Reading a Skein of Yarn

I started venturing out beyond scarves about two years ago, don’t get me wrong, scarves are a great project, fast, easy, cheap and a great way to practice a new technique or patterns. Never mind the fact that I would be tarred and feathered if the girls in my life didn’t get their yearly Christmas scarf fix. But, it was time to move on.

I researched (and researched) knitting socks. I made many pairs and many different heels until I came across Mary Ann Beatie’s book. Now that I was able to knit the perfect heel I started concentrating on the yarn and patterns for the socks. That’s when I got stuck, eeegads, some yarn knit up something awful. It was the colors all mixed up in a small pattern or pooling with that darned lightning bolt.

That’s when a new yarn shop opened up, I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket from selling my old sewing machine table and thought I’d splurge on a big purchase, maybe a sweater, who knows. I found a most beautiful skein of hand dyed yarn with mustard and turquoise and maroon, I’ve lost the ball band so I can’t tell you what it was, but I fell in love. (I’ve learned since that you always save the ball band with your knitting journal) Took me about a month to finally decide on the pattern for a sleeveless shell and I started swatching. Wow, that wasn’t working, how about this, no, what the heck. Once knit in any length the colors all ran together and looked like mud, ugly mud.

I finally realized I should try this in the round, yep, looked great, but no socks this time, I made a pair of gauntlets (my very first design), there it is. This was really intriguing.
Well, that’s when I stopped buying “purty” yarn and really started thinking about what a skein was going to look like all knit up. That’s what I call Reading a Skein of Yarn. Then I realized that I could dye my own yarn, ya, that's the ticket. I've dyed and painted fabric, this can't be much different. Boy, I love to dye yarn, I will never be able to knit all those skeins up!

Now that I really am going to be an empty nester I thought I’d start a study of just how to read a skein of yarn, I’ve dyed a few skeins of yarn for the Ravelympics that will work.
Keep watching and I’ll post my progress and pictures.