Some more handdyed stuff

Handdyed yarn, 5/16/06

Well, I tried more dyeing, and it's a lot of fun to use dye that isn't Kool-Aid. Suddenly, there are WAY more colors available.

This particular skein was one that I had dyed before, with Kool-Aid. It was originally kettle-dyed in a minty green color (a combo of a packet each of lemonade and something blue). I was going to dye sections of it in a light purple, blue, different green, and leave about 1/4 of it in the original green. However, the dye was WAY more concentrated than I gave it credit for, so I got jewel toned purple, blue, and different green. At that point, the minty green looked weird with the other colors, so I dyed that section brown.

I love how it turned out. I'm much more into jewel tones than pastels, so this a much more "me" color scheme than the one I had in my head. I need to dye another skein to match, and then I can make some socks.

And I got my Knittyboard SP match this morning! Woohoo!

ETA: It's been pointed out that I didn't mention what I used to dye the yarn: good ol' Wilton's icing dye. :)

Nothing about knitting

Ok, if you know me, you know I don't get political or issue-driven very often. Bearing that in mind, here's some info from savetheinternet.com:

Network Neutrality — or "Net Neutrality" for short — is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet.

Net Neutrality ensures that all users can access the content or run the applications and devices of their choice. With Net Neutrality, the network's only job is to move data — not choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.

The nation's largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won't load at all.

They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. They want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking their competitors.

These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of an even playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services — or those from big corporations that can afford the steep tolls — and leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.

On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control — deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There's no middleman. But without Net Neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.

The Internet has always been driven by innovation. Web sites and services succeeded or failed on their own merit. Without Net Neutrality, decisions now made collectively by millions of users will be made in corporate boardrooms. The choice we face now is whether we can choose the content and services we want, or whether the broadband barons will choose for us.

I've seen this brought up today on a number of the food blogs that I read, and thought I'd pass it on. If you want to help support Net Neutrality, head on over to Save The Internet and sign the petition (which automatically sends an e-mail or web post to your senator and representatives).

Only 1 more week of 24? :(

I got back today from a weekend trip up to NJ. It was very last minute -- I didn't know I was going until Friday night, and I drove up on Saturday.

Yesterday, my parents and I went to the Mother's Day brunch at my grandmother's retirement complex. I love the bizarre assortment of food you can get away with at brunch. I had a waffle and some bacon and hash browns... and roast beef with wine sauce. And I actually WORE MY CLAPOTIS for the first time ever! Not as a wrap, just as a scarf, but it still counts.

Last night my parents and I went down the shore for dinner at Henny's, which is a restaurant in Stone Harbor where (I think) I had my first "dining out" experience at the ripe old age of 6 months. The place has been there forever (my dad used to go there when HE was a kid). If it hadn't been 50 degrees out when we were done with dinner, we probably would have stopped off at Springer's for ice cream. (The lines for this place are usually halfway down the block. If you're ever anywhere remotely near Stone Harbor NJ, go to Springer's. There isn't a bad flavor in the lot.)

Knitting-wise, I finished the Petticoat sock I was working on, and got about a third of the way through the left front of my Cache Coeur. Tonight during Prison Break and 24, I got started on the back of the Mon Petit Chou hipsters. I can't believe next week is the season finale of 24... And I can't believe that Kiefer pronounced "nuclear" correctly in tonight's episode! I almost fell off the couch.

Lots of knitting news!

It's been a very busy, very productive 48 hours, knitting-wise.

I went to the Annapolis knitting group yesterday. I hadn't even sat down yet when one of the women, Marsha, said, "Oh good, you're here. I have something for you." She then pulled out a bag full of Wool in the Woods single skeins, in mostly blues and purples and greens. We've all decided that she's the yarn fairy. I may have stopped breathing for a few seconds when I saw this stuff.

So... pictures of everything!

But wait, it's not all "me getting gorgeous free yarn". As of yesterday morning, I had finished the back of my Cache Coeur:

As of this morning, I had the back and right front completed:

That's right, I started and finished the right front yesterday. I started it at Barnes & Noble (around 1:30), and finished it last night around 7:30... If I haven't said it yet, I love this pattern.

I got home last night, and was still in a knitting mood... so I stayed up until I finished the front of the Mon Petit Chou hipsters.

I got a LOT done yesterday. :)

Sometimes, I love product tie-ins

So, at Giant yesterday, I found myself staring at a display of white chocolate Pirates of the Caribbean "Pirate Pearls" M&M's. And like I wasn't already going to buy some, they have little pirate designs on them: skulls and cannons and boats... Obviously, if you're someone who doesn't like white chocolate, they're gross. If you're me, they're pretty tasty.

They should have white chocolate M&M's all the time.


Knitting stuff is coming along. I got a good amount done on Mon Petit Chou during NCIS, House, and SVU last night. Right now, I'm on row 50 of the front of the hipsters... I've only had to seriously rip back once (knock on wood: I've caught most of my mistakes on the same row, but I had one missed YO that I didn't catch for three rows). Most of the lace pattern is an 8-stitch repeat that's easy to remember, so it's going well.

The back of my Cache Coeur is done. I have to do the 2 front sections and the picked-up border (and the seaming), but considering how quickly the back went, the rest of it shouldn't take too long either. Weeks, not months (it would be less time if I didn't have 5 different projects and a newly-discovered attraction to spinning). And spinning... drafting correctly makes a huge difference.

Dharma Brand Generic T-Shirt. Hee.