Tuesday, May 22, 2007

My Run in with the Law

Friday evening, my husband was out with friends and I decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet at home to make a mess of things by Kool-Aid dying some yarn. I had three skeins of Patons Classic Wool to dye and when it came time for rinsing and ringing out, it was too much of a job for my kitchen sink.

It was a little after midnight when I took three dripping wet skeins of newly dyed wool out in to my front yard. I had heard that one of our neighbors had had a truck vandalized Thursday night, which is extremely unusual as I neighborhood is known for peace and quite and basic lack of nonsense, but I was not concerned.

I'm sure you already know this but I am very enthusiastic about dying yarn with Kool-Aid (as with many yarn related things.) The Kool-Aid trick, though, is like magic to me. I am fascinated and I feel the need to tell everyone about it. Also, I am absolutely a night owl and the later it gets, the cheerier I feel.

When I first went outside, there were two police cars driving down the street very slowly with their lights out. I didn't think much of it, and went about my business. Apparently they don't see a lot of this sort of thing in our town late at night because as they came back up the street, one of the police officers got out of his car and, shining his flashlight in my direction, came over to see what I was up to.

We said hello and then he asked what I was doing so I explained to him that I was dying yarn with Kool-aid and before I could stop myself, I said, "See? Smell it - it smells all fruity like Kool-aid!" Apparently yarn dying is too much excitement for me because I just burst out with things like that to the nice police officer!

He smiled, a smile that I imagine is usually reserved for lunatics. Then he said, "Umm, ma'am? Do you frequently dye yarn in your front yard in the middle of the night?" And I answered, of course, "Not nearly as often as I'd like to."

I hear myself talking and my inner voice is saying "SHUT UP!" but my mouth just keeps going.

Eventually, I guess, he determined that I was harmless (maybe nuts, but harmless) so he walked back to the other officer's car and I heard him say, "She's dying yarn. With Kool-Aid" (Pause) "No seriously."

On the left, 5 packets of lime kool-aid and one packet of grape. On the right, my first attempted at multi-color dying. 3 packets each of lemonade, orange, strawberry and black cherry. The third skein went on to its new home before I had a chance to photograph it.


SOCK IT TO ME

In sock news, thank you all so so much for your input. I decided to start over on the Size 1 needles, with different yarn (Austermann Step that I overdyed to make it more murky) and 88 stitches. I've ditched the ribbing (I know, I am a wuss) and I am about 4 inches along on the leg. This is much better. At first it seemed really big but I am trusting the math. I think it is going to be right this time. (I am eternally hopefully.)

BREAKING NEWS:

Edited to Add: It has come to my attention that our town has a new yarn store. It is about 1/2 mile from my house. Apparently it has been there about a month. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. And I'm also appalled that I am so late in receiving this news. From the description the informant gave me, I have past it a minimum of 20 times in the last month. Obviously my skills of observation are rusty.

This is a hectic week but I am oh so very hopeful that I will be able to get over there tomorrow evening, as I'm told that Wednesday evenings from 7-9 is "Open House". Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

Today's Quote:

“There is so much good in the worst of us, And so much bad in the best of us, That it ill behooves any of us, To find fault with the rest of us.” -Author Unknown

16 comments:

marit said...

It's way past midnight here in Norway- I'm reading your blog, and I've been laughing so hard over your encounter with the law that I'm in tears!
Also- I have read about that Kool-...dyeing- but what is it really? I thought Kool-...was some juice or lemonade?
Anyway- I hope your new yarnstore is a nice one:-)

Jessica said...

LOL! OHMYGOD! That is hilarious. I read this at work and then came home and made T read it and he laughed out loud also. Then I forced him to go to my blog and read my "I want" list and your comments about where to buy. We'll see if it works! :-)
And koolaid dying might be fun ... I might have to try that sometime.

RobynR said...

Dude! A half mile away from your home?? Lucky girl. Mathboy would sell the house and move if that happened here lol.
Now I'm going to go back to snickering about the po-po investigating the suspicious yarn dying taking place in your front yard, in the dark, like some weird yarn cult ritual. Little did they know . . .
Oh, and your socks are looking good!

RC said...

1/2 mile from home???? WOW! Life is good!

I'm cracking up over here about You and The Law. So. Funny. (I can imagine this happening to me too, only maybe not so plesant and with a barking dog)

Anonymous said...

That's too funny! I bet the policeman went home and told that story.

I've heard so much about Kool-Aid dying, I'm going to have to give it a try. Any good online tutorials you'd recommend?

Cathy said...

THAT is absolutely hysterical! I bet you were the talk of the police station! wooooooo hoooooooo! The yarn came out beautiful!

Anonymous said...

You crack me up - and how I needed that laugh!!
I lost (deleted) your email about the 3mm needles which means I can't reply to it and also to your kind wishes about my brother.
So, I'm thanking you here - thank you, from the bottom of my heart. x

PS: I'm so glad I met you over a couple of small blanket squares :)

Kim said...

I'll bet the policeman was so intrigued that he is now a kool-aid dyer in the closet. I like your green yarn, but the orange multi is FABULOUS! You should be the kool-aid poster child.

Anonymous said...

Very funny! I usually get a second wind around 11:30. Drives my husband nuts!

Rose Red said...

Heh - too funny - but did he actually smell the yarn??!!
Re Knitting on the Road - I think it is a fab book, lots of great patterns and lots of instruction at the start about different toes and heels etc - it's an investment!

Anonymous said...

I love how the officer pauses and then says, "No, for serious!" Too funny! I heart your yarn colors.

p.s. Consider yourself meme'ed for the "7 random things about you" deal!

Dorothy said...

Awesome job on the yarn!! Freaking out the cops is way better than the neighbours. You rock.

Have fun at the yarn store. I hope it's really great.

Charity said...

Well thank you for that - I laughed out loud! :0) Happy yarn dyeing! ;)

Maxly said...

I love the response 'not as often as i would like"

You know the cop put that in the 'strange but true' category!

Thanks for the laugh1

Maxly

Happy Mama to Three said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Happy Mama to Three said...

Only my beautiful, perfect baby sister would teach a cop what kool-aid dying is way past midnight in the California valley.

After the event in her area where the a bull was responsible for power outages, a cop concerned about the sweet smell of yarn seems ever so fitting.

C