12 December 2013

In Search of Pink

starstruck

As I was creating my crocheted Summer of Color version of the popular knitted Hue Shift afghan with natural-dyed yarn, I kept running out of colors. Trying to identically match hand-dyed colors can be a real chore.

Pink was the most difficult. I'd started the afghan with a gorgeous pink I'd achieved with pickled beet juice made by my mother-in-law. We wouldn't have more homemade pickled beet juice until Christmas. I had achieved pink a couple of times with hibiscus, but I'd intentionally rinsed those skeins with tap water, which turned them the soft blue found in the Summer of Color afghan.

Four times, I tried dyeing once again with hibiscus purchased at a health food store because my garden is fresh out of flowers at this point in the year. I obtained the most beautiful shades of pastel gray, lavender gray and blue gray, and I'm so anxious to use them. But I needed pink!

Finally, I realized the Summer of Color afghan will have to be washed in rain water. Or be the world's first color-changing afghan... The only way I could get pink I could keep would be if I didn't use tap water for the final rinse after dyeing the yarn. Fortunately, I had saved two large pots full of rainwater during our floods last summer. One pot is now pink from rinsing the final make-up skein of yarn.

Success!

Rainwater pink rules!

silvery gray

hints of blue

Forever Pink

dressed to chill

4 comments :

  1. Always find a way at your bay. Rainwater gets it done, never knew that under my sun

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  2. Wow, Deb, it's gorgeous! Congratulations on a truly rosy ending to your quest for pink. And how soft the blanket will always be, washed in rainwater. :)

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  3. Hi, I found this blog looking for snowflakes patterns. What beauties! Thank you for charing so generously! They are absolutely lovely. Anna

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  4. Wow, that splash of pink really adds to those wintry colors!

    ReplyDelete


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