Predicting Results

The review of Dying to Knit by Elaine Eskesen in the Spring 2006 issue of SpinOff struck a real chord with me. “One of the disappointments of creative dyeing is that often the skeins are more attractive than the final product.” So true! Because I prefer to dye roving rather than yarn, I’m not sure reading this book would help me. Our library doesn’t own it, and I’m reluctant to blindly order it.

Recently I decided to try more subtle color changes to see if I would be happier with less barberpole striping. I haven’t decided if the outcome is too subtle or if it just pales in comparison with my previous results. I thought the light blue with violet spots would produce a yarn with subtle opal-like shades. The violet spots merely blended in during spinning. Too subtle I'm afraid.

I lack the skill to predict what my knitted fabric will look like from my hand dyed roving, and I’m sure more experience and good record keeping would go a long way toward rectifying that. Sometimes I like the results, sometimes I over-dye the results. I don’t have this experience when I purchase roving from commercial vendors like Chasing Rainbows so I know that if this really bothers me, then I do need to be more serious when I’m dyeing.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with experimenting, but I would be in big trouble if I ever want to repeat results. So the yarn is now a hat. The varigation is just about as subtle as the picture shows. I haven't decided if the results are worth the effort. The jury is still out.