Monday, August 08, 2011
Still Here, Bitches
And I'm not going away any time soon.
I have have many tales to tell. I realize I never finished the story about Stitches West, or even started the one about Abbotsford or Olds or Sock Summit II or Surrey.
I never even adequately finished the one about the first Sock Summit and losing my virginity in Denny's, did I? I owe the few of you who are still reading so many tales from the last two or three years.
I have so many things I have to catch up on that I don't quite know where to start.
How about I start with the present and then do some backfilling or whatever you'd like to call it?
I got back from SSII on Tuesday and then slept for two days (it damned near killed me and cost me a hell of a lot of money, although I don't regret for a minute having done it), and then I got up, tidied my house a little (it's truly vile in here; don't ask, but there may have been feral cats living here for a week while I was gone. Feral cats who didn't do laundry or dishes and who left towels all over the place) and then rented a truck and went out to Surrey, BC to do a small fest on Saturday (a fest at which Mr. Assmuppet helped for the first time). After that I slept for another day and a half or so and then got up to start dyeing again because I'm heading out to another event in Grand Forks on Wednesday morning at half-past-sparrowfart.
I'm sort of wrung out and all over the place. I'll fill in the stories I owe you; I promise.
Tonight, though, I'm going to talk about overdyeing.
I was on Facebook tonight, talking with a new dyer. She posted a couple of questions and then a bunch of people chimed in with their opinions. It was a long and interesting thread, but as we were talking it occurred to me ... most folks don't realize that they own their yarn.
Yarn. It's string. Made out of animal hair. Many of us who dye yarn call ourselves artists (I certainly do). Some of us call ourselves artisans. Most of us think that the stuff we sell is good (although many of us, including me, have the artist's angst going on. This is our problem; not yours).
And so do you; or you wouldn't buy it.
But ... it's string. Made out of animal hair (or sometimes plants or maybe even worm spit or whatever).
It's not sacred. And no matter how long we work over something (some of my crazy stupid things take a couple of hours) -- if you buy it; it's yours.
And if you don't like it? Why, you can change it.
A while ago someone on Ravelry posted that she'd gotten some Wollmeise, which as we all know is one of the hardest things to get. And she didn't like it, and she knew she owned it, so she ... *gasp* ... overdyed it. From what I hear she was pretty-well crucified for committing such an outrage.
I mean WT fucking F? It was WOLLMEISE!
Yeah. And it was string. Made out of animal hair. And she'd bought it, she owned it, it didn't suit her and so she changed it.
That woman had the right idea. No, I'm not advocating that everyone run out and "wreck" their Wollmeise or Fleece Artist or Handmaiden or even my pretties (especially not mine). What I'm advocating is that people take ownership of the things they have purchased. If you don't like it; you can change it.
Even my stuff. Although I shall curse you if you do and you'll likely end up with fleas or something but that's your problem; not mine.
It's really easy to change yarn if you don't like it. It was dyed once but it doesn't have to stay that way. I've helped a few people change the yarn that they thought they loved and then realized that they didn't like it "quite that way". All it takes is a pot (that you can't use for anything else after that unless you use a food-friendly dye like Kool-Aid, Wilton's Cake Dye, Easter Egg Dye or food colouring), some water, some vinegar and a little time.
Just figure out what it is you don't like about the yarn ... too bright? Add a little black. Too yellow? Add some red or brown. Not purple enough? Then add some purple, you dork.
Heat up water in the pot. Add some vinegar (you don't have to go out and buy citric acid). Add the colour you think will make the yarn you dislike be a little more friendly. Put the yarn in. Wait until the colour exhausts (as in the water goes clear), take it out and rinse it.
Voila. New yarn.
If it's changed, but not changed enough, repeat the process. Yarn can take a lot of cooking before it goes stupid on you.
And if you're in the Lower Mainland area of Vancouver, BC, then call me. I will come over and help you do it.
Even if it's my stuff you're changing.
You bought it; you own it :)
# posted by Rabbitch @ 2:02 AM 
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I can never tell if that Wollmeise overdyer was stupid for not reselling it at an exorbitant profit and buying something that did suit, or brilliant for being "that woman who overdyed Wollmeise".
I haven't overdyed any hand-dyed yarnz yet. I still have two of yours and one of Ellie's and the damn things refuse to tell me what they want to be. Stubborn and intractable, like their creators.
I haven't overdyed any hand-dyed yarnz yet. I still have two of yours and one of Ellie's and the damn things refuse to tell me what they want to be. Stubborn and intractable, like their creators.
Thanks for posting this! So many people are afraid to try. The other comment that makes me crazy is, "Why don't you dye stuff like (fill in the yarn company of your choice)?" Because they ALREADY do it, and it's nice. Because I've selected my market, and for now that's what I feel like dyeing, and/or what I can afford to dye. I have no desire to be all things to all people, and when I do go there due to heavy pressure, it almost always bites me in the arse, and I end up toting the yarn around for 1 1/2 years, which means money is tied up in inventory and I can't invest in regular stock.
Happy dyeing! Ive got to get myself in gear for Southern Adirondack and Rhinebeck. If only it wasn't so damn humid...
Happy dyeing! Ive got to get myself in gear for Southern Adirondack and Rhinebeck. If only it wasn't so damn humid...
You make it sound so approachable - thank you! And I wish I did live in BC, because I'd make you come over, ply you with single-malts and set you loose with my daughter in the kitchen. She's really intrigued by natural dyeing (did one successful batch), but I'm not as much help to her as I'd like to be. What she needs, apparently, is a you around!
I've overdyed, mostly it was my dye job in the first place.
Did Mr. Assmuppet enjoy his first festering?
;^)
Did Mr. Assmuppet enjoy his first festering?
;^)
Man, that's exactly what I say to people who are scared of lace knitting - it's string! If I mess it up, knitting is WAY easier to rip back than tatting!
after meeting you IRL at summit, it's nice to see you online again. and i'm waiting for those stories.
i'm with you on the dye-it-til-it-suits-you front (though i just play with food-friendly colors over thrift-shop string). and i promise not to overdye YOUR string, cuz i lurve it.
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i'm with you on the dye-it-til-it-suits-you front (though i just play with food-friendly colors over thrift-shop string). and i promise not to overdye YOUR string, cuz i lurve it.
# posted by 
: 2:18 PM
: 2:18 PM << Home
