Using Easter Egg yarns crocheting the Perfect Crochet Cardigan free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn

 So...in my last post, I mentioned that the reason I was dyeing was to get more yarn in the proper color to finish a project I had started for my daughter. Below you see the two yarns side by side. The original is on the right and the new yarn is on the left.

I think, when I dyed the original, I put in some blue dye to the bath. The yarn I used has been discontinued, too, so I had to guess which one to order.The new yarn is thicker. I have this inexplicable need to make this work, so I'm starting the jacket all over again.

From left to right: Newly dyed yarn and the original dyed yarn.

Starting the "Perfect Crochet Cardigan".
These are the first 5 rows.

If you are interested in the pattern, it is available for free from the Lion Brand website. The pattern number is L20311. The yarn the pattern recommends is Lion Brand Amazing. I rarely use the yarn or the color shown in a pattern. I don't pay attention to the size or type of yarn, either. I DO try to use the same size hook or needle, though. And yes, this does cause problems for me sometimes when I'm making a project, but I can usually get around them.

So now, I have some serious crochet work I MUST get done this week.

Easter Egg Dyed Yarn

So...I have a crochet project for my daughter for Easter I need to finish, but I ran out of the color yarn I use for it. The yarn I'm using I had originally dyed with Easter Egg dyes, so I hauled out my dyeing pot and set to work.

My dye pot. It holds 21 quarts? or maybe it's cups? of liquid. It's spackle ware from Walmart.

The original yarn was dyed using the blue, yellow and green dyes left over from dyeing eggs. I just threw it all into the pot at the time. This time, I was more "sciency". I used three of the dark green (Paas calls it "teal") and three of the yellow dye tablets. For those of you keeping score at home, yes, I had to use THREE dye kits.

The dye kit, one of them, anyway.

Dye tablets. These are the ones I did NOT use.

 I dissolved the yellow and the teal tablets separately in 1/4 cup of white vinegar (each). I mixed them together when they had dissolved. I added enough water to make 8 cups and put that into my pot.I added about 2 1/2 gallons more water and added the yarn. I'm using KnitPicks' Bare Merino Wool DK. I turned on the heat and let the water heat up to a simmer. It took about an hour to get up to that point. I turned off the heat and let the yarn sit for about 2 or 3 hours to absorb the rest of the dye and cool down to where it could be handled.

The yarn in the dye pot!

After the yarn had cooled, I rinsed it in the sink with a little Dawn dish soap. Then I spun it in my washing machine to get rid of the excess water. I've hung it out on the back porch to dry.

My yarn! Yaaay! Isn't it pretty?