So pleased with myself: I've finished the January blocks for the Mystery Blanket Knit Along. The Knit Along takes place over 2025 with one or two blocks each month exploring different knitting techniques. (I wrote about it a week or two ago.).
The one on the left, in a beautiful colour called orange peel, took ages to do. I kept getting in a muddle with my knits and purls and finding I'd made a mistake and having to undo a repeat. I must have knitted the thing three times over, the amount of unravelling I went through.
I was starting to get anxious that it wouldn't be finished by the end of January, but with a Herculean effort, I managed it, and it was blocked on Friday 31 January, too, so I was well pleased with myself. I've spent the weekend constantly checking my inbox for the February block, but of course, it was the weekend and no one was sending emails with patterns.
I was using Pebble Island to start, a really gorgeous yarn, and the first swatch was done with that. But I had a limited amount, probably only a third of what is needed for the blanket which would have meant a big outlay. As I was getting ready for Finish It February, I found I had the full amount in another yarn, Moordale, which is also lovely to use and has some beautiful colours.
I'm still working through both fronts of the Amare Jacket, I'm about three-quarters of the way there now. The sleeves are done, just the back and hood and band to do after that. It's painless knitting, I'm keeping it for when I'm at knitting groups or watching tv. It's too big to carry for travelling.
I did some experimenting with eco-dyeing over the weekend. That little knitted scrap has been sitting around for weeks waiting for me to get it together. Over the weekend I tried two simple techniques: rust dyeing and tea-dyeing. I was pleased with the results and I'll write a full post about it when this piece is finished.
Both dye techniques use materials that you would have around the house - vinegar, salt, tea bags, small metals objects like washers and screws. You need a few non-reactive containers that are heat resistant and some time. Mostly, you get your fabric ready, immerse it and go and do something else for a while. Come back, rinse, immerse and go away again. What I did took about twenty-four hours.
One of the things I've noticed is the benefit of having swatches or works in progress set out where you can see them. I would come and look at the swatch as it was drying and gradually the next stages for working on it evolved.
The image shows the swatch drenched in a 50/50 vinegar and water solution, then wrapped around metal objects and tied to ensure contact between the fabric and the metal before being left in a plastic bag overnight. After that it's rinsed and put into a salt solution for a couple of hours to stop the rust reaction.
I've been going to the Knit Happens online knitting group on Wednesdays 6.00-8.00 pm UTC. It's hosted by 
Part of Needlework Monday, the community for everything needles, fibre and fabric (FAQs).
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