jaynee.co.uk

I have finally got round to getting photos of my rainbow pullover.   I used the Top down raglan sweater generator pattern and the BFL  I spun and dyed with kool-aid.  For the pattern I used multiples of k8, p4.

I saw the Urbanista hat on Ravelry and wanted to give it a try.  I can honestly say it was the most difficult thing I have ever knitted.  I had to restart 4 or 5 times as I couldn’t get the hang of it.

I was reading too much into the pattern instead of just following it.   I thought the 6 pieces had to be done separately and then grafted together at first.  It was only after I finished the first piece that I realised they didn’t.

Once I had done the second piece I found it quite easy to do.

I did mine so that it was stocking stitch on the right side instead of reverse stocking stitch.

I learned a lot from that pattern including wraps and turns and a crochet cast on.

DH loves it and Dylan wants me to make him one too.

I have been growing some peas in the back yard and have just had my first batch.  I don’t think I have ever eaten peas that I had to take out of the pods.  They tasted scrummy.

Dylan made his Dad laugh when he came in to him wearing his fingerless gloves, sandals and a hat.

I somehow managed to forget my own wedding anniversary, I only found out at 9.30pm the night before.  I had to find a project to knit DH quickly and ended up with the Darrel Waltrip knitted washcloth .  I used some Lidl Colorado cotton out of my stash.

DH loved it thank goodness.

I didn’t know if  to dye my blue-faced leicester  while it was still roving or do it after I had spun it.  I decided to dye the roving as I find spinning with one colour  boring.

I followed a tutorial by Picperfic which was excellent but did things slightly different.

I did the maths on how to work out how much kool aid to use the other night but I must have done it wrong.  It doesn’t matter anyway as the end product turned out okay.

I had 500g of BFL.

I split the roving into equal sized pieces so I could fit one piece at a time into my steamer.

I bought the kool aid from DT Craft and Design.  I bought berry blue, lemon-lime and pina pineapple. …6 of each.

I soaked the roving in some hottish water with a squirt of washing up liquid.  The water wasn’t so hot that I couldn’t put my hands in it.

I left it to soak for about 20 minutes and gave it the occasional swish around.

I then laid cling film on my kitchen floor as  I don’t have anywhere else big enough to do it.  I tipped the bowl up and drained the water out and pressed most of the water out of the roving.

I then laid it on the cling film in a sort of u shape.

I mixed up my kool aid using warm water.  I did 7 fluid oz per packet.

I used 2 of the yellow and one each of the others.

I then poured the kool aid over the roving using a spoon as I didn’t have anything else.

It’s advisable not to have a toddler in the kitchen at the same time, especially a small kitchen like mine.

I then rolled the cling film inwards on both sides so both sides are kept separate.

I then coiled the whole thing up and put it in the steamer.  I left it for about 35 minutes.  Once it had finished I took the lid off and let it stand until it was only warm.

I then put some water in the washing up bowl that was the same temperature as the roving and unpeeled the cling film and let the roving into the water.

I gave it a rinse, it didn’t need much as the colours had absorbed really well.  I pressed the water out of it against the side of the bowl.

I put it in the washing machine on the wool spin and then hung it on the line to dry.

Here is the one I made yesterday which is slightly different as I used 2 blues and one each of the yellow and green.

The roving is going to be spun into yarn for a cardigan for Dylan.  I don’t know if to ply it or keep it as singles.

I aren’t going to dye any more yet until I have spun what I have already dyed.  If I can control myself that is.. it’s so addictive.  Who would have thought you could dye such beautiful colours from something you are supposed to drink?

I made DH a heart for Valentine’s day using the heart pattern from knitty.

I told him I was making him a willie warmer to stop him looking at what I was knitting.  I couldn’t resist giving it to him straight away though as I couldn’t wait.  He was really pleased with it and said it was far better than a willie warmer.

I used acrylic DK but used the 2.5mm needles the pattern called for and it turned out fine.

Dylan spotted his Eeyore suit up on the chest of drawers and wanted it on.  We bought it ages ago for him in  a woolworths sale over a year ago and totally forgot about it.  It was a good job he noticed it as it barely fits him now.

Our cat Bagpuss is so patient.  Dylan got all his playdoh stuff out and was very quiet for about 10 minutes.  When I went to see what he was doing the cat was covered in it and she and was laying there patiently.

We had a lovely Christmas.  MIL came to us for dinner and bought Dylan loads of presents.  I did a bit of video on my camera but it is a bit shaky.

Dylan had a sit and ride toy which he loves, loads of lovely clothes including a beautiful thick coat.  Plenty of night garden things which he was really happy about.

I have bought some lovely yarn over the last couple of days.   I bought some malabrigo merino worsted from first4yarns.co.uk which arrived the next day.  I have started my Buttony with it and it is so lovely and soft.

I also bought some yarn off Button who was having a destash.  I bought 14 balls of Louisa Harding fauvre.  It is a lighter green than the picture shows.

20 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino astrakhan.

7 Balls of Patons Sorbet.

I have been squishing them all day.  I don’t know what I am going to make out of it all but I can’t resist green.

We have bought Dylan an upsy daisy and an Iggle Piggle plush toy for Christmas but couldn’t find a Makka Pakka so I had to make one.  I made it up as I went along and couldn’t do it again if I tried.  I was worried that Dylan wouldn’t recognise what it was supposed to be, but he saw it on the shelf when it didn’t have a face and definitely knew what it was.