"Another Dyeing Technique With Sock Yarn....."

I'd wanted to make our neighbor, Rob, a pair of custom dyed socks, knitted on my CSM (circular sock machine), for awhile now, but had to wait until after my "Christmas rush". ;) When he stopped over last week, I had him measure his foot for me so that I'd have it when I was able to work on a pair for him. It seems that time had arrived......

Here is the sock yarn prior to my dyeing it. It is a superwash wool yarn (this means it can be washed/dried in a machine) that also has some nylon in it.

I'd also asked him what color(s) he'd like for his socks and he suggested brown, green, and purple. My first attempt at dyeing those colors didn't go well......I now have a really richly colored "brown" skein of yarn that I plan on using for another friend. ;) My second attempt at dyeing the skein of yarn was done using a technique that I'd read about, but not tried. In the photo below, you see the yarn being dyed using the big pot which also holds 2 glass containers. The accent colors were put into the glass containers with the end loops of the yarn lowered into them, while the middle and main portion of the yarn was allowed to "drape" over their edge and into the main color of the dye bath. If I'd not done anything else, the yarn would have also had some of the original yarn color left as another accent, too, but I took an eye dropper, sucked up dye, and squirted it onto and into those areas as well to leave a minimum of undyed yarn. What that did has given light/subtle blends of the colors. By the way, the pot has a lid on while the water is heated up and simmers. Heat and the addition of white vinegar will set the dye colors.

Here is the finished skein of sock yarn after drying.

And Rob's finished pair of socks (who, until he read this post, had no idea he now has a new pair of socks awaiting him at our house. ;)