2009 Satakieli hose
Longtime readers may recall the pair of green kilt hose I knit in fingering-weight Satakieli wool for Irish bagpiper Robert Watt last year. (He’s only in Flagstaff for 11 – 12 days each summer.) — — –>
Well, he decided they were “too bright” to go with this kilt (they are, really, aren’t they) and asked me this year if I could remedy that, and also make the cuffs more snug. Reknitting the cuffs I knew I could do, and I also knew that overdying the socks darker was possible — but I had never done such a thing before. I told him I would try.
I mixed up some Jacquard acid dyes: some red and blue to tone down the yellow-ness, a touch of black and some more blue to go for a darker, bluer hue — more like the forest green yarn he liked in my long swatch. And I overdyed those socks.
not an especially good photo of overdyed hose, 1 cuff removed
<– The lighting here is not especially good to see the color, but the next one shows it better.
It also shows an unexpected side-effect of dying a pre-knitted fabric that has RIBS. . . .
STRIPES!!!
The dye did not penetrate the recessed purl ribs nearly as much as it did the knit portions. I can call it a “design feature” all I want, but I still doubt this will look good on his legs. Arrgh! Grimace!! And anything more I do will likely only make matters worse.
I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll go ahead and reknit the cuffs and send them to him in Ireland, or just frog and reuse the (slightly dappled) yarn for something else. Either way, I will charge him nothing for his second pair . . . and perhaps his third as well, if I don’t send back pair #1.
Speaking of pair #2, here is the current state of them.
Pair #2 for Robert
First foot has a turned heel — toe-up gusset heel, a la Wendy Johnson — and 4.5 inches of ribbed ankle.
Second foot is ready to begin the heel gusset.
After I turn the second heel and begin the second ankle, I’ll be ready to begin the calf shaping.
Yarn is Wool-Ease worsted weight, in color Forest Green Heather, on 3.75 mm needles (US #5).
Aaron’s argyle repair work and the white textured hose made by Elsie, Stuart’s mum in Scotland, continue to call to me. I want to finish Robert’s pair first, but don’t want to wait so long that the others get “sour” in my mind. (Perhaps I should set them more out-of-sight for the time being.) In the meantime, Elsie and I have struck up a knitterly e-correspondence. If she gives her permission, I’ll recreate her (flat) pattern in the round — in yarn and on paper — and then share them with you all.
Oh, I almost forgot to add: When DD got her practice chanter and registered for Piping School, I crocheted a protective “sleeve” for the instrument in “royal blue” Wool-Ease sportweight (sadly, no longer produced), with variegated drawstrings.
Beautiful Knitting 