Working Backwards
Let’s begin with the last day.
On the last afternoon of the fiber festival, Margene, Teresa, Carole, and I took a dyeing class. The premise was to produce roving which, when spun up and then knit, results in two identical socks.
We wet two pieces of roving and set them out on a piece of plastic wrap, parallel to each other.
It was quite windy that afternoon and we had a difficult time keeping the plastic wrap from sticking to itself. Margene got frustrated and let loose a string of expletives, shocking the class (and herself) with her potty mouth:
After applying the dye, you wrap up the roving in the plastic wrap and steam it.
Here’s what mine looked like after steaming:
Then you remove the plastic wrap and set it out to dry:
The roving should be fun to spin up (yellow? what yellow?). However, I’m a dedicated pre-drafter so I might tear mine into strips and not worry so much about making 100% identical socks.
And where was Kim through all this?
I tell ya, that grrl.
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Susan | spinning, dyeing
At least she’s got good reading material.
Oooh, that roving turned out nice. Love the post-expletive shot. Hee!
I got a good hearty laugh out of this post - thanks! I needed it. It’s fun to see you all having such a good time.
Heh - love the pic of Margene! Looks like it was fun.
I think Kim has the right idea! Looks like I missed a lot of fun….any fiber festivals in early December?!
Priceless photo of Margene! Looking forward to seeing how your dyed roving spins up.
That’s not yellow! That’s saffron.
Oh yes, a hard worker is that Kim. While the rest of you were SLAVING away.
Fantastic pictures! I’m not sure which one is cuter, “oops-did-I-say-that-out-loud” Margene or zonked-out Kim.
That looks like some serious fun!
Ooh. Nice colors! I love the yellow. Did Carolyn Greenwood teach that class? If she did, I took the same one at Wool Cabin and loved it. You can look at my blog to see the mittens I made with my yarn under March 2007 “Spring is here” if you want. That wind was horrible, though. Looks like you succeeded in spite of it and the expletives. lol
Not Wool Cabin! I meant at Three Wishes!
great shot of Margene! and Kim? well she looks adorable soaking up those rays.
I can’t wait to see this knitted up! Kim had the right idea. Margene has a potty mouth? Ha! I knew it!
Kim is looking really stressed in that pic
Heehee!!! Naughty potty that Margene…haha!!!
It was SO much fun to hang out with you and the Utah grrls……..I miss you already!!! Thank you for showing us a GREAT time!!
That is a great class theme, and it will be fun to see what all of you create, though Kim might have been the one to get it right… maybe the last of the golden sunlight, eh?
I love that picture of Margene!
My roving doesn’t look as awful as I thought it would. But still - ugh!
I took a yarn dyeing workshop last week and even indoors I wanted to swear at the plastic wrap more than once. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have felt with wind and wrap combined.I may break down and buy one of the giant wide rolls if I do much dyeing.
The roving colors turned out very nice. I look forward to seeing them spun and knit.
Hahaha, are you sure that magazine Kim’s reading isn’t called “Drift Off…”?
So interesting! Even more than spinning, my other-crafty thoughts are turning to dyeing these days!
; )
Kim, caught in the nonact. Priceless.
Oh no! Now EVERYONE knows the truth about Margene’s way with words (of course, one of the things I love best about her–and you, missy). Birds of a feather, as they say. . .
Looks like fun - I’m looking forward to seeing how the socks turn out!