Monday, May 28, 2007

Oh joy!

First official day of summer. And I have a cold.

Thank you so much Mr. Nicholas. I love you so dearly. But the next time you catch a cold, I'm setting up a pup tent in the backyard and you are staying out there until you are better.

He has been making me nuts for the last 4 days with the hacking and coughing. It is harder than hell to sleep with an asthmatic coughing up a lung half the night through. He is finally rid of most of the coughing.

This morning I woke up with that tell tale burning in my sinuses and down the back of my throat. No real coughing yet. But my sinuses are draining and that is making me gag. I haven't thrown up yet, but it is only a matter of time. bllllleeeeeeehhhhhhh

I've been working steadily on the purple shawl. No pictures yet because it has been more and more of the same thing. Just look back for the last pic I took and imagine it bigger. lol I'm about 20 rows away from starting clue 5 where the pattern finally finally changes. I'm thinking tomorrow I'll ball up another skein of the yarn cause what is left of the first skein is looking pitiful. I figure it will be gone before I hit clue 5.

I'm getting ready to start the next of Renee's mystery shawls. Some of the group members have posted pictures of clue 1 and it is looking cool. I skeined up 8 oz of Henry's Attic Pony 2ply and did my very first attempt at dying yarn!!! No pictures right now because the yarn is still drying.

I used Navy Blue, Denim Blue and Wine Rit dye. I soaked the yarn in my largest pan with a little vinegar added. I diluted the dyes in a couple glasses. Pouring the dye into the pan was tricky. I got a bit of it on the counter and on the stove. Loads of fun. Next I turned the heat on real low and let it simmer for over a half hour. Not sure the exact time. (see the sick bit above) Then I turned the heat off and let the pan sit for over an hour to cool. Next, it was into the sink where I added warm water to rinse the yarn. I had the water hit my hand rather than right on the yarn. After most of the dye was out of the water, I switched the yarn to my strainer.

After about a half hour of rinsing, I filled the washer with warm water to the lowest level. Because I was afraid of major tangles, I opened the skein and put it around the agitator in the washer. I let it soak for about a half hour just to get more of the dye out. Then, I spun it twice.

It's now in the living room on my umbrella swift. I've got a fan blowing on it lightly. I really really want to ball it tomorrow and start knitting it darn it. hehehe I'll try to get it outside for pictures if it will stop raining for five minutes and the sun comes out.

OK, I'm gonna take some Nyquil and go to bed. My sinuses are just killin me.

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