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!
Always find a way at your bay. Rainwater gets it done, never knew that under my sun
ReplyDeleteWow, 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. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I found this blog looking for snowflakes patterns. What beauties! Thank you for charing so generously! They are absolutely lovely. Anna
ReplyDeleteWow, that splash of pink really adds to those wintry colors!
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