What I Did Over the Memerorial Day Weekend
Bright and early Saturday morning I headed out to the fabric store and purchased lining fabric for the Larger Than Life Bag, bought flowers for my mothers grave, and then stopped by Three Wishes (to buy dye). The trip made a large circle that ended up back at home where I dove right into lining the bag. Mom would be proud (and I still miss her after 18 years). Here's a preview of the bag, details to come.
Saturday afternoon we had a chance to dine at Silver Fork and help celebrate a friends 60th birthday. We hadn't been on the lawn below the deck so it was a new view of our favorite place. Judy, just so you know, the hummers were diving around like screeching torpedoes and it was fun to hear and see them again.
Sunday was a more relaxing day but we did what most people in the area did, or wanted to do and headed to IKEA. What a great addition to our neighborhood! There were all sorts of great ideas that will make it easy to organize my 'fiber studio' and to hide any new acquisitions. 
Sunday was also a good day for dyeing and I threw a bit of roving into a pot. The goal was something in a bright red and pink mix.
Well, the bright part worked (too well) and it turned out to be a good lesson in intensity. Grrl, this stuff is eye searing! I'm unsure what (if anything) I need to do for better results next time. Dyeing is a complete curiosity to me and that curiosity is the reason I enjoy playing with it from time to time. You pros have no need to worry...there will be no fiber shop in my future. Of course, I could create one of a kinds monstrosities that might sell...or not.
Sunday I made it to SnB and because the coffee shops are all so dark (it's that subversive thing, ya know?), I had to start a new project, one I could see! This happy pair of Jaywalkers are just the thing for SnB knitting and I love the way the Vesper yarn looks when zigzagging. Blogless Val had returned from her month long trip to Great Brittan and she had many interesting tales to tell. She just might be convinced to write up a post and guest blog again as her trip sounded marvelous.
Monday we headed up to the Sunrise Ranch to help Deb with shearing. She has 11 alpaca and 5 llama, so we were very busy all day. Smith helps to wrangle the animals and I'm good at sweeping up the fluff. It was fun to be in the country and hear the rooster, chicken, horses and just smell the clean country air. Here are a few pictures of Rodeo's Torrunn's shearing that may help you understand better how it's done. Torrunn was a big baby (they all have such different personalities) and hollered all the while. Sorry, but some how I didn't end up with a 'finished' picture.
Rodeo did have a beautiful full coat!
Deb has invited me back to help with the 'skirting'. I'll be looking forward to that!
Despite the dyeing disaster of Sunday, I tried again with blue dye and some Reynold's Sea Wool sock yarn (purchased in a natural color with dyeing in mind). This time I used less dye, was a bit more careful with placement of said dye, and crossed my fingers. My method is to put it all in one pot, turn on the stove and walk away. Not very scientific, and as you can guess, the results are varied, but I'm too lazy to do anything else. This time, the goddess of dye was smiling on me and my pot and the yarn was much more like I'd envisioned. It was the perfect cap to a perfect weekend.
It must have been something to have been there for the shearing!
Dyeing definitely has a strong learning curve! I've come up with some hideous coloured skeins and fleece. It is a good thing that yarn will almost always take more dye!
Posted by: jackie | May 30, 2007 at 04:30 AM
What a whirlwind weekend of fibery stuff! Most excellent, I'd say. Can you over-dye the orange to tone it down?
Posted by: Carole | May 30, 2007 at 05:11 AM
Ooooooh! Looking forward to seeing your LTL bag in all its glory.
Posted by: Vera | May 30, 2007 at 05:15 AM
The intense orangy-red looks like you should call it "lobster" or perhaps "lobster pot". Bet you find a good use for it! Actually I think it might be saleable.
Posted by: Helen | May 30, 2007 at 05:33 AM
Holy shit, you weren't kidding when you said that roving was bright.
Posted by: susan | May 30, 2007 at 06:19 AM
What an INCREDIBLY full weekend!!! Your method of dyeing is just one step down from mine. Heh.
Posted by: Norma | May 30, 2007 at 06:20 AM
That is bright! Could you re-dye, add some black and make it a halloween fiber? I love when the hummers come back. I've geared my garden towards them and have nests of them in my trees. At least until the starlings move back in.
Posted by: Stacey | May 30, 2007 at 06:40 AM
Sounds like a fabulous weekend to me! Must've been the weekend for dyeing. :) A bit of grey, black, or brown dye can tone down those eye-searing colors. Also using less dye to more water - but I have trouble with that one.
The blue sea wool is gorgeous!
Posted by: Chris | May 30, 2007 at 06:41 AM
Can't wait to see the bag!!!
Posted by: Cara | May 30, 2007 at 07:07 AM
Your weekend sounds great - I'm sorry I missed hearing all about Val's adventures! It looks like you picked a great fabric for your bag.
