Participating In My First Mystery Shawl Knit-A-Long!

Things here have been quiet while working away on my latest cowl pattern.  Hope all your crafty endeavors are progressing the way you want!

Remember how I once said I don't usually knit from other people's patterns?  Well, that's totally changed for the next few weeks.  I signed up for not one, but two mystery knit-a-longs!

What's a mystery knit-a-long (MKAL)?  Basically, you are sent part of a pattern over the course of a set time and just knit it!  You don't know what it looks like, but there are usually little hints or clues.  Sometimes there are "spoiler" chat threads in the designer's group so you can see what others have knit.  It is a lot of fun!

So here is the one that I started on first:

Don't you just love the colours of that yarn?

And me being me, signing up just days before the MKAL meant I couldn't buy that yarn.  It is sock weight but I had nothing like those colours in my stash.  We were told a light and dark yarn were needed.  So, do I go out and buy some new skeins?  NOPE!  I bought liquid Kool-Aid, and the Walmart version of it instead.

I was gonna dye me sum yarn!

Years ago, I bought several POUNDS of undyed sock weight yarn.  I was building up my courage to dye it with natural dyes.  Still not there yet, but I dipped my toes into the Kool-aid dyeing pot.  Or casserole dish, I should say.

It was truly fascinating to see the heavily coloured water become almost clear within minutes of placing that thirsty skein in the dish.  I used this tutorial on how to dye with kool-aid.  Basically, it was a kettle of boiling water, squirt liquid dyes in a glass jar until I liked the colour, swear as I burnt my fingers by picking up that jar to empty into casserole dish, swish the dish a bit, then place yarn in dish.  I wanted a kettle dyed yarn look, you know, that uneven saturation of colour look throughout the skein.  I achieved this by adding only enough dye-water to cover the skein half way.  Once the skein was in the dye, I poured more boiling water on it until it looked like it does above.  (Plus I mashed it down and stirred slightly with a spoon, 'cos I can't leave anything alone.) Let it stand until the water was room temperature and rinsed it in room temperature water.  Then hung it up to dry.  Too easy!  Thought that the sweetened with fake sugar might be a problem, but nope!  Not sticky or crunchy at all.  I think it was due to letting it cool completely before rinsing. 

I love how it turned out!  And look how it knits up....

Above is Clue#1 knit up... taken during daylight.

And Clue #2.... taken at midnight, 'cos I'm obsessive, LOL

I'm using KnitPicks connectable needle tips in size US5 or 3.75mm.  I must say, I'm not enjoying them.  They keep unscrewing from the cable.  And the cable is not as flexible as I'd hoped for after I boiled it.  Meh.  I still like my ChiaoGoos much better, but did not have any in that size.

Up next, making mini skeins and dyeing them with Easter egg dyes!!!!  That's for the other MKAL.

Happy crafting everybody!