I wanted to make some socks. So I bought this:

Dream in Color Smooshy: Nightwatch

and this:

Dream in Color Smooshy: Some Summer Sky

But I needed one more color. I looked high and low in the sock yarn section at my local yarn store but I couldn’t find the color I wanted – Yellow. Actually there was a yellow but it was too Easter-Eggy. So I made the decision to dye yarn to get the color I wanted. So I bought some ivory colored ShiBuiKnits superwash sock yarn. … I mean, I just wanted a single color … how hard could it be? *thinks of previous dyeing yarn disaster* So I set to work this past weekend, using the crock pot I got from Goodwill for the first time.

Well, I am yet at the stage where I can translate what I have in my head to the dye pot, but I managed to get a nice color and there’s even a little variation (and I do mean little) to the color.

I think it came out nice, don’tcha think?

Now that you’ve seen the colors, can you guess who or what inspired them? (startrouble, if you read this, please don’t answer ’cause you already know. )

I finished this in mid-December and it was very well received as a Christmas gift. I really like how it came out. Gretel is a wonderfully written pattern and I learned a new cast-on (long-tail tubular cast on). I loved the cables and working with alpaca for the first time.

aaaand…. I loved it so much, I just had to start another one:

I been a bit under the weather for the past two and half weeks and either didn’t feel like or couldn’t knit so progress on the mittens have been a bit slow…having only been able to start knitting again on January 14th… but I finally finished the outer shell of one mitten (minus the thumb) and finally started the 2nd one. The gauge on the first one is a bit wonky because I couldn’t figure out a comfortable way to hold the yarn. Then I got a knitting thimble for Christmas and that issue was solved. Now I comfortablely hold both yarns in my left hand and my gauge is consistent. I’m truly enjoying knitting these mittens.

Keep on knittin’!

Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest. (I added a couple.)
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Afghan
I-cord
I-cord cast on
Cable cast on
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hats: Top-down
Hats: Cuff-up
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own hand-spun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Combination knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Participate in an exchange
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Dyeing spinning fiber
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s hand-spun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Tassels
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Knitted flowers
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Free-form knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/arm-warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an on-line knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

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Looks like there’s a lot of things I wanna knit. Guess I’d better get back to my knitting.