The Seeds of Inspiration

It is a mystery how inspiration can start from the smallest of things and bloom into something that promises to be wonderful. I was knitting my Ravelymics shawl which is very simple and easy to knit. On bulky yarn, it is likely that it will go quick. Actually, in the interest of preventing my hands and wrists from being strained I am taking my time and just coasting along.

As I knit, my mind wanders in some regret that the beautiful lace shawl I originally planned will be left unknit. I browse though the Ravelry shawl patterns and drool at the lovely shawls before me. And behold I spy a shawl so lovely made in variegated colors I can’t take my eyes off of it. I put it in my Ravelry queue, a knit waiting list of projects to be made someday. As the days go by, my thoughts return to the lovely shawl named Waves of Leaves Shawl by Malcolm and Marcus Design. I start thinking, “ Do I have anything in my stash that could make it. No?” Then I looked hard at the Sesame colored yarn I was going to make the first shawl out of. I learned that knitting a big project in this beige color can be boring very quickly. Then a light of genius strikes me…..what about over dyeing it. What is overdyeing, you ask? It is taking a colored yarn and redyeing it to get a completely different yarn. I have the yarn-I have the dye colors-Do I have the knowledge? Well,…..maybe.

I am needing to do this with repeated results for several skeins? It’s going to take some research, mathematical calculations and measuring, and a little bit of chemistry. This is going to be an experiment. What have I got to lose? Nothing but a few skeins of wool purchased on sale.

Testing for dye color

Dyeing small skeins

Dyeing the Big Skein in Red, Violet and Green

My first skein was a learning opportunity. The results were not too shabby. It gave me a great appreciation for the master yarn dyers who make hundreds of beautiful skeins of color. It is understandable why they elevate the cost of a skein of yarn. Their efforts are worth the cost. Nevertheless, as long as God gave me a brain, a love of colored yarn and a desire to figure out how to make it, I will forge on. I love making and learning things.

Good Strong Color

The Repeatable Results

Does it look like changing leaves?

In skeins