Unlike today, yesterday still felt springlike.  I saw skunk cabbage in several locations that hadn’t been visible two days before.

Last night, I packed up the sleeves and rowed back to the mainland.  Maybe I’ll get some seaming done tonight.. Sammy will help. 

(I hate this part, I’d rather be on Sleeve Island.)

Today, I swatched (the first sleeve) the Vine Lace Cardi.  The color should be more Orchid.  It’s Heirloom 100% alpaca,  very soft, very yummy and on #10 needles, it should go quickly.

Still dyeing.. The silk is amazing in the way it sucks up the color.  It’s scrunchy and it shines.  I love this stuff.  The only problem with it is that in almost every skein, there are knotted joins.  It makes me crazy when I buy yarn, sock yarn in particular, and I find knots.  I know, get over it.  It’s a pet peeve of mine, and this stuff has them.  The Russian join works fine.  The problem is solved, but it is a problem for me.  If you are interested in any of this yarn, let me know.   I’ve got more on the stove simmering in a prewash.. getting the nasties out.  Here are the newest results..

Silk is very hard to photograph, too much shine. 

All weekend, I worked on, played with, the silk yarn.  Aside from it being a freaking pain in the butt to work with, I’ve actually actually enjoyed following the weird path of this mystery yarn.  Thing is, when it’s done, it’s BEAUTIFUL!  Silk is like nothing else.  I still can’t get past the fact that it starts out a grey khaki color, then a bleeds dark coffee,  then oceans of dark blue, and then finally, after about 3 hours of washing, simmering, rinsing, re-rinsing, and umpteen sessions of untangling, it ends up again, a light grey beigy color.  Incredible.  And yet, I can’t not do all those steps.  Sooner or later, it would have to be washed, and then……YUCK!  Somebody would be dealing with it, and it wouldn’t make anyone happy.  SO.
I dyed three colorways.  Here are two.