Dye Day

What's the perfect thing to do on a day when the weather is clear and and hot and so humid that even though it's not raining, you need your windshield wipers?  It's so hot that you fear the tires will leave melted prints on the pavement at the stop light?  When the clothes on your body are so drenched that wringing them out would fill a kiddie pool?  (and since there's a water ban, that's the only thing that can?)  What's the perfect activity for a fiber gal on such an arc welder of a day?
Playing with wool of course.
I had my arm twisted just enough a few days ago to convince me that today would be the perfect day for dying wool, and some familiar faces actually showed up!

Stitchy and Laurie, with my fiber buddy Kathy and former blogger, Kim.  We were trying to do the dye math that Claudia taught us, in the heat.  It turned out okay, but only after we administered the necessary amount of Margaritas were we able to fathom the mysteries of the metric system and how cc's and milliliters and grams can possibly all be the same amount of water or dye powder or anything like that.  I mean, you'd think that those metric people would mix it up a bit.  It's just too easy! (no wonder every freakin' country in the world uses it but the United States).

 

We crock-potted, we dipped, we painted.  We were lucky to escape with our lives. 

To my great regret, I don't have a picture of Kellee as the Steam Goddess, complete with fabulous sun hat and movie star sunglasses, turning her propane-fired turkey fryer into the steam pot fusion machine with a flick of her oven-mitted wrist, prodding and coddling the thing all day despite the conditions.  We all have her selfless ministrations to thank for our results.
There was also a lot of rinsing:

Laurie and Stitchy, with Local fiber buddy Kristin, and there's the other Kristen  with Laura, discussing what's in the bag.

 

When it got too hot to stand around the steamer, we retreated inside.  Here's Claudia, Laura , and Teresa with Laurie on the couch in my kitchen.   As you can see, the dog got lots of attention.  I think I will change his name from George to Caligula.

 

A gold star goes to Claudia for bringing her entire laboratory with her, making batches and batches of colour, teaching the lot of us how to make this dye thing look easy, and also for giving a Navajo plying lesson to Melanie.  And there's Kellee, finally free of the steamer, now tending to the misbehaving singles.

 

And here's what we ended up with.  Thanks everyone, for coming.  I am in awe of your endurance, your cookery, and your ability to hold your dye. 

And I promise to take your urgent advice and cast on with the Chasing Rainbows yarn on Sunday.

Comments

[Lee Ann]

You all are too cool. What a blast! And beautiful results, too.

[stephanie]

Even though I live in Canada, where I get to use the metric system as much as I want....
I feel like you had a better day.

[Jessica]

What a great day. I'd love to plan one of these events myself.

[Kim]

How fun!!! Great pictures!

[di]

Sounds like you had great fun together. and I love your dog!! Standard poodle? I love big poodles. Maybe one day I'll have one of my own!

[Laurie]

It was one wonderful day! You didn't mention that our hostess was quite incredible, now, did you? Or that everything was perfectly planned, along with enabling husband? Plus, that is was a stressless learning environment, with no divas, no temperament, and pure fun? Thank you!

[Colleen]

Purdy, purdy yarn!

[Laura J]

You fail to mention your gracious and lovely husband, who acted as though a houseful/yardful of women in an interesting array of clothing (I feel I dressed farther down than I really needed to) and dye splots was not only normal but delightful. I have seldom had such a perfect day in such steamy weather.

Norma, we missed you!

[sandy]

I rue the day that I missed out on all the fun. Boo hoo for me. It looks fabulous!

[Katy]

Wow--looks like a lot of (steamy) fun! (Oh wait--that sounds like a comment on the back of a porn movie. oops!)

[Debbie]

Thanks for a great day, Julia! I keep looking at my newly funkified skeins, trying to imagine how they'll look all knit up. Only one way to find out . . .

It was the perfect way to spend an oppresively steamy day!

[Cassie]

I'm a little woozy from being so jealous. On the other hand, it could be the heat. But I'm still VERY jealous. It looks like a great day.

[Emma.]

How I wish...

:0)

[claudia]

Thanks for hosting a fabulous day! Indeed, cast on quickly or I will be forced to launch a yarn rescue mission.

[melanie]

It was a fantastic day indeed, I am still day dreaming about it. Thanks for being a fantastic hostess; it was wonderful to finally meet you!

[Norma]

Ohhhh, you guys look like you had some steamy fun. So did we....carrying stuff up four flights of stairs in the soggy humidity. I'm almost a basket case, except truth be told, I stood around and held the door a lot. ;-)

[Kate]

The end results look beautiful! Looks like you all had a great day.

[Juno]

OK, now I am really, really sad.

Adn I have to know, is that bar in the tree JUST for drying yarn?
Because that would be cool.

[Beth S.]

That's one colorful tree you have there. :-)

[margene]

You sure know how to throw a party!

[benedetta]

that was way to much fun to have missed!
you had not mentioned dying...
nor that my hometown girl Melanie was going to be there either!
better this way, because i still could not have made it, but would have felt so much worse had i known at the time!
great yarn!

[Dani]

Oh how fun! I wish I had the will to dye in the heat, but it was just so hot! Major kudos to the whole bunch of you out there... And what fabulous yarn!

[Siri]

Why, oh why are the nearest knitbloggers 5 hours away from me? Too much fun! I guess that's why I torture my children. I'm pretty sure they'd rather be at the lake than dyeing yarn with me again.