Wooly things...

Been up to all sorts of little wooly things this week...

As I think I mentioned before, I want to make hats for a couple of pretty boys... Specifically, the ones on the CW's Supernatural - Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles... Who? Here are some icons that aren't mine to illustrate:

Jared as "Sam"



Jared as Jared



Jensen as "Dean"



Oddly, I have no icons of just Jensen as Jensen, so here's one more of Dean... just 'cuz...



So I spun up the samples of roving I got from Yarns Etc. There are several I think are possibilities, but I was really hoping for some more interesting blues and greens than what I got... So I'm thinking of getting something more plain and dying it with food coloring per knitty.com instructions.

I was going to use Kool Aid, but I got bit by the bug to dye something NOW this evening and couldn't go out searching for the sugar free stuff... But apparently, the food coloring is the same kind of chemical dyes that are also in Kool Aid, but in greater concentrations, cheaper and (alas) without the fruity smells to hide the vinegar. (It's okay... when I'm all done, I'll wash it with lavendar wool wash to keep away the moths and then it will smell yummy and not like vinegar.)

But I've just dyed a sample bit of my handspun green... a nice clear, bright green at that, neither yellowish nor blue-ish... in only about 20 minutes. I've taken pictures, but I can't seem to get the color to show up just right. I have a feeling that I can get the color a bit darker too, if I were more patient and let the wool soak longer, but I'm not patient... especially not for samples... it's bad of me... I know... But I think that's what I'll do for Jared's hat at least... A friend said that she thinks Jared would get a kick out of wearing a hat dyed with Kool Aid... She just thinks he's that kind of guy... And I kinda agree... But... It's still Kool-Aid though kinda... maybe?... He doesn't need to know that it isn't technically, does he? Since it's the exact same chemicals, right?... (Yeah, I'm ridiculous...)

I'm also thinking maybe of dyeing something for Jensen too now, maybe in a dark blue, or perhaps, for those who might know or care, do y'all think that the light blue-gray that I've been considering would suit him better? (see below) I'd like honest opinions on that because my zeal for trying out new craft techniques obsessively will take over if I'm not careful and my entire stash of hand-spun will be dyed before the end of the weekend if I don't watch myself. To get the right kind of dark-blue for Jensen though, I think I'll need to start with gray roving... (see the Kool-Aid dyed wool color chart - everything on the right side started as natural gray wool; see what a difference it makes?)

Even if I do dye something for Jensen as well, I'd still like to get some roving from Yarns Etc... As I said, I need something gray... I'm out of all the gray that I had, except for some that was dyed gray with God knows what and it's kinda coarse. I'll have to e-mail the lady at the store and ask if they've got any gray of which she didn't send a sample. After all, it's possible because I know I've gotten gray roving there before.

In other news: I want to make myself some of these Pedicure socks for myself. But I shall have to find another yarn of the same gauge because I'm allergic to some sort of chemical Patons uses with their wool yarn and that's the yarn the pattern calls for... It makes my hands itch, turn red and swell when I try to knit with it. Darn it... I'm thinking Rowan Pure Wool DK, which comes in some lovely colors... Hmmmm...