I’ve been fooling around with dyeing techniques.  Sara and I had an online discussion a couple months ago about dyeing knitted panels, then ripping them back and reusing the yarn to achieve a longer, more gradual color change.  She originally talked of using it in woven pieces and I thought I’d like to use it to knit.  You’ll have to check out her blog. She recently took a workshop sharpening up her technique.  I, on the other side of the country, am working alone.  It’s labor intensive, to say the least.  I think the results are worth the effort.  Here’s a look at the process.

It started like this…
The phone rang last night and a woman asked for me.  If she hadn’t named the town she lived in,  I’d have hung up right off the bat.  Then she said she’d contacted me before for me email and I’m thinking.. ‘I don’t THINK SO…’ but let her continue.  Turns out, she was calling to get contact info for a high school reunion.  I’ve never attended one.  It’s way to far away and I just can’t think of anyone I’d really like to see.  Doesn’t sound very charitable on my part, I know.  I bite my tongue and hear her out.  It (the reunion) wouldn’t just be OUR year, but it would cover a decade worth of classes.  A DECADE!  That sort of indicates the level of interest. 
She says.. ‘We’ll be the youngest class’.  That’s a good thing.  Then she mentions that some of the classes may be able to get a *senior discount*.  I shut down.  A bit more la de da and then we play ‘catch up’.  (Let’s be clear, I don’t really remember her.  I’m sure we didn’t hang out.  I’m flying blind.)  I mention knitting.  She knits.  Okay.  I mention the knitting guild in her area.
Me.. " I am a member, sometimes they have good workshops. You might be interested."
She.. " Why would I want to join a group, what’s to learn, there are two stitiches, a knit and a purl." 
Me.. "Yep. .. you’re right".  I lose interest in the conversation.  During the next five minutes (took that long) we cover sushi, her name change, and finally I offer ONE LAST TRY. 
Me.. (again)  ‘Lots of the woman in the guild are knitting lace items, its interesting, its fun.’ 
That stops her. 
She..  " I didn’t know…."

Remember when you didn’t either (know how to make lacy knitted items)??  Once I started,  I wanted a lace project on the needles ALL THE TIME.  It’s a treat to jump into when everything else is feeling a bit stagnant.  I remember.   

When the days are as nice as they’ve been, I want to spend time outdoors.  The snow isn’t deep enough to snowshoe and it’s been a bit too icy to want to strap on the X-country skis.  That leaves walking, and it’s been just perfect.  With a pair of gaiters and layers of clothing, the woods are warm and out of the wind, but it rips across the fields.  Even so, the temperatures are about right.  Just as the snow started to fall yesterday, I drove visiting family the 1 1/2 hrs. (or so) to the airport.  By the time I made it back across to the Kingdom, the roads were covered and slick.  Everything was blanketed in new snow.  As what seems to be the pattern of all storms this winter, by morning the temps had risen and rain was making it a heavy to remove mess.  By late afternoon, fog rolled over the hills, and wow! another beautiful walk. 

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions for the use of the cranberry dyed yarn.  About the time I was going through books searching around, my sister mentioned a scarf she had just finished.  It was lacy.  I wanted lace.  It won’t begin to use all 900 yds. but it looked like fun.  It is.  I’ve gotten the first three repeats done.  It isn’t long enough to see the color shifts in the yarn yet, but they’re coming.  The anticipation is keeping me interested.  I missed having a lace project on the needles.  It’s a good project to offset the stockinette Funnel Neck.  A little of this, a little of that.

I worked for longer than I was happy, trying to chart the pattern on the computer.  I mad my "graph" using word, then tried to fill in the little ‘cells’.  Hours, I tell you.  With 54 sts, to the pattern, I couldn’t keep it on the page.  Finally. I just charted it by hand.  If anyone has experience using a program for this, let me know, please.