How About Dyeing Something accompanied by a tumbler of Sangria?

How hard is it sometimes to find just the right colour? Why are we a little apprehensive about going down the dye-it- yourself route? It probably has something to do with the fact that the process of dyeing used to be a rather long drawn out process with different dye baths and mordants and fixatives. Really, what is a mordant anyway, when all you want to do is make something that was the wrong colour, the right colour? It becomes even more daunting when you get a little advise from an ‘expert’. Dyeing seems to be steeped in some kind of ancient magic and generally sends most people running to the hills. The possibility of a disaster always imminent! What if it does not turn out the right colour? General consensus relating to the last question is: LIVE DANGEROUSLY, GO OUT AND DYE SOMETHING!

That’s exactly what  Emily in Sydney went out and did. Below is her experiment.

These dyes are available in our Sydney Store only. More information on the dyes can be found here.

“I used Jacquard Acid Dyes in turquoise, sky blue, chartreuse, and teal. I mixed the dyes in small pots and then painted them on to the Sockenklecks . I then put sock wool in the microwave for 4mins each side.
I haven’t knitted it yet – I want to find a nice simple stitch or cable to make the socks. Maybe short socks and a pair of fingerless mittens!”

What a gorgeous colourway. We are really looking forward to seeing what Emily knits up out of this.

Tumble Dyeing. This could be a lot of fun for everyone. We recommend this for a school holiday project. It’s probably the easiest dyeing process to date. Heaps of online tutorials and the instructions are real easy to follow. Emily and Co had a lot of fun with this one as well.

Emily with the yellow hat from our Sydney Store.
Favourite Craft – Knitting.
Current Project – Millennium jumper in green and Kate Davies tortoise and hate gauntlets.
Favourite Beverage while crafting – Sangria. Recipe here.
A bit about myself.
I grew up in Perth (no wool required) and moved to Sydney after living in Melbourne (Brunswick) for a few months in 2007. I have studied painting and drawing at CoFA and law and politics at UNSW. I intend on studying Science Communications at USyd. I like Vikings (especially Mexican ones :P), animals (foxes are the best) and the environment (esp. Re. Natural science). I learnt to knit when I was 4 and picked it up again when I was 15 – about 12 years ago. I teach socks, fair isle and beginners knitting. I also make dresses and clothes from vintage patterns and a keen dressmaker (and toy maker).

 

Crochet Wild Animals

“Unleash the creative beast in you with the 15 wild animal projects you’ll find in Crocheted Wild Animals, including a rabbit, a camel, a frog, a flamingo, an owl, a polar bear, and a chameleon. Projects vary in complexity, but you’ll want to make every one – and with the easy-to-understand instructions you can!” That is what it says online. We decided that this book was so cool it deserved an in depth review and definitely at least one sample. To the rescue came our very own Emily in Melbourne (we have an Emily in Sydney as well, thus the geographical distinction).

Crochet Wild Animals by Vanessa Mooncie
Difficulty: Intermediate
Reviewed by: Emily (Melbourne)
Let me start off by saying, wow, this book is gorgeous! This crochet book is a step up from your typical crocheted toy or amigurumi book. Flipping through the pages for the first time was filled with squeals of delight from us girls at the counter, with the general consensus being: We must make everything!

I’d say the book is ideal for those who have played around with the basics of amigurumi and are wanting a bit more of a challenge, a bigger project. The patterns are written out in typical amigurumi style, with the addition of crochet charts. As a lover of charts I was very excited about this, and found them handy as a quick visual reference for basic patterning. But you definitely need to pay attention to the written instructions, as some parts are quite technical and don’t always translate well into a chart (I have been watching Poirot lately and whilst working on the flamingo’s tail my “little grey cells” certainly got a work out!).

As to the layout and feel of the book, the 15 animals are gorgeous and bursting with personality. From the elephant to the giraffe, the deer to the owl, and with some surprises like the chameleon who can flip inside-out to be a second colour! The instruction’s layout is clean and the pictures are fabulous, with lots of different angles which is great for assembling your new little friends. You can’t help but fall in love with all of the characters in this book, and for those who haven’t yet learnt to crochet, now might be a good time…

Hi, my name is Fernando and I can be found sitting around in the shrubbery, hanging out on the counter in the store or floundering around on the tiles trying to get control of my legs.

In the shrubs

On the counter.

Well, nobody’s perfect….

For Fernando we used Morris and Sons Maya 100% Alpaca and his glorious tail was made out of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk Colour Fruit Salad. This is no ordinary bird!

We thought it would be a good idea if the readers of our blog could get to know our staff a little better. We’ll shine a spotlight on Emily this week. Emily works in our Melbourne store. She is also our Crochet Stage 1 teacher and our Amigurumi Teacher. Have fun reading about what rocks Emily’s world and what makes her get out of bed in the morning. We asked her a few questions.

Morris and Sons Melbourne Emily

Favourite crafts: crochet, knitting, sewing, play doh.
Current project: Haha, too many… But I finished making a giant flamingo last week!
Favourite beverage whilst crafting: Chamomile tea.
A bit about you:
I Love Colour! I always have loved colour. From when I was six telling
mum “No mum it’s not purple, it’s Magenta”, to surrounding myself with
pretty flowers in the garden, to my two stacks of folded,
rainbow-ordered fabric which sit on my bookshelf. Some people say it
borders on obsessive. …I am one of those people!