I had big plans for yesterday. I was going to finish cleaning out my office and get started on the back room at the store. Instead, I was tied to the computer for quite a while in the morning, trying to get payroll tax info to the accountant. In the end I printed out the information and drove it over there.

As a reward for all my hard work, I allowed myself to ignore the cleaning. I played with color instead. I’ve been dyeing yarn and fiber for a while now, and I learn something new every time I do it. I normally use pre-mixed colors, maybe modifying the color slightly, but usually not. While I’ve had fun doing this, I’ve longed to have the time to learn how to make colors from scratch. I took the time yesterday afternoon.

I had a particular color combination in mind, and found a digital representation of it. I brought my laptop into the dining room dye studio so I could refer to the picture as I mixed colors.

I had read somewhere that white ice cube trays make excellent dyers palettes. I grabbed one we never use from the cupboard and commenced to mixing. I had stock solutions of blue, red and yellow, and mixed and mixed and mixed. I finished just before BJ Bass came home from work, and was amazed that the afternoon had flown by so quickly. I only managed to dye three skeins of yarn, but they’re like nothing else I’ve ever done, and so I’m pleased with the afternoon’s lessons.

The green skein in the middle is to honor a special request. We’ll see if the requester likes it. The other two are up for grabs, and will be at the store this afternoon. After I finish admiring them.

On the red sweater front, I’m almost done with the first bobbin. This is addictive spinning for me, I keep wanting to see what the next color will look like. And Abby says she’ll make some red for me — yay!