S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y

Safe, dance!

...oh excuse me ;)
We interrupt this blog (and a flashback to the 80's - that was the Safety Dance if you didn't catch the reference ;) ) for a semi-important safety announcement - now that I have started carrying hand dye kits I decided I should remind folks that PPE (personal protective equipment) is one of those necessary, but perhaps forgotten items.

When dyeing, I make sure I wear gloves while handling the yarns - though I still manage to get the occasional blue, purple or green finger now and again when I'm not careful handling the large containers of mixed dye. (I don't dare pick up or handle the containers with wet gloves as it may result in dye all over the floor in case I drop one - I've had a couple close calls before).

The other major piece of PPE I've invested in is a respirator - I had a heck of a time finding one that fit (and fit is very very important - after all, if the mask leaks, it means you're breathing in whatever it is you're trying to save your lungs from!). Until this time, I've been wearing a fairly standard issue particulate mask, available from your local hardware store. I wear my respirator whenever I'm mixing fresh dye stock to save my already asthmatic lungs from further irritation and contaminants from flying dye particles. During the summer months, I typically measure and mix my dyestocks indoors - during the cooler months, I take the opration outside, that way I don't feel as obliged to cover the entire surrounding area with damp cloths to capture any stray dye particulates.

Gloves and dust mask...and an apron if you haven't a mess of clothes you can dedicate to doing dyework.

I'm knitting. Really. I'll show you...uh....in a few days when the projects will hopefully look like I've made some progress!