Posted by: Cheryl | May 30, 2007 at 07:17 AM
Blend that intense fiery orange with a dark red (Jenny Bakriges's blog on May 16 has a great post on blending colours using carding techniques). I'll bet it would turn into one of those wonderful multidimensional reds with glints of fire in it if you toned it down with a dark red or two...
And the blue is gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.
Posted by: Lee Ann | May 30, 2007 at 07:31 AM
Your peek at your finished bag has me excited to get on with mine... you sure had a fun and busy weekend. Less dye definitely, and I like Sara's steamed packet method, where you lay the roving or yarn on top of plastic wrap, lightly apply dye to the sections you want, wrap and place in the steamer for 20 minutes. i agree with Lee Ann - with roving you can always re-card with something on one end of the spectrum or another to blend a less searing version!
Posted by: Birdsong | May 30, 2007 at 07:46 AM
I'm sure there's a way to tone down the red if it's too bright for your taste, but I have no idea. For now, I'm leaving the dyeing to others. Maybe in time, I'll get the urge to experiment.
Posted by: Wool Winder | May 30, 2007 at 07:59 AM
Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Love the colors of the Jaywalker. The blue yarn came out great! I
Posted by: Kelly | May 30, 2007 at 08:04 AM
Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Love the colors of your Jaywalker. The blue yarn came out great!
Posted by: Kelly | May 30, 2007 at 08:05 AM
That orange would be a great accent in a color work project. You don't have to use it all in the same place.
Posted by: Tan | May 30, 2007 at 08:07 AM
What a busy weekend you had. Glad that it was sorounded by fibery goodness. I have never dyed yarn, but I am so wanting to. Even though the red/pink didn't turn out the way that you wanted you could always try to over dye it, but I think it is fun.
Posted by: Tonia | May 30, 2007 at 08:20 AM
Wow! That is very bright roving. That will make an eyecatching skein of yarn!
Posted by: Jennifer | May 30, 2007 at 08:34 AM
If you have any hunters you know, that would make some excellent hunting hats ;).
I love the blue yarn, gorgeous!
Posted by: Meadow | May 30, 2007 at 08:40 AM
What a tease! I am looking forward to seeing all these finished LTL bags. And I think the blue sock yarn is gorgeous, when will you knit it up?!
Posted by: nova | May 30, 2007 at 09:15 AM
What a great weekend! I can't wait to see your bag in detail. (I'm working up a head of steam for the big finish.) LOVE the blue -- it's blue-tiful. ; )
I was doing that with words all weekend -- maybe too much time off of work. At one point, I was tripping all over my tongue trying to say MP3 player and it came out "empathy player." Heh.
Posted by: Vicki | May 30, 2007 at 09:45 AM
How about spinning up the brilliant red stuff and then doing a bit of handpainting on the finished skein? For a Sundara-like effect--you know how she has those gorgeous "color over color" skeins that sell like hotcakes?
The blue is perfect just as it is. :-)
Posted by: Beth S. | May 30, 2007 at 10:22 AM
What a great weekend!
I'm looking forward to seeing your lining and completed bag, too.
I'm told, by one who survived many decades of the condition (my aunt), that you NEVER get over losing your Mom...and mine's been gone 11 years now, so I wasn't surprised to hear that at 18 anniversaries you still miss yours...
(sigh)
(((hugs)))
Posted by: knitnana | May 30, 2007 at 10:50 AM
Haha! I did the same thing - overdyed hideously bright fuscia roving with equally hideously bright red and orange! I was afraid to dye it yet again, so I borrowed some handcards, mixed in some navy and white and made really cool rolags. I haven't knit with the yarn yet (it's rather patriotic) but at least it IS knitable! Live and learn, eh? The blue looks awesome!
Posted by: elizabeth | May 30, 2007 at 11:10 AM
I would see how far I could take the orange fiber. Spin it up and make a boucle with gold thread or spin in locks of mohair or ply it over another yarn and make slubs. It is already wild; how far can it go? You don't have to make something you'll use either. I like to go-crazy-spin and then give them away or donate them. Somebody out there will love it.
The Sea Wool looks fabulous. It is a great yarn.
Posted by: Maia | May 30, 2007 at 11:18 AM
The blogless lurker emerges: I was about to suggest carding in undyed fleece to "heather" that red down to the hot coal (as opposed to atomic cloud) level.
Posted by: diane | May 30, 2007 at 11:22 AM
How come Utah has an IKEA? Lucky!
Posted by: Leslie | May 30, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Ohh yes, someone's already suggested overdyeing the bright roving. But you might also spin a small sample to see how it looks first and whether it tones down at all. The blue is very nice and I love the semi-solid.
