Hi folks,

Let us take a trip back in time, to August of last year, when I started working on this brightly colored scarf:

I dyed all of this bright yarn for my donation for the Mandalas for Marinke Project.

I finished the scarf sometime in early September, and wrapped it around the dress form I use for photos (her name is Bea, by the way). I was putting off blocking this piece because blocking is not super fun, and I put off blocking most of my pieces. So this scarf sat around Bea’s neck for a while, and it made me happy to look at it each day. These colors are just so…me. It didn’t take me very long to decide that this scarf was going to be living with me.

I will admit that when I went to block this piece, I discovered that the yellow dye was not staying in the yarn very well, so this scarf got a second bath in some vinegar and sat in the oven for a while. There was not nearly as much yellow run off when I rinsed it after this second attempt at setting the color, but it is still not as colorfast as my other hand dyed yarns. I must have left something out in the original dying process. No matter. It works for me.

These colors remind me of the shelves of brightly colored plastic plates and cups you see at stores heading into the summer months. Since this scarf is something I would wear in the cold weather, I’m calling it “Forever Summer,” as a way to remember those summer shades when it is gray and cold outside.

Until next time,
Annie