Two Handspun Yarns x Five Dyes = OMG // Casual Friday S05E25

In this week's podcast, I have an update on my reverse engineered sweater, the results of my handspun yarn dyeing experiment, and evolving plans for my next vintage sweater project.

REVERSE ENGINEERED SWEATER
This is my Ravelry project page for the sweater

TWO YARNS, FIVE DYES
The two base yarns were a BFL/silk blend (cream) and 100% BFL (natural colors).

1970s VINTAGE SWEATER

These are Amazon affiliate links.

Other books I am using as references include several books from the 1970s, which I bought used from AbeBooks:
A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF TRADITIONAL DESIGNS: FAIR ISLE KNITTING by Sara Don
MON TRICOT KNITTING DICTIONARY 900 STITCHES PATTERNS (published 1963)
SCANDINAVIAN KNITTING DESIGNS by Pauline Chatterton

0:00 Introduction
0:44 Reverse Engineered Sweater
11:29 Two Yarns, Five Dyes
23:35 1970s Vintage Sweater plans

If you have questions about this video, or suggestions for future videos, please let me know down in the comments or on social media.

[christinevalentine]

It’s such a privilege to be able to accompany you on your thought and decision making. This is helpful in just making a regular garment let alone replicating the same properties in a well loved commercially made garment.

[yojeffschott]

I truly enjoy watching a talented thinker. I am not as analytical as you are but I certainly appreciate the opportunity to watch your mind work. Thank you for being so informative with your projects!

[elaineenstone]

The dye experiment is most interesting. I really admire the way you calculate your patterns to work out the solution. 🇬🇧

[kathleengerwien]

as always, I enjoyed this podcast. thank you for sharing the dying results. I was astonished at the difference between the 2 yarns with the same dye baths. I appreciate the research you put into all of your endeavors! Have a great week.

[aroundtheworldfibers]

I love the red and blue dye on the darker yarn. I agree the effect is much more interesting. The Mon Tricot Knitting Dictionary looks a lot like a book I used to have many years ago - although it was a Canadian version. Looking forward to the development of the 1970's sweater. 😊

[bgummeson]

Your curiosity is taking us on a very interesting journey. I love the re-engineered sweater, find your dye experiments fascinating, and can’t wait to see the gems you will share about steeking!

[bethliebman]

Such fun following along while you trouble shoot your reverse engineering sweater design! You are rally close to completing this. What a delightful can of worms you have opened when you decided to learn to spin.

[jennifersanders]

I love the idea of red I-cord cuffs. Thank you for sharing your dyeing experience. I love the natural set!

[Sequoya]

Great Episode!
Love the creativity and experimentation with dyes. I’m a chef/cake decorator, so the results were very satisfying.

[juliewilliams]

Very interesting dye experiments. The results showed how different a colour can be depending on the yarns initial natural colour. Had to shudder when you announced that you were making a 1970's inspired jumper- brown, orange and crinkly acrylic yarn sprung to mind!

[nicolelafontaine]

Turquoise is looking very nice on you ! So many great colors with your dyeing experiment, I realize I prefer the colors dyed on the original grey yarn, I like the depth of these colors. This experinment is quite revealing. Thanks !

[emveecee]

Wow, many bits to take into account for your reverse-engineered sweaters! Fascinating!! And I love the results of your dye experiment - I was not expecting that I would prefer the colours on the natural base. Thanks for a particularly wonderful video.

[jillyb]

The results of the dye experiment are fascinating. I love the more natural colours you got from dying the darker yarn.

[paulagrnsy]

I am totally fascinated with the idea of dying the fleece different colors and then blending it together to spin. I don't know why because I've seen people work on blending boards. I never thought of blending enough to make orange from red and yellow.

[xbaczewska]

Yikes! Brain is reeling. That was such a full episode! I cannot wait to see your swatching experiments for your 2-colour EZ.

[jaynamarrinan]

Based on your quilt project, you might consider a woven piece for your dyed yarns, where the clear colors are the warp and the overdyed ones are the weft which may create an interesting ‘gamp’ type piece where the colors overlay each other, thus visually creating new colors.

Or they could be divided into 50 gram pieces and alternated clear, then overdyed in a striped warp, then woven with the second half of the yarn in the same stripe pattern.

It would have to be done in a balanced tabby weave to show both the warp and weft yarns. Just a thought I had as I saw them lined up together.

[kathleengerwien]

I forgot to mention in my first post that I remember Brunswick Germantown as a standard wool from the late 70’s to early 80’s. I worked in a yarn store for about 9 months in 1983-1984 and sold a lot of sweater quantities of Brunswick Germantown worsted and sport weight wool. Another company is producing their version of the wool if you still are looking for a wool for the 1970’s sweater project.

[dlouisegerlach]

Plotulopi is my very favorite yarn! I make mine sweaters from a single strand, understanding that it will make a less sturdy sweater. Iceland wools are very warm for their weight. The one sweater i made from two strands, even knitted on #10.5 needles was so warm that I couldn't wear it inside as i do all the rest of my worsted, single-strand plotulopi, and fingering-weight colorwork

[alisonsmith]

So much interesting stuff here, Roxanne, thanks!

I suppose you could knit up some stripey socks with your dye project, using the original yarns for heels and toes, just as a record of the project.

[michelleklein]

The colors are beautiful, but I have to admit I am most taken with the results in the gray yarn. Wow!