiling for over an hour is not only stinky but hot hot hot! This is seriously not the Fun and Relaxing Sunday Project I had imagined last week. BUT....

I gently wrung it out and guess what - it's exactly the shade I need! Exactly! My next project is Lily of the Valley and even though this is a tad darker than the pattern it will still be perfect. 

Yay me!