I’m probably not going to say much of anything at all tonight. There is just too much on my mind, and as I was doing the dishes I wrote about ten different blog posts in my head: destroyer boys and Destroyer boys, the first little kicks of Baby Three, reminding Baby Three every day to please be The Gentle Child, trying to decide where on earth to even give birth to Baby Three and be happy with my decision, indecisive two year olds who won’t stay asleep, birthday money to spend (and what on?), crummy weather, and oh yes, what I’m spinning and what I’m knitting. (I’m more on the mama and less on the knitty lately, I guess)
Yeah, I said it’s a lot. And I do want to knit tonight, so I’m going to keep it simple, light, and stick with yarn. Yarn you may have noticed on my Flickr badge:
It’s Knitpick’s merino fingering weight, and it’s my first random experiment at dyeing my yarn.
Little Man helped with the photography…
I decided that I’ve been too worried about dyeing my own yarn, and dove in when the chance came up.
We dyed Easter eggs with natural dyes in playgroup last month, and had a bunch of dye left over, mostly turmeric and onion skins. I brought the dye home, did about 5 minutes on online research about mordants and soaked my yarn. I threw it on the pot, poured turmeric on half and onion skins on the other half and brought it to just about a simmer. I left it on low for about 30 minutes, let cool, and rinsed away. This is what I got:
Pretty, huh?
It got the tiniest bit felted, but it wound off okay and I think it looks pretty darn good for 11:30 at night and not trying too hard.
I cast on last night for a Baby Surprise, my first one ever. As soon as I have enough knit up I’ll show you how it looks OTN. But I must say, I’m pretty pleased with this yarn.
Knittymama 
Very sunny looking!! Hey, the weather’s not good right now – but oh, wasn’t yesterday divine?!
Looking good! I love the colors you get from natural dyes, they’re just… nicer, I guess. Hard to explain.
Have fun with the Baby Surprise Jacket! It’s a great knit.
The yarn is looking good. I’ve given some thought to growing some things that I could use for dyeing, but I just don’t have the space. I can’t wait to see your Baby Surprise.
That yarn is beautiful! I’m just loving yellow right now. (Love the photo by Little Man – reminds me that one of these days I need to stop winding skeins by hand and go buy me a swift!)
The yarn is beautiful! I love that yellow–just right to be a herald of spring.
What birth place options are you considering? Conventional hospital? Birth center? Home?
Very pretty, and sun-shiney too!
I was thinking how lovely that yellow yarn would be for a baby knit.
Wasn’t that storm last night something else? My boys and I were out driving around in it and Puck was a tiny bit terrified.
The yarn is beautiful!
Such sunny yarn! Maybe cute chickie or duck buttons? For the new hatchling to be?
I am so dyeing some yarn naturally- such pretty colors!
I love that yarn!!! I;ll go out on a limb here and predict a more mellow child, but not too mellow 🙂
I have four children. The youngest two are mellower. They don’t cause as much turmoil. Easy going and content as babies and they don’t rock the boat as much as the older two now. Relax. Have you considered the Bradley method of natural childbirth? I took the classes twenty years ago, they were awesome.
Your wool is gorgeous! It will be lovely for a baby.
Fantastic job on your yarn!
what a warm, sunny yellow the yarn turned out to be – beautiful! We can sure use some warm sunny weather here in the NW – we’re having unusually cold (and snowy!) weather and it’s mid-April! Crazy, I tell ya.
Love the blurry photo taken by Little Man – very artistic and it captures the motion of the swift and ball winder 🙂
That’s a beautiful yellow color – love it!
Lovely! Can’t wait to see that BSJ. 🙂