Finally...

... I can count the Textured Circles Shrug as a finished object. The knitting has been done for ages, but I wanted to overdye it a shade of pewter.
Step forward the major players in this scheme...












... food colouring paste in Liquorice and a large bottle of household vinegar.

I soaked the shrug in a water / vinegar mix to saturate the fibres, then in the dye (made up in hot water and vinegar). After about 10 minutes in the dye -with agitation to ensure an even take-up - it was into the microwave to heat the dye and fibers so the dye would strike.

This was achieved by way of a large salad bowl covered with clingfilm. Then it was just a case of rinsing in cool water, checking the colour and repeating until the depth of colour was what I wanted.










I did the final rinse and spin in the washing machine. The colour is possibly still just on the pale side, but I've decided to live with it for a while before deciding whether to darken it up more.

I've worn the finished shrug to work three times already since I dyed it - it's the perfect shape to go over a 9-month bump!

Ho hum...

Remember my experiment with hand-dyeing?


Well, it's been transformed into another pair of socks for the Resident Radiologist who's giving them their trial run today.


I'm really curious to know how the colour in these socks is going to hold up under frequent trips through the washing machine. I probably won't have to wait too long to find out as the RR likes wearing his hand-knit socks all year round.

The completion of these socks means that I've hit a bit of a knitting hiatus. I don't really want to cast on yet another pair of socks (though I have plenty yarn and they're small, portable and convenient summer projects) and I've run out of left-over yarn for the blanket project at the moment, but I'm struggling to get the inspiration for a more major project.

My sister has requested a mitred-square blanket a la Mason-Dixon Knitting, in her usual colourway (ecru, pale blue, pale pink and taupe) so maybe I'll get going on that. I haven't decided on DK or aran weight yet - I'm trying to decide which will be better value - but am probably tending towards aran.

Finally a little enigma to ponder...


How does a cat get in through the cat flap, make her way across the dining room rug and up the long flight of carpeted stairs with enough mud left on her paws to leave tracks in the bath? I really can't get my head around it!