basimah knits… and spins… and maybe complains about things a little…

lookee what i did to the two skeins of (natural off-white color) worsted wool i got from knit picks…

the light one is pink lemonade kool-aid (3 packets) and the dark is black cherry (also 3 packets). i used a mix of instructions i’ve read on various sites around the interweb, but mostly the ones from knitty. i think for a first attempt, they turned out perfectly. the picture doesn’t show it too well, but both colors have a really nice variegation throughout (unintentional, but i’m pretty sure i prefer it this way instead of solid colors). my original plan was to make a felted bag with the two colors, but i like the variegation a lot and i think it might get lost in the felting. so once again, i dunno.

and in lamer news, i’ve decided to make a version of the fry-up bag. why? because i don’t have one. also because i have plenty of yarn with which to make it. mine will be less complex though. and it will not have a matching beret.

so, inspired by one of monkee’s recent posts and the feeling that my house has turned into one giantass tangle of random yarn, i decided to buy a yarn winder. it is the coolest thing ever. not so much because of its technology… it’s really pretty simple… it’s mostly cool because it turns wild yarn into neat orderly stout little yarn cakes that can also double as building blocks for those of us that like things that double as other things. plans for a yarn fortress of knititude are in the works.

along with my ball winder, i got some yarn for dyeing. it’s from knit picks, and it’s crazy cheap and way softer than i was expecting for the price. i got 2 hanks of the plain "wool of the andes" worsted, and one hank of the "color your own" merino fingering weight stuff. i was planning to use the worsted stuff for a felted bag kind of like the orange one i made for a christmas gift, but now that i’ve fondled the yarn a bit, i’m not sure. i have even less of an idea what i will make with the merino.

i got a bunch of kool-aid packets to use for dyeing, and i think i understand what i need to do to make it work, but i’m not entirely sure how to go about painting the yarn with the color so it looks good and not lame, so maybe this time around i’ll just do solid colors. black cherry and pink lemonade seem to be the weapons of choice for now.

oh - and i finished the other sock. they still feel kinda big, but for my first grown-up size socks ever, i think they don’t suck. i’m still diggin the left/right toe thing.

so i finished a sock and here is what it looks like when my foot is in it

yay me! i’ve already got the toe done for the left sock now.

damned disconnections all the time. third time i’m typing this because i’ve been disconnected direcly after hitting the "publish this post" button twice now.

so in summation, monkee sent me a chain letter type dealie. i thought since i don’t know many bloggers in person, i might avoid chain letter type dealies. monkee had other plans, apparently. so here it is….

1. Total amount of music files on your computer?

approximately a buttload or two. most aren’t mine though.

2. The CD you last bought is:

for myself, i really can’t remember. it’s been probably a year or more.

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?

Everyday - Dave Mattews Band

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

All at Sea - Jamie Cullum
Steady Pull - Jonatha Brooke
What I Got - Sublime
When the World Ends - DMB
Float On - Modest Mouse

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to? (3 persons) and why?

i’m not sure, but i’ll let you know.