Posted by: Margaret | May 30, 2007 at 01:01 PM
What a great weekend! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Sulafaye | May 30, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Sounds like a wonderful time! Good for you!!
Love the restaurant and the blue skeins came out absolutely gorgeous!! Enjoy!
I hope you'll be around on Friday! lol ;o)))
Posted by: michelle | May 30, 2007 at 01:23 PM
At least, you'll know that red roving when you see it. ;^) I do think it's all about how much dye you use. I really like how your blue turned out.
Sounds like it was a lovely long weekend.
Posted by: Cookie | May 30, 2007 at 01:36 PM
Shouldn't you have warned people to get their sunglasses before posting the picture of the roving?! The blue yarn has undone some of the retinal damage! :D
Posted by: AmyP | May 30, 2007 at 04:43 PM
Will Sunrise Ranch and their fleeces be at this year's GB Fiber Fair? I keep watching the website, but nothing so far. I am currently blogless and rarely de-lurk, but you are a joy to read and I look to you for all the Utah news.
Posted by: Teri L. | May 30, 2007 at 06:12 PM
Hope this doesn't break the comments, but I thought I'd share an email I just received from Unraveled Sheep:
Unraveled Sheep, along with 10 yarn stores in the greater Salt Lake area, is participating in Fiber Frolic yarn store hop.
To participate you must
1. Visit all 11 yarn stores in the great Salt Lake area
2. Have your passport stamped at each shop
3. Turn in your passport at the last shop you visit.
4. This must be accomplished between June 1 - 16th.
You will be entered in a drawing for prizes valued at over $2,000.00
Have fun, car pool and visit
1. Heindselman's Provo
2. Unraveled Sheep Sandy
3. Three Wishes West Jordan
4. Soul Spun Salt Lake City
5. Wool Cabin Salt Lake City
6. Red Sweater Salt Lake City
7. Piper's Salt Lake City
8. Black Sheep Salt Lake City
9. Hemstitched Heirlooms Bountiful
10. Needlepoint Joint Ogden
11. Yarn Today Logan
Oooh, I think my credit card (and my husband) would never speak to me again... ;)
Posted by: Katinka | May 30, 2007 at 07:27 PM
Wow! I LOVE that intense orange yarn! But the only thing that I could imagine you could make with it would be a hat for a hunter...
Posted by: Lauri | May 30, 2007 at 07:28 PM
I'm not usually and orange grrl but I really like your dye results. I'd call it a happy accident. I think that the goddess of dye was actually pretty good to you overall.
Posted by: Hillary | May 30, 2007 at 08:47 PM
I like that red, red roving, and the blue is just beautiful, too. Can't wait to see the bag!
Posted by: Jane | May 30, 2007 at 09:14 PM
Personally, I like both of the yarn colors. And the alpacas..? They are incredibly cute!!! I haven't done any dying of any kind in years.., but I am also happy to leave it to the professionals!
Posted by: Cindy | May 30, 2007 at 09:20 PM
What a great job you did dyeing the Sea Wool -- I bought some of that (already dyed) at Webs last weekend.
Posted by: Kathy | May 30, 2007 at 09:34 PM
Great pictures of the shearing, but the pictures can't catch that genuine and wonderful aroma of the animals and their fleeces - lucky you, getting to be there. I can't believe you'll escape the skirting without taking a fleece home.
Posted by: Sharon | May 30, 2007 at 11:12 PM
Me-me -orial day? too funny.
Love the blues, and you know, the shocking, day-glow reds might actually grow on you (I love them!) Accidents in the dyepot can be loads of fun!
Posted by: Teyani | May 30, 2007 at 11:25 PM
1) I love the bag!
2) That sure is a bright color of red! It will be interesting to see how it spins up.
3) Great alpaca/llama pictures; the kid is really interested.
Posted by: Heather Joins The Round | May 31, 2007 at 08:12 AM
i like that new jaywalker and the dyeing result for your socks looks great.
Posted by: Wanda | May 31, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Bleutiful is a great name. GREAT.
Posted by: Laurie | May 31, 2007 at 06:51 PM
I just called a shop in Logan and the Yarn Today people are moving in, but he didn't think they would have product ready to sell. I was going to drive up there tomorrow, but maybe not. Anyone have any more information?
Posted by: Jan | June 01, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Hi, I never visited your site before but it looks interesting. I am writing because I found that someone had stolen some writing I did on my site and used it on a commercial website. I feel it is in violation of copyright. I see that they used a bit of your post here too and am letting you know. The only thing I knew to do was to complain to Technorati (which is how I found out about it). I'm letting you know in case this bugs you as much as it bugs me.
Posted by: sarala | June 05, 2007 at 08:34 PM