Working with Kate, I never know what she's going to come up with next!  The most recent surprise was this presentation folder that holds the Kyle William pin-back buttons!  I love to give out these little buttons to my friends and students to remind them of the Kyle William website.  Fiber enthusiasts love to put them on their knitting bags to show support of the shops, websites, and podcasts they love.  Kate went above and beyond and designed this folder which I'll be using when giving out the buttons where I lead workshops.  This is my new favorite way to present my button and contact information!

A big "THANK YOU!" to Kate for her tireless creativity. I am excited about presenting the first of these folders to my students today at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles!

I know it's not possible to meet everyone who visits my blog to give them one of these buttons... so, to make sure you get a little something too, here's an online button you can use to put on your blog or website!  Copy and insert the HTML code below onto your site and share the love:

<a href="http://kylewilliam.com/"
><img border="0" src="http://www.kylewilliam.com/uploads/7/0/0/7/700708/4094967.jpg?127"
/></a>

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I'm honored to be a guest on the latest issue of Fiber Beat!  Having the opportunity to share my love of knitting with the listeners on Michael's podcast means a lot to me; I hope that the interviews he did with me and Deborah Corsini; the curator at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles will pique your interest to learn more about knitting as art and, if you're in the San Jose area, visit the exhibits and, if interested, take one of the workshops I'm offering. 

To hear the podcast, click on the image:

Be sure to subscribe to Fiber Beat; you never know who will be interviewed next!  The podcast is professionally produced, concise, entertaining, informative and inspiring! Fiber Beat has interviewed such fiber celebrities as Kaffe Fassett, Anna Zilboorg, and Franklin Habit, among others!  If you have yet to discover this great program, my suggestion would be to listen to each and every episode!

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What fun this project is!  With a few simple household ingredients, you can dye yarn a beautiful color!  The first time I heard of this technique was scribbled in the margines of an old natural dyeing book another artist had left
in one of my classrooms.  Intrigued, I jotted down the notes and went hunting and gathering in my neighborhood for the required materials.  Download a complete tutorial on the process by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.
You'll notice that it doesn't take much to do this experiment!  It also doesn't require fancy yarn... any 100% wool yarn should work quite well.  The first part of the project is to gather the materials necessary to make the solution.

Why pre-1981 copper pennies?  It has to do with the copper content.  According to Wickipedia, (which is always accurate, right??) the copper content of pennies before 1981 is around 5%, and from the varous websites I researched for the recipe, they all specify pre-1982 or pre-1981 pennies. 

Years                   Material
1793–1857         100% copper
1857–1864         88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)
1864–1942         bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1946–1962         bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943                   zinc-coated steel (also known as steel  penny)
1944–1946         brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1962–1981         brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1974                   Experimental aluminum variety (test strikes only, not circulated)
1982–present*   97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating
 

Where do you get 100 pre-1981 pennies?  The bank, of course!  (First I went through my change piles and sorted the pennies... I found almost enough for the experiment there.)  I visited the teller at my local bank and got $4 worth of rolled pennies.  in the first 2 rolls I found a total of 11 pre-1981 pennies which was enough to complete my first experiment, and after opening the other 2 rolls (and finding a few additional ones lying around) I have 51 more pennies saved up for the next time I want to try this!

Of course, after all the preparation, I got a bit ahead of myself in the experiment and used tap water instead of the distilled water that my recipe calls for.  Tap water includes iron which might change the way the solution develops.  The metals and minerals in tap water affects dyeing, so if an attempt at controlling the color is desired, then distilled water is the way to go.  I'm going to proceed anyway with this version (I could pour out the liquid and re-start it since it was such an immediate realization) to see how it looks.  I'll then repeat the experiment with distilled water to see how that compares.

I put the sealed jar on the roof of my building with a note, letting the other tenants know what wacky experiment I was doing, and then followed it up with a quick email to let them all know, just to be sure everyone is aware.  It was mixed around 11:30am on Monday, May 9, 2011.  The liquid almost immediately started to change color.  Even on the silver paint of my rooftop it is noticeable!

The above photo was taken after 48 hours, and the liquid is even more blue.  (The sky was very cloudy when I took this photo; the blue is actually more brilliant than it looks).  I am checking the liquid daily to see how it looks, and I shake up the jar each time to mix around the pennies. 

...and here it is one week later - in brighter light... it doesn't seem that much more intense when I compare the photos.  (It actually seems lighter/brighter).  That being said, my guess is the solution is probably not harmed by leaving the copper in for longer than recommended.

The next step is to soak your wool.  I used Patons Classic Wool (100% wool) in the color "Aran" for this experiment.  It comes in skeins that weigh approximately 3.5 ounces.  I wound 2.25 ounces onto my niddy noddy, and loosely tied the skein using scrap bits of yarn in a "figure 8" through the yarn to keep it secure in 4 different places.  Here's my skein of yarn bundled up for a "before" photo:

Then, fill a large bowl or pan with cool water.  Open up the skein and submerse the yarn so that it's all able to soak up water:

Some of the yarn sits on the top of the water and is exposed to the air... it's not getting wet!  In order to fix this, I put a plate on top of the yarn and allowed the water to submerge the plate:

Let the yarn soak for about an hour in the water so that it is fully wet.  Next, take the pennies out of your blue solution, being careful not to breathe in the vapors.  Rinse the pennies in water.  I don't know for sure if you would want to re-use the pennies for dyeing again or not (anyone have thoughts?)... The next steps require a few additional items:  rubber gloves, a strainer of some sort to easily drain the liquid and keep the pennies in the jar, and a container of some sort in which to soak the yarn.  Hooray for the dollar store; $3.00 plus tax for these additional items!  Note: even though we are using simple household ingredients, I really suggest not using food preparation items that might come into contact with the blue ammonia solution.  It's best to have dedicated supplies and materials for your dyeing and experimenting.  When in doubt, don't use something that you use for food preparation.

