No, I didnt spell “dyeing” wrong, thats the one I meant to write. I

I’ve been busy the past 4 days with a project that I love and I hope I can do for a long(ish) time because I really enjoyed doing it…Dyeing yarns.

Last year while fishing I kept taking pictures, trying to catch the beauty of SE Alaska and thinking to myself, “Wow, that would make really pretty yarn colours.” Seriously, that is how much fiber I have on the brain. Anyway, I kept a list and recently decided to take the plunge and buy some dye and blanks and dip my fingers into the dye pots. I painted one of each of my colourways and here they are to show off along with names   ETA: All of the “The …” names are fishing boats in the community.  The Nightingale is mine and J’s and J is out fishing right now on The Alitak!

Clockwise: Top R: Puffin, The Pegge, Brown Bear, The Alitak, Tasha’s X-tra Tuffs, Coho

Clockwise: Top centre: Icy Point, Bald Eagle, Dixon Can, Otter, Inside Passage, King Salmon

L: Waterfalls, R: Glaciers

L to R: Lemesuier Island, The Gold Dust, Survival Suit, Humpies, The Nightingale, The Oceanaire, The Dutch Master

All are more beautiful than the pictures and I would be hard pressed to name the “best” one but I have to say, when I showed BrightonWoman “Puffin” she mentioned a Puffin poem and I, in all my dorkyness, perfected over the roughly 22 years that I have had this poem memorized, said:

There Once Was a Puffin

Oh, there once was a Puffin
Just the shape of a muffin,
And he lived on an island
In the bright blue sea!

He ate little fishes,
That were most delicious,
And he had them for supper
And he had them for tea.

But this poor little Puffin,
He couldn’t play nothin’,
For he hadn’t anybody
To play with at all.

So he sat on his island,
And he cried for awhile, and
He felt very lonely,
And he felt very small.

Then along came the fishes,
And they said, “If you wishes,
You can have us for playmates,
Instead of for tea!”

So they now play together,
In all sorts of weather,
And the Puffin eats pancakes,
Like you and like me.

by Florence Page Jaques

I memorized it in 1st grade for a talent show and forgot some of it then in stage fright and excitement and have always had it since. Thanks Mums.

What do I plan to do with all these yarns? Well, sell them for starters They are DK, Fingering and Feltable worsteds and I already have a special order for sock yarn in King Salmon and Otter from a newbie sock knitter in town and I have 2 local stores who are willing to try and see if they sell (me thinks that the cruise shippers might really enjoy) and 1 not so local store who has also expressed interest AND I have feelers out for one other option.

Iffn you want a skein or two for yourself, let me know…I can dye what you want in the way you want!