FYI

EDIT 12/2009, in case anyone ever finds this and thinks it's a good idea and I don't want to make anyone cry like I did

STOP! DO NOT EVER DO THIS. EVER. IT DOESN'T WORK.

Yes, the atrocious neon colors will come out and your yarn will appear as though it's returned to something you'd like to knit with. But you won't be able to knit with it. Because, when you attempt to wind it into balls, it will crumble into yarn dust.

BAD, BAD IDEA.

I'd remove the entire post but it's kind of funny, in retrospect. Kind of. Still makes me teary at the loss.

If your husband gives you some (1200 yds/lb) perfectly lovely 2 ply Merino/kid mohair blend yarn for Christmas

and you stupidly pull out about half of it

to feed a KoolAid dying binge

ending up with yarn that looks like this

(don't even ask what it is)

you can frog

wind it all up on your niddy noddy

then add this

plus this

and it'll turn out like this

Which is really, really cool because I didn't think it would work so well. The best I hoped for was to lighten all the colors enough to be able to overdye with a dark green without the results having too many different shades for a hanging-around-the-house-with-a-good-book-and-a-cup-of-something-hot shawl.

Of course, when you're done, your whole house will stink like discount perm day at the beauty school. And the yarn will offend anyone walking by (ask my neighbors, there was yarn all over the front yard yesterday before I had to bring it all in to avoid scaring off trick-or-treaters with the stench), much less trying to knit with it. Even after a lavender Eucalan wash and 24 hours of drying/airing.

It's now soaking in a bucket of baking soda water.

I don't think that's working.

On my way out for vinegar to try next.

Wish me luck!