Now this is my favorite mistake .
I ask myself , how many times can I do the ol’ “accidentally grab the wrong needle end and knit backwards into the row the other direction” mistake ??? Obviously more times than I can count. Yet each time it happens, I’m a little dumbstruck that I just did it again. Then I laugh, and think to grab the camera and let you laugh too. I’m glad *somebody* is getting entertained.
This sweater I’m naming “Berry Smoothie” for my eldest niece who asked for ‘light purple, and maybe also pink’. The overdyed purply pink and pinkish purple, I achieved on the yarns was by a very light dip in the dyebath. No saturation what-so-ever. The story reads this way:
For Purple : Woman dips grey heathered wool into dye, then yells ” Oh blast !… this is waaaaaay too dark… quick, out with it ….. fast …. and rinse it out !!!! ”
For Plum : “Hmm… I wonder if this little bit of Jacquard Pink left in the container is enough for these five 50g skeins?” Woman dips light blue yarn in dye bath… exhausts the dye-bath to clear in less than one minute. Oops, not enough. Hence uneven dyeing and ~luckily~ interesting variegation.
Well, at least I did look at the colors on the dye packets, and I did pre-saturate the yarn in a diluted vinegar rinse before the dye bath dip. Result was delightedly ‘unsaturated’ variegation of color. I normally prefer the ultra saturated dying, because protein fibers do that so well, and so well attain a depth of richness which exudes such sensuality (I think) and is unmatched by non-protein fibers. A skein of wool (or silk) yarn only needs to look at a packet of dye to change color. Who said I am an Intentional Dyer? Not me, the intention is never there. At best I am a Hopeful Dyer. I think I’ll write a book ” How to spin, dye, and knit completely by accident “. Best-seller ? Not.
But really, I do love the color variegation !
A quick thanks to friends for the comments of previous post, for setting me straight. I do think I’m going to do work on taking more thorough paper notes, and swatching, in the way of scrapbooking for a project, and maybe virtually too in some capacity ~ incorporating the old-fashioned and modern. And, I think I will really work hard at learning to write the text for what I just knit (call it a pattern if you will)…. but…. I’m not going to lay down any rules !
Just doesn’t seem that important. I’m over myself today. Thanks friends !
Jenjoyce Design 
It would totally be a best seller. You underestimate your writing abilities 😉
..love what you’ve done so far. Very berry colors, nummy.
yes – I’d read it, too and probably be able to contribute. The amount of ‘happy accidents I have had………
Perhaps a fun group on Ravelry where we can ‘share’ all of our hilarious mistakes and happy accidents ? 😉
Jen, as someone who is intimately familiar with all of your music compositions I must say that something that adds greatly to my enjoyment of those tunes is knowing the story behind each and every one of them. Well I strongly believe that you should write the story of each of your designs and projects in notebook and scrapbook as well as sharing it with all of us here on Yarnings. To continue on from the previous post I’d like to gently persuade you to make a shade card of the results of your dye bath as well as retaining knitted swatches too. You may not ever be an “Intentional Dyer” but when Berrie Smoothie is completed you may on some future date look back at the retained samples of yarn and be inspired to be an “Intentional Varigation Dyer” May I encourage one other piece of writing from you and that is that you tell us further tales of “The histrionics of woman at the dye bath” The use of quotation marks is to suggest to you the tittle for your future best seller. You made me laugh out loud when I read that piece in your post so I’d be the first to buy it. I strongly agree with Moz in that you underestimate your writing abilities.
You’re making *me* laugh reading about how you laughed …but you’re pure dead brilliant, I think I *will* write a wee bit of a story for each project. Maybe I’ll call the stories Sweater Yarnings…or some such silliness. And thank you for the praise, it always takes root and greatly helps my confidence.
I will buy and read your writing any day, Jen. You are funny and good at keep me in good suspense 😀 Intentional or not…so long you are enjoying every step of the discovery, exploring progress.
Well, I’m working on a few things at once, to keep myself entertained, but strangely all things are purple. Makes me think of your number one color choce. Oh, and the *thing* I was working on a couple of months ago is hibernating for the present, but I will get going on *it* again soon. 🙂