Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wednesday Woes Equals Thursday Thankfuls

Today I am thankful...that Wednesday is over!! Wednesday was not such a great day. It started right off with a virus on my computer and Internet failure. Yep at the same time, errrrr. I spent over an hour on the phone with the cable company to re-establish my Internet connection but than I had to get the virus on my computer fixed so another four hours on the phone with Microsoft and tada, I'm back. Of coarse there were also three appointments yesterday that also didn't go so well. I discovered I had two appointments scheduled for the same time, good grief I don't mind multi tasking but I can't be in places at once so I cancel one. Okay now I only have one in the morning and one in the afternoon work them in between Internet issues, computer virus issue and be sure to pick up hubby from work on time, I can do this. Errrr both appointments the other parties involved with these appointments are no shows, you have got to be kidding me, especially since the morning one was a doctor appointment, huh.....So to say the least I totally missed Wool Wednesday, so sorry. Thank goodness it's Thursday!!
So here we are and I am so ready to PLAY!! Quick recap, we've sorted, we've washed, we've done some dyeing. So next I promised we would do some kettle / pot dyeing.
We're still using food coloring and / or kool aid for this technique. I did use both for these batches. First you will need to let your wool soak in your vinegar water solution for about 30 minutes or more is okay. Pick out the colors you would like to use and as before mix each with your water and vinegar solution. You may need to pour off a bit of the liquid in your pan before you add your colors. To much liquid everything can turn to mud as to much liquid will cause your colors to bleed into one another too much. Don't panic, you will be fine. Heat up your wool so that it is hot but not boiling. Now your ready to pour your colors into the kettle / pan. Let it simmer uncovered, remembering not to let it boil for about 30 minutes. This technique gives you the ability to dye more wool at once than our previous techniques.

I really love this technique!! This technique is a dyeing surprise or as I call it pot luck as you really won't know how it is going to look until you take it out of the pan.
Okay we simmered, now we will need to let it cool once cooled you are ready to rinse in cool water. Just look at all of the beautiful colors that you created with this technique and all in just one batch. I usually rinse mine about 2 to 3 times in the same pot I cooked in and changing the water for each rinse. Remember to remove your wool from the pan, squeezing is okay to remove excess water but no twisting. You will need to do this for each rinse until the water runs clear. Now your ready to dry. It will dry the fastest outside on a nice sunny day but I have dried mine on top of the dryer on wash day and on my registers when the heat is on remembering to rotate several times during the process. You can also set it in an area and blow dry it with a fan. We northerners have to improvise during the Winter months, hehehehe.


TaDa, you did it!! Just look at all those luscious colors!!
Easy again huh!! Now your ready to do some more creating, enjoy and have fun!!
So where should we go next. Well, are you ready to tease your wool???
I hope you enjoyed kettle dyeing as much as I did.
See you soon and happy Thursday everyone!!
Brenda

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wool Wednesday Update Finally and 4 Weeks of What???

Whewwwwww, I've been teasing wool for the last three days for a special order in my Etsy Shop and my poor fingers are beginning to look a bit like hamburger and I have a nasty blister too!! Thanks goodness I'm almost done!! Okay so finally the cooler weather is here which with that comes Fall and Halloween yippeeeeee!! So that means it is time to dive back in to Wool Wednesday, whooo hooo. Mark those calendars as we are back on track starting Next Wednesday, October 13th!! I can't wait!! PS, wait to see my surprise, hummmm I may be feeling a new challenge coming your way.....
I can't believe it has been 4 weeks since I posted last, where does the time go!!!!

Well, some of it went here. I've been crocheting lots of these little Basket Bowls.

Oh and something new for me...
I totally fell in love with this!!

"Jazzy Blues"

I have been Hand Dyeing my own buttons for my Etsy Shop!!

"Purple Passion"

Oh yeah, did I mention buttons!!
Buttons, buttons and more BUTTONS, lol!!!

Believe it or not, hanging my head in shame here....





All of these buttons are from my own PERSONAL STASH, yes....

and of coarse I have more, ummmm, a few food storage bags full, a small sandwich bag, a canning jar and two 5 gallon ice cream buckets full, well you never know what one your gonna need when your making crocheted decorative pot holders... I love buttons, I have since I was a kid. I loved to play with Grandma's Button Tin, ooooooooo...My grand kids take right after their grammy, they have a great big bowl of buttons sitting on the coffee table here that they love to play with.


Okay, can we say I have a real crafting problem..



So yes, I have begun DE STASHING and listing my over abundance stash in my shop.
I hope it is good therapy for my CCD (crafting compulsive disorder, hehehehe).
Okay, now one of my little secrets is out of the bag, believe me when I say you haven't seen nothing yet, hahahahahaha. Did I mention my surprise, ummmm all 44 pounds of it, hahahahahaha, bet your scared now huh, hahahahahahaha.
See ya here again soon or at least by next Wednesday!!!
Happy Wednesday!!
Brenda