So what's new at Yummy Yarn?
Not much. Workwise, we're in the middle of an impossible deadline (boo). Traffic has been hellish due to the rain (ick). I lead-climbed a 5.11d this weekend (yay). I knitted and spun a bit (yay). So the good and the bad balance out.
We have the ubiquitous Clapotis in progress. It's inevitable that a pattern will form in variegated yarn, and it did here, but since stitches will be dropped, the pattern won't be so obvious. I don't think there's an efficient way to dye yarn so that the color lengths are totally random, other than doing it one length at a time. I really like the yarn that Mia sent because the color lengths are shorter, thereby avoiding excessive color pooling.
I'd been looking for patterns to use up the rest of my Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora and I found Marnie's site and patterns through a post of JenLa's. She has some good patterns (especially the hats) with very clear directions. I am learning the hard lesson with metal double-pointed needles (aaaaargh), and after I finish this hat I'm going to buy some bamboo ones.
Reading: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, a book that's been compared to The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Takami's book takes it 2 steps further. This is Amazon.com's product description: "Battle Royale, a high-octane thriller about senseless youth violence, is one of Japan's best-selling--and most controversial-- novels. As part of a ruthless program by the totalitarian government, ninth-grade students are taken to a small isolated island with a map, food, and various weapons. Forced to wear special collars that explode when they break a rule, they must fight each other for three days until only one "winner" remains.... A Japanese pulp classic available in English for the first time, Battle Royale is a potent allegory of what it means to be young and survive in today's dog-eat-dog world."
I'm making a blanket that looks just like your hat! Those dpns are a bitch aren't they?
Clap looks great! Did you start dropping stitches yet? Can't wait to see it.
Daniel and one of our friends read Battle Royale. Apparently the movie is much inferior. The book sounds interesting.
I like the color pattern that's developing on your Clapotis. It's nice that none of colors is pooling too strongly, and the color distribution looks pretty consistent across the piece.
Things will get better. The rain will work it's way to the East Coast so you can share with me. And work will ease up. And knitting is always there for relaxation.
5.11d!?! Holy cow!
Battle Royale sounds like something we'll have to pick up.
Your Clapotis is lovelis (it rhymes!) and that Cotton Angora hat is so neat! I love that pattern on top... I am so dense with the DPNs however, that I doubt I could ever figure that out! Keep up the good work, MJ! :)
Thanks for the book notes, another to add to my post-graduate studying reading list!
Battle Royale is a crazy movie. I didn't know there was a book, but I might have to check it out.
I read Battle Royale last year, and found it a fun and crazy book. Very pulp, very bloody, but very fun.
And congrats on lead-climbing a 5.11d! I'm in awe. I just started climbing late last year and am finally getting comfortable with 8s and 9s. Top rope, of course. You're my new hero! ;)
One way of doing a total random dye is to wind the yarn into a centre pull ball and immerse the bottom of the ball into a dye bath that comes to approximately the centre of the ball - and then do the same for a second coloured dye bath and the top half of the ball. You could even prop it up on it's side with a third or even fourth colour depending on how big your centre pull ball is.
Clap is really pretty, and that hat looks so nice!!
Love the colors of your Clapotis. It's going to be beautiful.
What a coincidence you're doing the same colourway Clapotis. The colours in yours look much brighter, though.
isn't the nicest?