The Color of Birthday

Amy came out yesterday for a visit and to help me celebrate my birthday, she brought this stunning marigold to plant in the yard, somehow fitting since I've been obsessing on yellow rabbit brush. I thought it ironic that the hand-dyed mohair locks she was drop spindling were in harmony with her flower choice. More ironic, since I had started working on the same colors that morning.

One dye day last spring, the same one when I dyed the three colors for my confetti socks, I dabbled in trying to rainbow dye an ounce of silver Romney. This morning was the face off and I realized the roving was just as felted as I feared. I was so gentle with it - oh well. It went onto the drum carder. I tried to keep the oranges on one side and the reds on the other.
I really thought that I could see the reds, oranges and yellows when I was spinning, but the picture is probably more honest than I was with myself.
My grandma used to say, "The proof is in the pudding" and this pudding is orange. Am I disapppointed? You betcha. I'll put in the color basket and one day it may find its way into a felted bag.

Amy brought a binder of sock ideas that she has been collecting. My swatching for Schaeffer's Eleanor Roosevelt sock yarn hasn't yielded any satisfactory results, but as soon as I saw Boxcar Willie, I knew that was the pattern for my yarn. I'm just a few inches into it but it's good.
Amy also brought pies - note the continuing color theme. They are Granny Smith apple, blackberry, cranberry and the right one is with Grand Marnier. She always makes a pie "without" for Ian. I sample both because I can, and I can say with authority that Amy is a killer pie maker.