Dyed and ready to ply

Dyed and ready to ply
Originally uploaded by darklordspet

Here are Cheviot singles spun and dyed in preparation for making green/purple, worsted-weight plied yarn for the Hemlock Ring Blanket. I have enough green singles spun for the large size (900yds), but I have only three hanks of purple - still enough for the smaller size. I wasn't feeling great this weekend, so I didn't spin as much as I wanted, but dying is a sedentary occupation.

I'm wondering what sort of bind off/edging I should put on this thing - the colors are going to be pretty wild as it is. I think I'll dye more Cheviot - maybe golden yellow this time - for a really annoying combination. I have only two problems: how much yarn will I need for the edging (depends on the final size and edging used) and how badly will the dark colors bleed. I dyed batts of the green years ago when I was learning to dye, and it was crocking as I spun. The yarn I just dyed (both purple and green) seem to be color fast.

Cheviot on bobbin

Cheviot on bobbin
Originally uploaded by darklordspet

A little over a year ago, some fellow known as brooklyntweed provided the world with the Hemlock Ring Blanket pattern. I'm really in need of that shawl - the AC at work is pretty brisk, and on occasion, there are mornings and evenings that actually feel cool. Oh, and it's just really, really attractive and seems easy to knit.

Cheviot is an odd fiber that's very springy, so it's a little easier to make the fatter yarn that's needed for this pattern. I usually do lace, so getting a single for a two-ply worsted is taking a bit of concentration. I'm thinking I'll dye the singles green and purple for a jewel-toned, spooky colored throw. I think I have two fleece scoured and waiting. I hope I have enough to make the 600-900 yds (US pattern, US units) it requires. I spun this much in about an hour, and since it's not lace weight, I can't really gauge how much is there ... other than actually taking it off and measuring it.

Crux

Lace edging
Originally uploaded by darklordspet

According to Merriam-Webster, crux is:
1 : a puzzling or difficult problem : an unsolved question
2 : an essential point requiring resolution or resolving an outcome
3 : a main or central feature (as of an argument)
Etymology: Latin cruc-, crux cross, torture

The lace edging is essential to the completion of the shawl, and it's torturing me.

Consuming itself

Consuming itself
Originally uploaded by darklordspet

I named this color "leopard frog." but maybe something more reptilian like "Ouroboros" would have been in order. When I start a project and part way through decide it's not worth the effort, it morphs into something else. Here I've caught the process of a scarf/shawl transforming into a pair of fingerless gloves. When I originally spun the batts, I'd planned to make socks, so this is just another stage in its transition to life.

And no, I still haven't finished the Pi shawl.