footwork 2.0: A Ram Wools Summer Sock Design Contest

Calling all sock knitters! Ram Wools Yarn Co-op is pleased to announce our second annual Summer Sock Design Contest. Prizes and fame are in store for those who can create an original sock pattern. Top down, toe up, lace, cables, bobbles, magic loop, double pointed needles, boot socks, dainty socks… The sky’s the limit!

THE PRIZES

1. Fame and glory! Every month from June to August, we will be featuring one pattern for our monthly Sock knit-along. Each winning pattern will get a month of fame. We’ll advertise it in our store, on our website, on our blog, our Ravelry group, our Twitter page, our Facebook page, our weekly emails to thousands of subscribers, and anywhere else we can think of.

2. If those 15 minutes of fame weren’t enough, winners will also be awarded gift certificate prizes: 1st Place: a $75 gift certificate 2nd Place: a $50 gift certificate 3rd Place: a $25 gift certificate As an added bonus, the top local winner will also receive a Stash Card (a $25 value), a card that entitles you to 10% off all regular priced in-store merchandise for one year.

THE RULES

-This contest is open to anyone in the world.
-All patterns must be original sock patterns designed by you.
-You may submit as many patterns as you want.
-All patterns must contain, or be submitted with, at least one large photo of the finished product. The more pictures, the merrier!
-All patterns must be made out of one of the specified yarns (in the photo submitted with the pattern, the sock must also be made with one of these yarns). You can pick from the ones below. If you aren’t sure if your yarn is eligible, please ask us.

Self-striping:
Crazy Zauberball
Fame Trend

Solids:
Sisu
Durasport

Variegated/Jacquards:
Nova Sock Print
Cascade Heritage Hand Painted Sock Yarn
Tanis Hand-Dyed (Blue Label)

Heavy/Worsted:
Tuffy
Accent Worsted

THE JUDGING CRITERIA
We’ll be looking for originality, uniqueness, knitability and wearablity. Remember that photos will play a big part in how we will make a decision, so make sure the photos you
provide are clear and well-lit. It would be helpful to have a close-up photo of any special stitch patterns as well as one wider angle shot, so we can get an overall idea of what the
sock is like.

THE FINE PRINT
All submitted patterns will be licensed by Ram Wools Yarn Co-op under a Creative Commons license. In a nutshell, a Creative Commons license means that your pattern can be shared and adapted by everyone, but no one else can take it and restrict the copyright. We think that this sharing leads to a more free flowing creative community! To learn more about Creative Commons, visit http://creativecommons.org/about

HOW TO SUBMIT
Submit your pattern and pictures to info@ramwools.com. Please include your name, address and telephone number where you can be reached during the day. Patterns should be written in English. Submissions will be accepted until June 16th, 2012.

For more information, email us at info@ramwools.com, or call 1-800-263-8002 (949-6868 in Winnipeg).

My dog Kelly loves wool almost as much as I do. The other day I awoke to find my last pair of hand-knit mittens torn to shreds. Sigh. After going through the “bad dog” routine - and taking her for a walk because she was probably bored - I surveyed my stash to see what I could use for mittens. I came across several balls of teal yarn I had bought for a sweater, and then fell out of love with the colour, wishing it was more green. Easy fix!

Dyeing yarn is easier than you think, and doesn't require much for tools or materials. I've taken a liking to dyeing yarn in my slow cooker using simple, non-toxic dyes like kool-aid (or any other brand of drink mix that doesn't have sugar in it). Cake icing dyes like Wilton's are also great and easy to use. You can dye yarn quite easily on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave too! I like using a slow cooker because it's really low maintenance, and you don't have to worry about the water starting to boil (something you don't want, or the wool will felt). For simplicity, I'm dyeing the whole skein of yarn the same colour. You will get the best results with yarn that is white or light-coloured. Keep in mind that the original colour will likely shine through somewhat, so choose your dye colours carefully so as not to end up with muddy browns (unless that's what you want).

