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Dyeing For Glory

Like it was yesterday…

I remember the first time I put dye on yarn.  Well actually, the very first time it was roving not yarn.  Initially I thought the best fun was mixing the dyes together in a cup to recreate the colors that were swimming around my brain. It is what I thought… until I poured it onto the roving. (It makes me a little weepy thinking about this obviously it has been awhile.)

Anyway I poured the dye on and watched as the wool happily absorb it. I watched the color slowly spread and the farther it went from where I poured it the lighter it was.

I found this beyond exciting and could barely keep myself contained. So I mixed up more dye again and put the next color on.( And you know what? It did it again) I decided at the very last second not to put it right next to the first color but a bit away and watched as it did it’s sexy absorption dance just as the first color did, with it’s own special hue, of course.

This was crazy cool and as lovely the first one and I was happily watching, zoning a bit on it and completely unprepared for how my entire world was about to change. The defining moment that pushed me head first into coloring fibers was when those two colors met and mingled and gave birth to not one more color but several. Color magic right at my fingertips. I was over the moon with joy.

I was not completely new to color as an artistic medium of expression. I painted a bit and did this or that but nothing like the display on that strip of roving. There is just something so very different for me when you paint color on fiber. It’s the texture and the chemical make up and how they all work together. How they feel in your hands and finally what happens when you knit with them.

With wool as my canvas and dye my paints I jumped head first into the dye pots and have not looked back since.

I dye when I am inspired, I dye when I am stuck or thinking or need to work through something. I dye when I am happy,and when I am sad, really no emotion is safe from the dye.  I dream of color and see colorways everywhere.

I love dyeing. I love dyeing fibers. I am honored to be a part of a growing community of such creative and gifted artists that share this hued passion (obsession) of mine.

One of the greatest joys in the past few months is the building of the Sock Summit Marketplace with my friend Debbi Stone aka Cockeyed.  We have met (virtually so far) so many talented fellow color obsessed souls.  We are going to have some serious fun in August. Look out Portland because not only are you going to be inundated with sock knitters you are also going to bathed in color by some of the most creative dyers gracing the planet.

Keeping with this color, fiber and community theme we are taking this celebration of color world wide to include and share a bit with those knitters that cannot make it to Portland in August.  We have teamed with Ravelry to bring you Sock Summit 2009 Dyeing for Glory Contest. We are launching this today and you can read about it here and on Steph’s blog and of course on RAV.

The rules and regs and details of how this is all going to work are all spelled out quite nicely for you and are posted on Ravelry.

There is also a thread started in the Sock Summit group so you can keep updated there.

Thank you Casey, Jess and Mary Heather for helping us make this color dream a reality.

Ready, Set, DYE. ( ok Dye then set)

7 Comments
  1. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: You are flippin’ *brilliant*!

    November 30, -0001
  2. marcy #

    what JustJen said.

    you never cease to amaze and never dissappoint.

    brilliant.

    November 30, -0001
  3. Seriously brilliant!! I can’t even believe there is more!!

    And the new colors!! Early, too!!  I thought I could wait til next week to place a wee order, but oh my…peony…St.1, St.2…wow wow wow!!!

    Keep Rockin’!!!

    November 30, -0001
  4. I am so happy you dreamed this up. smile FUN!

    November 30, -0001
  5. 'licity #

    Is there a similar project site for people who aren’t Ravelers?

    November 30, -0001
  6. You’re incredible, you know that?  This is already so much fun to watch starting to unfold.  SO cool! And thank you for capturing the magic of the colorwayfaring so well.

    November 30, -0001
  7. Pat Dixon #

    The inter feeling is the most satisfing feeling in the world..The world of color is mystic, beautiful of breath taking…My home is so full of color, nothing is sad only happiness..to all who visit. Must not leave out consoling to the SOUL.Thank you Tina..and others..

    November 30, -0001

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