My name is Sarah. I am plain, but not tall. I am 25 years old & I live on Long Island, New York. I'm a mama, a zinester, & a feminist. I love to knit. I also love bees and the color yellow.

My beautiful son, JP, was born on November 30, 2003 and he lights up my life.

I have a LiveJournal and a myspace.

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Blingo


Works in Progress:

:: Wrap Sweater :: 60% ::

:: Simple Shrug :: 35% ::

:: Endpaper Mitts :: 50% ::

:: Dani's Socks :: 50% ::


Stuff I'm participating in:




Finished Objects 2007:

September 14: Hufflepuff Scarf
September 9: Mister Monkey
September 3: Monkey Junior Socks
September 1: Ball-band Dishcloth
August 29: Joshie's Washcloth II
August 27: Joshie's Washcloth
August 13: Monkey Socks
August 2: Monkey Socks
July 7: Hufflepuff Ball-Band Dishcloth
July 3: Hufflepuff Socks
June 24: Log Cabin Baby Blanket
April 4: Pink T-shirt
March 13: Fetching
February 6: Fiber Trends Felted Clogs
February 2: Red Scarf
January 16: Calorimetry
January 15: My So-Called Scarf

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Stuff I Participated In:


















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Currently Reading: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Books I've Read This Year:

1. Why Moms Are Weird by Pamela Ribon (285)
2. The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring (307)
3. That Summer by Sarah Dessen (198)
4. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (281)
5. Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen (228)
6. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (250)
7. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (345)
8. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (374)
9. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (371)
10. Chicks With Sticks (It's A Purl Thing) by Elizabeth Lenhard (261)
11. The Knitter's Book Of Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman (144)
12. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (425)
13. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (370)
14. Specials by Scott Westerfeld (372)
15. Smack by Melvin Burgess (327)
16. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (416)
17. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (352)
18. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (544)
19. Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman (49)
20. Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (163)
21. East by Edith Pattou (507)
22. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix (218)
23. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (314)
24. The Shop on Blosson Stree by Debbie Macomber (344)
25. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber (345)
26. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (324)
27. Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card (382)
28. Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (592)
29. Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card (358)
30. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card (467)
31. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card (442)
32. Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card (372)
33. Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card (363)
34. Kick Me: Adventures in Adolescence by Paul Feig (278)
35. Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin by Paul Feig (295)
36. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (465)
37. Sleeping Freshman Never Lie by David Lubar (279)
38. 10th Grade by Joseph Weisberg (259)
39. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (198)
40. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (251)
41. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson (231)
42. Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson (215)
43. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (382)
44. Conversations With The Fat Girl by Liza Palmer (312)
45. The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards (342)
46. Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal (295)
47. White Oleander by Janet Fitch (390)
48. Love and Other Four-Letter Words by Carolyn Mackler (247)
49. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler (246)
50. Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler (228)
51-56. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams (815)
57. Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner (375)
58. Why Girls Are Weird by Pamela Ribon (312)
59. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (309)
60. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (341)
61. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (435)
62. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (734)
63. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (870)
64. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (652)
65. The Big Rumpus: A Mother's Tale from the Trenches by Ayun Halliday (288)
66. The Giver by Lois Lowry (180)
67. Trapped: Cages of Mind and Body edited by Lois Duncan (228)
68. Swear to Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanen (126)
69. Job Hopper: The Checkered Career of a Down-market Dilettante by Ayun Halliday (213)
70. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (224)
71. The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life by Laurie Notaro (225)
72. No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late by Ayun Halliday (272)
73. Squashed by Joan Bauer (194)
74. Thwonk by Joan Bauer (215)
75. Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer (201)
76. Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer (186)
77. Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley (272)
78. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (306)
79. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (360)
80. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (406)
81. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
82. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
83. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
84. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
85. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
86. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
87. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (767)
88. Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells (224)
89. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (356)
90. Ya-Yas In Bloom by Rebecca Wells (255)
91. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner (414)
92. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (309)
93. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling (341)
94. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (435)
95. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (734)
96. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (870)
97. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling (652)
98. Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs (288)
99. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (208)
100. The Alchemist by Paulo coelho (172)
101. Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause (264)
102. Doing It by Melvin Burgess (326)
103. The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse (181)
104. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson (250)
105. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by Newt Seamander (JK Rowling) (42)
106. Quidditch Through The Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp (JK Rowling) (56)
107. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (213)
108. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (371)
109. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (345)
110. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (374)
111. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (281)
112. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (322)
113. Something Blue by Emily Giffin (338)
114. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen (212)
115. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (256)
116. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (759)
117. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (759)
118. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (498)

Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
118 / 200 Books
(59.0%)
Zokutou word meterZokutou word meter
37,266 / 50,000 Pages
(74.5%)




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Saturday, March 05, 2005
kool-aid dyeing!

I've been chugging away at my sock. It's been slow because I haven't had much free time to knit this week. I added a handle to my fry-up bag, but it's still missing a zipper so no photos till it's complete (I'm going to look for a zipper tomorrow after work).

Grumperina and Kelly both asked about my Kool-Aid dyeing, so I figured I would document it a bit.

I'm by no means an expert at this (I've done it maybe a half-dozen times), but the lovely thing about dyeing this way is that you can experiment & have fun with it. I bought a bunch of Lion Brand Fisherman Wool at least a year ago at Michael's. It was on clearance for $5 and I couldn't resist (and I still remember how when the cashier rung up my four skeins for less than $25 she commented "expensive sweater" which I found completely absurd).

To start with, I unwind the yarn from the skein to a hank. I use the back of Mike's desk chair because I don't have a swift. It's tedious & hurts my arm, but it makes a decent skein.



I tied it up in a few spots with some acrylic yarn (so it won't dye & disappear on me) to keep it from tangling & keep it all together. After it's hanked up, I place it in a glass pyrex dish & soak it in a water/vinegar mix (a few glugs of vinegar & the rest water) for approximately ten minutes, then drain the excess off.



I mixed up my dye. I use plasic cups and one packet at a time. I just use straight vinegar to mix it with because it seems to help the yarn take they dye more quickly/hold it better. I apply the dye with a turkey baster for more "precision".



After applying my first (lightest) color where I want it, I nuke it for four minutes.



Then I let it rest for a few minutes. Now's when I usually read or knit for a while. Because I use such a small dye/liquid ratio, the color soaks up quickly. I dump out the used vinegar (it's clear again!) and rinse the yarn in water the same temperature as it. I drain off the excess water & apply my second (medium) color.



Then I nuke it for four more minutes, let it rest, & rinse again. Then I apply the final (darkest) color.



Again with the nuke/rest/rinse and then I mix up a doubly-concentrated version of my lightest color & go over spots I missed. Then I nuke/rest/rinse it again and hang it up to dry.



I just did this hank tonight. I'm not sure what I'm going to knit with it, but I love how the colors blended together. I used: Wild Watermelon Kiwi for my green, Slammin Strawberry Kiwi for my pink, and Raspberry Reaction for my blue.

Posted at 01:51 am by Sarah Bee

grumperina
March 5, 2005   03:18 AM PST
 
Thanks for posting that! Looks like so much fun that I really have to do it someday... I have the yarn, I have the Kool-Aid packets, I have vinegar (I think), it's just a time issue :).
Kelly
March 5, 2005   12:53 PM PST
 
THANK YOU SOOO much for showing us how to do it! I might get enough courage to tey it! I love your blog girl!!! Keep on knitting!! very inspiring!!
Kel
Secret Pal
March 5, 2005   09:59 PM PST
 
Wow, great post! I've never done that before.

Can you wash it after you knit it and does any of the dye run? Or fade?
Katt
March 6, 2005   04:16 AM PST
 
That is so wild! I am waiting on a package from Canada that has Kool Aid in it (cant get it here in Australia) so I can dye some yarn I have! I am so looking forward to it.
I am with your secret pal! I have always wondered if the Kool Aid will leak in the wash.
Katt
Nyxxie
March 9, 2005   01:49 PM PST
 
I want to see your bag and I cannot get any of your pics to show up!!
 

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