Here we go! Crock Pot Yarn Dyeing 101:

What you need:

-Yarn or roving of an appropriate fibre (i.e. Animal/protein fibre such as wool, alpaca, silk, etc.) Synthetic and plant-based fibres don't work. Note: nylon is the only synthetic fibre that works for these dyes.

-Slow cooker or crock pot

-Kool-aid packets – the kind without sugar (about 3 packets for 100g of yarn) or

-Wilton's icing dye – the gel kind that comes in tiny jars (about 1/4 jar or so per 100g of yarn) – plus vinegar (about 1/4 cup for 100g of yarn)

-Gloves (unless you don't mind your hands being dyed another colour for a few days)

-Wind the yarn into a loosely-tied hank (if it isn't already) - i.e. one big loop. If you don't own a swift, you can wind it around the backs of chairs, or a table top - be inventive and use whatever you have around the house.

-Pre-soak the yarn in lukewarm water – just stick it in the kitchen sink while you do the next few steps. This helps the yarn to dye more evenly. If you want a really blotchy effect, don't pre-soak your yarn.

-Empty the kool-aid packets or Wilton's dye into a measuring cup or bowl. Add water and stir to dissolve. If using Wilton's dye, add vinegar and stir (kool-aid is already acidic, so it doesn't need vinegar).

-Put water in the crock pot (enough to cover the yarn once you put it in) along with the dye mixture. Stir.

-Put the yarn in the crock pot, making sure it's covered with water. Add more water if necessary. Cover. Set it on low for 1 hour. If the dye bath hasn't exhausted (i.e. The water isn't clear or close to it), cook it a little longer. Using tongs or some other kitchen utensil, pull out the skein of yarn by one of the ties. Gently wring out excess water until it no longer drips. Hang to dry (I like to put it over a hanger, and hang it from the shower curtain rod. This way any excess water drips into the tub – no mess!). Enjoy!

The original yarn is on the right, and on the left is the finished product! So much fun!

Many tutorials are available online. A great source for information is a group on ravelry.com called What a Kool Way to Dye. This group has lots of tutorials on yarn dyeing, using a wide variety of tools, materials and methods.

Be sure to tune in next week - we'll be making felted mittens with our hand-dyed yarn!

A yarn-crafter's project bag (or basket or shelf) is always full of yarn and patterns, but what about those little things that make our crafting time extra special?

Personally, I can't do without a good audio book. I have trouble paying attention to a movie while I knit, but I can follow along with an audio book, and with a project in hand, time flies by before I know it.

Fingerless gloves or wrist warmers are a lifesaver. Cold fingers don't move very well when you're trying to knit or crochet. This can be a good aid for arthritic hands too. Make it your next project – a fun and fast one just for you! Ravelry.com has tons of free patterns for these; from plain to fair isle, cables and lace, there is a pattern there for just about every style and skill level.

Lotion is really nice to have on hand too, especially with the cold weather. Knitting and crochet aren't any fun when your hands are all dry and cracked. Summer presents the opposite problem - when it's hot out, my hands get all sweaty. Who wants sweaty knitting? Gross. One customer had a great solution: keep a travel-size container of baby powder nearby for sweaty hands.

That about does it for the special extras in my knitting bag. What's in your bag?

Tune in next week for our yarn-dyeing tutorial. It's easier than you think!

There even were a couple of late night rounds of Settlers of Catan for the game lovers:

The staff at Wilderness Edge were great, and the food was fantastic - from a full hot breakfast to the fresh baking in the evening. The staff even cooked us a full Thanksgiving dinner one night - turkey, fresh pumpkin pie, the whole nine yards! Wilderness Edge Retreat and Conference Center was just that - a cozy place to relax with an awesome view of the great outdoors

From granny squares and thrummed mittens to rug hooking and colour theory, there were plenty of new skills to learn:

If you were with us at the retreat, thanks for coming out! We hope to see you again next year. If you missed out this time around, you won't want to miss the next one. Plans are already in the works for our second annual Fall Fiber Retreat - September 28th to 30th, 2012. Stay tuned for more details!

Thanks to dccraftaholic128 for sharing this fine photo of cut steeks on flickr.com