Friday, August 3, 2007

Revving up for the Hanami

Thanks everyone for the comments to my earlier post thinking about adding more beads. I've decided that I am going to do it, as I love the look of the beads in the knitting, but will swatch and pick the best placement first.
Now time to think aout the yarn. I've decided that I'd like the color to shade as the pattern changes from one end to the other. Going from a deep pink at the basket weave to a soft pink, almost off white at the petal end. Or vice versa. Hmmm... probably vice versa.
I do know how to dye and am comfortable with that idea. I'm assuming that I'll have to dye it after knitting it as I can't think of how to dye a skein so that it morphs from one end to the other. Unless I re-skein it into three or four connected skeins and dip each one after the other.
Hmmm... any dyers out there with better ideas?

3 comments:

twistedspinner said...

Kathleen - KnitPicks have a tutorial on dying a knit scarf in gradations on their website http://knitpicks.com/lacedye.pdf.
Their technique is really just a gradation of dark to light in the center. In the past I have done a gradation of 4 shades on a finished scarf by laying the wetted scarf on plastic wrap and squirting the different dye levels onto the scarf, avoiding runoff, spritzing it with vinegar and then steaming it for 20 min. (I have also had success with 30 min. in 350 deg. oven. In both cases, a long return to room temperature assures dye take-up.
I have tried making separate skeins from one continuous skein and the nightmare of re-skeining it when you are done dampens the enthusiasm (and it was only 375 yds!) Jeri

Heather said...

I, too, am trying to find a variegated yarn for this stole, as the cherry blossoms are not all one shade of pink - the trees range from white, to light pink, to a deeper and brighter pink. I'm looking for a good variegated, and may have to ask around at some local stores that have dyers in their employ!

Sue Jackson said...

Hi Kathleen,

I read your comment about using beads - spent the last half hour trying to locate your original post, did that. Suddenly realized that I had no way of contacting you except here - not sure you can post your email (please, someone tell me if it is no-no) but I would like to bounce ideas about them if that is OK with you.

I have added extra beads to both of my MS3's and I am adding them (even though they aren't included) to my MysteryShawl. I can't decide where, how many, what color, etc. to add to this one, but I know I will do it.

If you (if anyone else that wants to add beads and is reading this) want to contact me I am at SueJQSS@Yahoo.com

Thanks,

Sue