What else did I bring back from Seattle? Dyestuff, of course. I'm the crazy lady who keeps clippers in her car just for times like this. These are some of the dahlias in my parents' back yard. I picked many of the fading flowers, pulling them apart and drying the petals by laying them out on a piece of newspaper in the shade and then drying some more rest in a cardboard box lid in the car on the way home. We weren't home even 24 hours before these were in the dyepot. The two pictures of yarn are the same skein. The small one is after the first hour of simmering. When it dried, it seemed too pale for how much color remained in the dyepot, so back it went for another hour. Of course, the lighting is a bit different in the two shots but they're both slightly paler than the true color. The color is a bit more rusty and golden than the more peachy color I got from dahlias another time, only that time I used solid bright orange blossoms. I think our well water tends to alter the colors some. Next time maybe I'll try distilled water.
I'm thinking of the Uptown Boot Socks from an IK Winter 2003, or maybe Falling Leaves from Knitty Fall 2005 for this yarn.
I just wish I had brought home a fresh bouquet of these big blossoms, also!
