Amidst all the bleeding cow blanket sadness, I have found so many kind and helpful knitters. I've gotten tons of suggestions from the knitlist and blog readers, and from Cindy at Apple Laine. And this morning I received a very nice note from another Cindy, at Mission Falls. Rather than paraphrase, I'll just be lazy and paste it all in:

"Dear Betsy,
Thank you for contacting Mission Falls.
We are truly saddened to hear that you are having unpleasant results with our 1824 Cotton. As you found from the others you asked, "issues" are not a common problem with our yarns. However, as with all things in life.... "stuff"  happens. Unfortunately, once colours have run it is almost impossible to reverse the effects. I wish I could offer some "magic fix" to help save all of your work and the lovely gift for your cousin's new born.
To help us find out if this is a chronic problem with a specific dye lot, it would be helpful if you would provide the following information:
1- dye lot number
2- approx. date purchased
3- name and location of the store you purchased the yarn through.

It is our policy to replace any problematic yarn through the originating retailer. If your purchase was made in the U.S. our American distributor (Unique Kolours) will replace the yarn.

Once again, we are truly sorry that you have had this unpleasant experience with our 1824 Cotton.

Regards,
Cindy
Mission Falls

ps-- we were doing some "brain storming" in the studio and came up with a possible way of saving your creation.... however... you will have to imagine an unorthodox cow! Using a cold water dye (such as Dylon) colour the blanket say.... purple.... the black cow spots will stay black and the background will take on the colour of the dye. The designer of  Moo (Mags Kandis) originally wanted the cow to be purple and not so "pedestrian". Just a thought...."


I think I am going to first try the Synthrapol and see if it manages to help. If not, I may go and do the purple dye thing. It would be funky and different, and purple is still good now that I know it's a boy. It may not be what I intended, but it would be better than a dirty-looking blankie, and better than no blankie at all!

Speaking of all this, go take a look at my new baby cousin! Can't do a direct link, so go here and click on Joshua Samuel, October 14th - last time I looked he was the first link. How cute will he be wrapped up in an ivory or purple cow blankie?!

Busy weekend coming up. Apartment-looking tomorrow morning, Wendy and Nik's housewarming in New Jersey tomorrow afternoon. Then on Sunday Leanne and I are headed up to Rhinebeck for the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival! I'm doubly excited because I don't see Leanne much these days, and what better way to get together than over some nice sheep and wool?

I've gotten some encouraging words from various knitters regarding the bleeding cow blanket (now that would be a hella baby gift, eh?) situation. Several people suggested the Synthrapol that I've already ordered, so I have high hopes, tempered by reality. Another nice person told me of a Land's End sweater that bled the way my blanket did, and the advice she got from them was to wash it several more times, and she said eventually it got the excess dye out.

I also got a note from Cindy at Apple Laine, which was where I got the yarn from. She told me to check the dye lot, because she recalls one dye lot in Mission Falls' history which bled, and wants to see if I got that one. But I recall when I ordered the yarn, she held onto my order for a few days because she wanted to get a new dye lot to replace the bloody one she had. Still, I'll check when I get home and see if I saved the paper with the dye lot info. I know you're always supposed to, but I am not always so perfect (aren't you shocked?!). She offered to refund my money or replace the yarn, but I feel bad if she's going to be out money for something that isn't really her fault. She said she'd send me whatever products she has that she thinks might help the problem. What a nice person.

Anyway, I am going to try everything and cross my fingers that this poor little blanket survives. I wonder if I would re-knit it if it doesn't? Yipes. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. It turns out we're not going to make it to the bris on Monday because of work and Ryan's school, so I will have a little extra time. Am I crazy enough to do this thing again?

After suggestions from Jen and also Stephannie on the KnitList, I ordered some Synthrapol. I read several accounts of good results with this stuff and dyes that have bled, so I am crossing my fingers and waiting for it to arrive. Oh I really really hope this stuff works!

