Deep breath.
Close eyes.
Mental calming exercises.
I tried carding the silks into the tan wool and alpaca. Although the colors of silk were really pretty, they weren’t vibrant enough. I carded one batt and spun a little strip of it. I didn’t even bother to ply it, I just let the single twist back onto itself in little, 3-ply pieces.
It (on the left), admittedly has more color and warmth to it than the skein on the right, which is the same wool and alpaca carded with straight, undyed tussuh silk. (Seemed like a good idea. Wrong. The color of the wool and alpaca completely flattened into a drab nothing).
So, I’m re-dying the silk with more color.
I can see in my head what I want. What I’m going for. I just don’t know how to get there, and I don’t want to settle. But I’m starting to think that there’s a reason I haven’t seen anybody producing what I’m trying to produce. Either it simply can’t exist in our physical world outside of my imagination, or it’s REALLY FREAKING HARD and no one else cares as much as I do about getting it.
I dyed Clark’s yarn yesterday. It didn’t come out as blue as the swatch, but I half expected that.
After consulting with Nate, we decided that I’ll knit the sweater as is, and if I don’t like it, I’ll dye the sweater to add more blue. But the color of the yarn is pretty cool. It’s neutral-ish, with hopefully enough blue to pick up Clark’s eyes, which is what I wanted (to bring out the color in his eyes).
That’s where I’m at.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Hey, sorry to hear that your dying attempts aren’t going the way you want them too. I do like the look of what you put up for Clark’s sweater though.
September 25th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
The whole dyeing thing is quite the experience isn’t it? I have been trying to get what’s in my head to translate onto yarn and having a bit of trouble as well so I can totally relate. I do like the blue that his sweater yarn turned out. It does look more muted and natural but it’s a pretty blue and I get it’ll look really pretty on him to bring out his eyes. Good luck with the silk dyeing. That cranberry color you have in the pot up there is really pretty!!
September 26th, 2008 at 6:51 am
The yarn for Clarks sweater may not be what you were going for but it sure is beautiful. I tend to lean toward more neutral colors though. I wonder if it ever becomes sweater weather around here. You’ve got me longing to spin and knit a sweater for Bron.