Hello, all! I finally started up my Etsy shop, after much blundering about trying to figure it out. Then, after several hours of it not having anything in it, I figured out how to actually put ITEMS for people to PURCHASE in my STORE. Crazy, huh? Haha. So here it is, if you would like to check it out...

Why Knot Fiber Arts

Also, I failed for the first time (sort of.. I had some "brownish" spots on my summer watermelon roving, but I don't really count that since it sort of fits) while dyeing today. I decided I was going to try space dyeing again, but I was going to try to break purple, which I've been wanting to do for a while, since I LOVE LOVE LOVE purple. "Breaking" a dye means trying to separate out the different colors in it. For example, with purple: purple dyes have both reds and blues in them. Reds "strike" (the dye absorbing to the yarn) a lot faster and easier than blues do. So, when you "break" a purple, you're looking for some areas of purple, some areas that are more red, and some areas that are more blue.

So that's what I did. I tried to break purple, since I had quite a bit of purple left over from my previous dyebath. I also made up some green, because who doesn't love purple and green together?!?

I will tell you how I failed. First of all, I added a bit too much water. When you're space-dyeing, you want just BARELY enough water to cover the top of the wool you're dyeing. I wasn't dyeing that much wool, since it was the last of the roving I had ordered, and I heartily overestimated. I could have dumped some of the water out, but..... Nahh... it'll probably be fine.

My next mistake was going a little dye-crazy. I love the color purple (I do believe we have already established that) and I also love the color lime green. Uh-oh. When I was able to pour those colors side by side, WATCH OUT FIBER. I MUST ADD ALL THE COLORS!!! .......Uhm. So, this excess of too much dye meant browns on the bottom. On the top it looked all pretty and green and purple, and the purple was starting to break and make the white spots blue... it was great! Then, when I went to wash and rinse the roving, I saw BROWN!!! A LOT of brown! In dyeing, you learn that brown is just about the worst thing that can happen to your fiber (besides felting, of course), unless you actually PLAN FOR brown. And who does that? Psh. I just throw colors in the pot and hope for the best! And this time I got BROWN!!! :(

I was hoping that maybe it would look like I did it on purpose, but not a chance. This will be personal stock for me. I won't be able to sell it. But YAY!! More fiber for me to spin! Haha.

I'm still trying to spin up that wonderful, soft, amazing, yummy Polwarth roving I ordered on Etsy, called Candy Store... man this stuff is awesome and just an absolute treat for my hands. So when I'm done with that, I will  be posting the finished lot of handspun yarn in my shop, and I'll start spinning my green, purple and brown roving.

You know what's funny? It looks a little hideous in the roving itself, but I bet when I get it spun up it'll be gorgeous. Haha. Unexpected color combinations can look awesome after you spin and ply.

Well, anyway, that's all for now. Sorry about the BOOK, haha. Perhaps I'll post some pictures of the roving I dyed yesterday tomorrow. Wow, that's confusing. Hah! Night all :D