Carefully wring out the yarn from the bowl of water, and put the wetted yarn into the blue solution.  BE CAREFUL not to get the solution on you.  (If you do get it on your skin, wash immediately with soap and water.)  When I did this, the yarn turned a strange beige-gray color.  I put the plastic wrap on top of the yarn to try to be sure that the liquid was in contact with all of the yarn.  After 30-45 minutes, there was no more blue in the solution.

Once this happens, remove the yarn and rinse in a soution of vinegar to set the color.  Note that this color is considered fugitive, meaning the color might/will fade over time.  Be aware of this when you do the technique, knowing that if you combine it with other colors that this one may fade.

The photo above was taken after the yarn had been rinsed and vinegar was added to the rinse bath.  There's a distinct but subtle change of color when the yarn is put in this "afterbath" - it got lighter and more green.  The photo below shows an attempt at illustrating this difference.  Click on the photo to enlarge.

At this point, there's not much more to do.  Rinse the yarn well, remove the excess water, and hang it to dry.  In the end, I ended up with a green/gray yarn that I'm pleased with. Note that this dye is fugitive, meaning the color will fade over time, much like many other dyes.  It's worth noting, however, and keeping in mind when pairing with other yarns.

One more photo to compare the colors.  If you do try out this fun technique, be sure to send me a note to let me know how it goes!  Ready to try?  Click the link below to download the tutorial for copper yarn dyeing!

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In addition to other fun projects soon to be announced, I will be teaching two workshops at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles.  First, a basic "Learn to Knit" class that will introduce anyone who has an interest in knitting but has never learned, and second, a more advanced "Banded Hats" workshop that will teach knitting in the round, fair isle and "jogless" stripes while creating a Navajo-inspired hat using Churro wool made by the Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land.  If you live in the San Jose or San Francisco areas, and are interested in taking a class, visit the museum's website and register.  Following are the details of the workshops and the corresponding exhibits.  For my knitting friends, Primary Structures will certainly be a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand knitting as art.  Click the link below for the exhibit postcard:

June 26, Sunday
10am – 12pm
(Plus one hour additional free knit & gallery walk through with exhibition curator)

Learn to knit! Beginners will learn how to cast-on, bind-off, knit, purl, and read a basic pattern while making a cotton washcloth or sampler. Workshop will cover basic concepts, common mistakes, and some of the pattern variations possible using just these techniques. This is a great introduction to the world of knitting and will introduce you to the basic skills necessary so that you can continue with projects on your own. You will leave with a better understanding of the craft, along with a "learn to knit" scarf pattern that will allow you to further practice. No experience required! Knitting materials are included; all you have to do is show up! The instructor will be available for students who have additional questions or need further assistance for a one hour "free knit" after the workshop. Come knit with us!

Skill Prerequisite - none
$55 – workshop fee includes needles and yarn
$45 members
Needles and yarn generously provided by Skacel.

Knit a hat inspired by the work of the Black Mesa Weavers using beautiful handspun Navajo Churro wool. In this 3 hour workshop, you will have the opportunity to learn the Fair Isle technique, as well as how to create "jogless" stripes in the round on double-point needles. Students should already have basic knitting skills, including cast on, bind off, purl, knit, increasing and decreasing. Supplies, including Churro yarn from Black Mesa Weavers, and double-point knitting needles from Skacel, Inc. are provided. Reference materials will be provided with the course. You will leave well on your way to completing a hand knit hat that connects your passion for knitting at the Museum with the Navajo shepherds. A portion of proceeds from this workshop benefit Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land.

Skill Prerequisite: Basic knitting skills including cast on, bind off, purl, knit, increasing and decreasing.
$80 for class
$70 members
Needles generously provided by Skacel.

Click the link below to read the press release for this exhibit detailing all the related workshops:

Primary Structures will explore how innovative artists using simple linear elements in combination with unconventional materials can broaden our understanding of the familiar by transforming the stitch structures of knit and crochet into large scale and compelling art. With work ranging from the architectural to graphic abstractions, from pioneers and established artists as well as contemporary emerging artists, the upcoming exhibit continues to showcase the emergence of sculptural art knitting as a 21st century medium of imaginative and cutting edge artistic innovation.

Exhibit Co-sponsors: Lion Brand Yarn, The Indian Store, San Diego North Coast Knitters Guild, Stitch Diva Studios, The Knitting Room with in-kind donations from Skacel Collection, Inc., Crystal Palace Yarns

This is a unique exhibit and the first of its type to focus exclusively on banded blankets. These utilitarian and simply striped blankets showcase the rich cultural tradition of the Pueblo, the Navajo, and the Spanish Colonial Rio Grande blankets of the “Four Corners” area of the American Southwest. United by common elements of stripes and indigo coloration these blankets are elegant in their design composition, sophisticated balance and amazing variety.

Collector Roger Moss said, “When my wife Jean and I started collecting banded blankets it was because we admired this marriage of utility and beauty and because their virtues had been long overlooked.” Curator Deborah Corsini added, “The understated simplicity of the stripes is a powerful contrast to the visual graphic intensity that resonates with kinetic movement.” Southwestern Banded Blankets provides a special opportunity to examine the austere beauty and subtle variations of three traditions of these rare, well used textiles. A catalog of the exhibition will be available.

Supported by a grant from the Christensen Fund.