Self-Patterning Yarns: A New Approach at NCFF

     Sue Grant and I were very pleased to have the opportunity to teach our dye workshop on self-patterning yarns at North Country Fiber Fair in Watertown, SD the weekend of Sept. 17 -19.  An enthusiastic group of participants showed up on Saturday afternoon, wearing clothing to dye in and ready to try a new technique.The method involves painting color onto pre-knit "flats" of undyed wool yarn.  After the dye is set and the flat is allowed to dry, the yarn is unraveled and knit into whatever seems appropriate -- scarves, socks, gloves, hats or shawls.  The only limit is the dyer's imagination, and some amazing projects were done that afternoon.

This was an enthusiastic bunch, anxious to try something new and not afraid to get their fingers dirty.  An interesting color combination -- Prairie Rose and green -- was achieved after some experimental mixing, and  several flats were painted using them. 

Another flat was dyed horizontally -- rather than the more conventional vertical orientation -- and the resulting landscape of sky and earth in saturated colors is sure to produce something interesting when it is knit.

The best part of this process is the part that happens later -- when the flats are dried, unraveled and knit.  I hope everyone who took this class (and several people stayed afterwards to dye a second flat, so there are plenty of flats waiting to be knit up!) will send pictures of their projects when they're completed.  Keep checking this blog, everybody -- we'll post everything we get from you.. And thanks so much for coming and trying the technique -- Sue and I had fun, and we hope you did, too.