I bet you are wondering how the dye job went…….well, it took me three tries to get it so that I wouldn't cry when I looked at her.
I started off by doing just the end and it grabbed waaay too much green and turned dark very quickly. So, I sat and thought about it for a minute and decided to go to the other end of the spectrum with some soft orange, which did help, but then the tips were VERY different from the rest of the stole, so I added a bit more orange and reversed directions, putting the rest of the stole in the dyepot and keeping the darker end out.
It was ok….but the bottom was still a good bit darker than the rest of the stole…so I cried a bit and had a cup of tea to relax and regroup. When an hour had come and gone, I finally decided to take a breath and go a shade deeper than orange and headed towards a toffee color.
Immediately I knew that this was going to fix the discrepancy in color….but I was still sad that she was not the color she was supposed to be.
I put the bigger part of the stole in the dyepot and let it simmer for a bit and then I put the bottom in for the last few minutes. (kind of like pulling the color thru your hair after it has sat on the roots for a bit).
While Bee is a good bit darker than I had envisioned her to be, she is still the
golden color of honey in the comb as seen in this picture that I snagged from a bee blog that I read. I hope Becky doesn't mind :) Actually this will be a very nice colorway for fall, don't you think?
I am going to take some nice pictures of Bee outside if it ever stops raining. I don't know how it is in other parts of the country, but here in Northern NH, it has basically been a continuation of what we saw this winter, except instead of snow it has been rain, rain, rain and more rain. It's has also been very humid which I really hate. Not very good for the garden either. (more on that another day)
We hare heading out tomorrow morning for a dog show in NJ. Coming with us on this trip is the newest member of Ballymena Cavaliers.
Meet little Miss Gypsy :). Her registered name is Marjorelle Travelin' Show and let me tell you, this little one is full of beans for sure!
I have been trying to be a better blogger, so I have actually blogged ahead a few days for when I will be away. I have heard it takes 21 days to make something a habit…at least I think it was 21, so I am trying to keep on track. 🙂
Wish us luck…….
The Woolen Rabbit 
Little Miss Gypsy is sure a cutie pie! I’m glad you finally got something that worked out for the Bee shawl, even though it’s not quite what you wanted.
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I love the colour of Bee. Good on you for keeping your wits about you during that dye job. It must have been nerve wracking.
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I know it’s not what you had originally wanted, but I find the color for Bee is much richer now and I actually like it better… Regardless, Bee is lovely!
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She is adorable!
I think it the shawl turned out beautifully!
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I think the color came out better!The first
color was more washed out.This is a true Honey bee.Love it !
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It’s gorgeous.
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I actually love the new color even more. It’s a gorgeous honey/taupe blend that I think will be a beautiful contrast with your hair.
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Kim- A bee blog? Who knew?
So, you are coming out with new colors this fall to tempt weak people such as myself.
Miss Gypsy is a darling.
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The new color is so rich! The color is certainly a fall honey color. Miss Gypsy is a doll. Enjoy your trip.
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I suspected that you might have to do the whole thing…not knowing anything about “dyeing” but figured you would have to balance it out. All that said I think it looks beautiful and the color is rich and yummy so you should be pleased.
Miss Gypsy is adorable, she wants to go to NC!! I know she does!!
Good luck at the show, and tell that Diva of yours that she is going to be on stage and she should be happy…;-)
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Aww, I hate when I don’t get exactly what I want, but Bee is lovely and I suspect you will love it always.
Have a fun weekend!
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After your month long abscence from the blog, what a delight to meet Miss Gypsy! She is so cute and I love the name! The picture is kind of neat because she looks like hse has bright green eyes. What a knock-out! Have fun at the show!
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Oh now that is a rich fall colour. Perfect! Isn’t it true that what appears a disaster will be super sweet once we “fix” it? I love the colour. You did a great dye job!
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It may not be what you originally envisioned, but I love it!
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Bee looks good, and your mind will readjust. Or you will knit another one.
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Kim–
It’s BEE-UTIFUL!!
Great job
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For what it’s worth, I prefer the darker color! It’s so deep and rich now. Like amber. 🙂
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I love your end result color for your Bee shawl!
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OMG! Miss Gypsy is SO CUTE! What an adorable little furball! lol
I really like the color of your Bee stole. It is stunning! I think the color looks like honey! I think being a bit different from everyone elses’ is a good thing.
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Well done! It’s a great golden color, very very pretty.
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It’s beautiful. Miss Gypsy is so cute!
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Wow, I wish my mistakes looked as terrific as yours. This stole is gorgeous and the color would be the one I would prefer, actually, if I could choose. It is so rich and will be great for autumn, just like you said. Great job!
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Wow… that was a crazy experiment and I’m so glad it worked out for you! I have to admit I was a little sacred for you, but in the end, I think it is absolutely beautiful! You ended up with such a rich golden hue… I actually think more bee-ish thoughts with this color that the previous, since the older color also had straw overtones ;-P And I absolutely love the subtle variegation… it’s just so wonderful!
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Wow… that was a crazy experiment and I’m so glad it worked out for you! I have to admit I was a little sacred for you, but in the end, I think it is absolutely beautiful! You ended up with such a rich golden hue… I actually think more bee-ish thoughts with this color that the previous, since the older color also had straw overtones ;-P And I absolutely love the subtle variegation… it’s just so wonderful!
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Man that was chancy and I do like like your new, one of a kind for sure color!
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Not for anything, but I think the color you ended up with is even more gorgeous than what you started with. Much, much richer. Way to go!
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Oh, she’s gorgeous!!! Color is beautiful – great job!
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Kim, it’s SO gorgeous!! And those puppies are adorable. Have a great weekend!
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Although it is not the color you began with, I truly love this new color. Your work in getting it all consistent is amazing.
applause, applause!
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I love this color! Great job.
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