stay kool this summer

Its coming. The weather is getting warmer. The grass is getting greener. The cherry blossoms are coming out.

And it is time, as you well know, for that wonderful pseudo-beverage, Kool-aid. This year, instead of drinking this freakishly sweet liquid, why not do something healthier and use it to dye fiber?

Source: http://www.knitty.com/issuefall02/images/koolaid1.jpg

I am not going to explain the process of how to use kool-aid to dye fiber. There are plenty of good articles on that. (see Knitty: http://www.knitty.com/issuefall02/FEATdyedwool.html for an exellent one) I will highlight, though, that Kool-aid is an exellent way to begin an exploration of fiber dying in a food-safe and non-toxic manner (as much as we can call kool-aid nontoxic!)

What I want to highlight here, though, is some factors you can keep in mind that will give you new directions for creativity and design.

The first thing I would like to talk aobut is _when_ you dye your fiber. You can do this at any point from raw wool (I would recommend making sure it is well-washed first) to the final garnment or product. At each point you will be able to control different aspects of the final presentation. For example, dying raw fiber will give you great opportunities to blend, ply, and variegate your color choices during your spinning. Once spun, you can more easly control chunks of color and repitions. In the final garnment, you can pour your dye in partiuclar patterns to create swirls, lines or spots.

Another thing to keep in mind with Kool-aid is the control you have over your colors. This may take a significant amount of experimentation, but the colors are infinately blenable, so go wild with combinations. Moreover, you can actually control intensity through the amount of kool-aid you use. (NOTE: the intensity is based on the ratio of kool-aid to fiber, NOT the amount of water used.)

A third, and for today final, use of kool-aid is for overdying. Got some yarn you don't like? Want to dull out that eye-stinging yellow? Drop your yarn in a pot, and see what you can do! It is a good idea to consult your color wheel before adding anything to preexisting dyes, as certain colors will combine better than others. A great introduction to this can be found in the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. (See: http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/twisted.asp)

So go out and have fun! Don't hesitate to incorporating dying into your fiberwork. After all, Spring is about trying new things.

Sushi…in a wallet!

Source: http://www.luxuryweb.com/assets/images/sushi.jpg

I love wasabi. I love fish eggs. I love raw eel. And I love to knit. What is there in the world that could combine all of these desires?



Now there is an answer, and it’s the FELTED SUSHI WALLET. Yes. Felted. Yes. Wallet. Yes. Sushi. Pick Up Sticks Company has made an amazing little kit to satisfy the raw fish-heads in us all. Two different color palate options means you can carry your cash in style, and when you want a tasty snack? Well, I wouldn’t recommend eating this sushi. But it might hold the money you need to buy your own real sushi.


Check it out: it even comes in an amazing sushi take-out style container, and for its price, you might just have to get a few.


p.s. Check out the zipper. It looks like a soy sauce packet.

Dale of Norway

Source: http://www.knitwitts.com/category_images/stork_skein_350.jpg

Tried and tested, this yarn is great for those kids in your life. It washes. And washes. And washes. Yet it is quite a nice variety of colors, and the softness can’t be beat. On top of all those great reasons to use Dale yarns, they are 20% off this month at Springwater. So knit for the babies in your life. Don’t have any babies? Make some! Then knit for them. That’s what they’re there for anyway.

Did someone say “Fiber Market?”

Springwater is about to step into a new era by hosting its first market of finished fiber products. Come by Sunday, March 11 to sample the wears of various associate members. (PSST: Associate members! This means you should bring in items to sell!)


The theme for the event will be women’s accessories, in celebration of National Women’s Month. There will, however, be a plethora of other items for sale, depending on what is submitted. (This is up to YOU associate members!)


The event will culminate in a prize for Best in Show (after, of course, the swimsuit competition and having your coats luster and grooming judged) for one outstanding contributor.


Submissions by associates will be accepted the previous day, Saturday March 10, from 10-4:30. Proceeds will go to the artists, with a 10% donation at purchase to Springwater. This is an excellent way to support your local fiber artists.