Kiss My Knits!

Holding on to a box while my daughter spray painted it wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done.

Em got off to school just fine. She opted to wear her pink and white striped slip-on shoes, which are too small, but I let it go. If she wants to keep wearing them we can get a new pair, assuming they’re still in stores now that summer’s over. As we pulled up, she said, “I am too excited for the first day!” in a very happy way. Here’s hoping that bodes well.

As for me, I have a mountain of work to catch up on. Jayne hats, Jayne kits, stamping up Jayne packages… but I’m taking a little time just for myself, too, since frankly I deserve a vacation day or two after a summer of nonstop Momming. Yeah, you heard me. I made Mom a verb.

Behold! This is the 22-quart stainless steel Tramontina stock pot that my mother got me for Christmas so I’d have something big to dye in. I’m calling her Big Tina. The stockpot, not my mother. I’m test-driving this baby with some Cascade 220 superwash wool. It’ll be a fun experiment. This one will be stovetop, but I foresee a time when I borrow my husband’s propane burner he uses in brewing (did I mention that my husband is an award-winning homebrewer?) and dye outside over an open flame.

But now, it’s time to break for lunch. And play some tunes. Why? Because if I want to crank up Commie Drives a Nova by Ike Reilly I can do it, as there are no tender young things walking around to potentially scar for life. School rules!

“Natural” Cascade 220, dyed an overly aggressive pink and then overdyed with more lilac overtones to soften it. I needed one skein for a baby project. However, I think I may go with green instead.

It was still fun and educational. I always enjoy dyeing.