I'm still pretty miserable over the blanket debacle I posted about below. I wrote to the knitlist and to Mission Falls for advice. We'll see what happens. Maybe I will try some of that RIT color remover, although I am afraid it will remove the black dye from where it's supposed to be black. It says it's OK to use on garments that are white+color, but that if a garment bleeds on itself, that means the dye is not colorfast so it may remove all the dye in the colored areas, not just the bled-on stuff. I think if I can get a hold of a packet of it, I can test it out with a small swatch of the black yarn (I still have enough left for that) and see how it goes.

Oh, and Ivete is 100% correct - even though it totally sucks, I would rather have myself be the one crying over this than have poor Jill wash it and think she ruined it when it would've happened anyway. And if worse comes to worse, I can always use the suggestion that Jackie made - pretend it's supposed to look "vintage."

Oh well. Boatloads of work to do today. Better get started and put blankie-horror out of my mind.

As I just posted to the knitlist, I am on the verge of tears. I finally washed the Moo blanket, and the dye ran. I used cold water, put it in a sweater bag (so it wouldn't snag) and used Woolite dye magnet in the water, and it still ran. Now it looks OLD. It might not be totally obvious that the dye ran, but it looks OLD. When it's dry, I think it will be even less obvious that the dye ran but it looks OLD. I am just so upset. If anyone has an idea of what I can do, I'm all ears.

Oh, and I should shut my stupid mouth about apartments. The one we liked so much seems like it's not going to happen now. Whatever. It's amazing how the day changes from hour to hour.

It was a busy weekend, and filled with good news, for a pleasant change!

The best news is my cousin Jill gave birth to the recipient of the Moo blankie in the wee hours of Monday morning! Joshua Samuel showed up around 2 a.m. with all the requisite parts in the proper places. I'm hoping to be able to go to the bris, which will be next Monday, and present the blankie. I wonder if I ought to bring a little something for Zachary, the big brother? He's 3 1/2 years old and I wonder if he will feel left out?

Second runner-up is probably my friend Kate getting engaged. Kate is a junior art director where I am working now, and I used to work with her fiance, who is an account executive at the agency at which I was freelancing before I came here. Both of them are really nice people, and I'm so happy for them! The engagement took place during their week-long Paris vacation, so that gives us that special I-got-engaged-in-France bond.

Continuing on, my friend (and maid of honor) Diana found an apartment yesterday, which is excellent news. It's on the upper west side near Columbia University, and it's going to be her first apartment, so she's excited and nervous.

At the same time Diana was looking, Ryan and I looked at a few apartments and found one not too far from where he lives now (10 minute walk) that we really like. It's just south of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, so technically it's Cobble Hill, not Brooklyn Heights.

It's a nice big floor-through on the first floor (up one flight when you get inside) of a brownstone, and it's got a big livingroom and bedroom, with a dining room in-between, separated by 2 sets of french doors. There's also a little office off the bedroom, and a nice-sized kitchen. Lots of great details, too. Not a lot of closet space, but Ryan has a HUGE armoire, and I think we can make it work.

We're pretty sure we want this place, but nervous about only having seen a few others. So Ryan's going out this morning with another broker (we went out with 2 yesterday) to see if there's anything comparable. If not, I think we're going to start the lease process. Of course, it's a slight gamble as we don't have a solid closing date yet for his place, but I have to move by December 1st anyway, so it's got to be done.

Closing out the good news, Diana and I finished off Monday by going to RK Bridal and picking out a color and style for the bridesmaid skirts! It's the skirt on the right in this picture and that is actually the correct color, I believe - it's called Amethyst, and it picks up the darker shade in the purple Artfibers yarn beautifully. I am really pleased that the skirts are cheap - only $69 on the store's "no frills" plan. You give them measurements, they order the skirts, and you pick them up or they send them, and you get the alterations done yourself. Since Leanne is out on Long Island, Lisa is upstate, and Kristy is in Hawaii, this definitely makes sense. Like I said, I'm very happy to save everyone some money and hassle.

That's it for the good news at the moment. Hopefully it will keep coming for a while. On the slightly bad news front, I think I will not make it to Stitch-n-Bitch tonight. I just realized during my morning status meeting that it was Tuesday, and I just have too much to do tonight. Laundry, etc. I can't wait until things calm down a little so I can get back to some serious knitting. I need to get those pattern request forms filled out so I can get started on the bridesmaidy tops!