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Odyssey Shawl - Unblocked

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   A few days ago, I tried my hand at hand-dyed yarn with much success. The proof is in the knitting, though, so yesterday was spent on the Odyssey Shawl that was introduced in our last post. It was a surprisingly easy piece to work up. There were three rows of yarn overs (yo), some slip-slip-knits (ssk) and most of the body was done in the garter stitch. It would be a very nice, first shawl to try your hand at lace.     When I first dyed the middle color, it was a disappointment and I had wished that I had done less purple, but with the construction, it evened itself out and the colors were fine. Here is the shawl before it is blocked. It will get blocked in the next day or so when time is less valuable to other issues. When it is blocked, you will be able to see the neat little 'holes' that are in the pattern. I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this little beauty, and kudos to Joli, the designer.
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Dyeing To Knit

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Oh how much fun I had today. A couple of weeks ago, I purchases some bare yarn to try my hand at dyeing my own. I am an avid knitter and go through lots and lots of yarn. It was an obvious next step for me to try my hand at dyeing (or as my grand daughter says, killing) some bare yarn.      The bare yarn was purchased from Knit Picks, which is one of my favorite places to obtain my 'fix.' and the dye was. . . . . drum roll, please. . . . Kool-Aid! Yes. I was as surprised as anything when I did the research about home dyeing. It was easy, minimal mess, smelled lumptious and did a beautiful job of turning pale cream yarn into gorgeous colors.    Subsequently, I have purchased more yarn in a fingering size to dye at a future time. But let's look at today's gems.      I found a pattern that I thought would be lovely. It is the " Odyssey Shawl"  by Joli Locatelli. Both the pattern and a yarn kit for making the project are available on WEBS site...
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Purpose in Action

Being an older, retired woman in our today's world can present unique challenges. I hope that this blog will open up new possibilities for you as well as give you fuel for your own personal dreams.    When I retired from Academia, it was a blow to my psyche and emotional well being. Like most of you who have had careers that they loved, I was at a loss of not only what to do with my time, but also at a loss as to who I was as a person. So many of us find ourselves relating who we are with what we do.    Our children are raised, our home life pretty well settled, we have learned to cook and keep a household while we apply ourselves to the outside world...but what about Who We Are?    Luckily, I have had the privilege of moving to a 55+ community after retirement. It afforded me not only the opportunity to downsize living arrangements, but also the flexibility to explore. By that I mean exploring the state, county, city and community in which I live as wel...
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