You don't need a blender to do dubbing. Go to the nearest Wal-mart and get
two of the wire brushes that are for brushing cats or dogs. Also pick up
some of the blue acrylic yarn in the yarn department while you are there. (I
like Lion brand) Get the main color of blue that you want the dubbing to be.
Go over to the craft department and also pick up a small skein of nylon
tapestry yarn..it will be in a different spot (usually across the isle from
the yarn in Wal-mart) and you will see that it is very shiny in appearance.
While in town, go to your nearest craft shop and pick up a skein of Aunt
Lydia' blue craft yarn (Joanne's if you have one). Then go to the knitting
store and go to the DMC and Persian yarns and, taking a piece of the blue
acrylic, pick up a skein each (they are small but a bit pricey) the wool
yarn of the color that you want your blue dub to be and one skein each of
yarn that is on each side of it..that is, one darker and one lighter. (All
natrual objects are not a single color, they contain lighter and darker
hues). Go home. You will have enough blue yarn for a lifetime. Get a ruler,
scissors and the kitty brushes. Lay the yarn out along side the rule so you
can measure, without stretching, the amount of yarn. Start with about 6
inches of the main color, about 2 inches each of the lighter and darker
hues, about 1 inch each of Aunt Lydias and the nylon tapestry yarn ( if the
colors are close to what you want). These last two add sparkle. Cut them
into 1/4, 1/8 and 1/2 inch pieces and lay them on one kitty brush. Use the
other kitty brush against them and, as if you were carding wool, push one
brush's teeth against the others with the yarn in between and keep doing
this until the yarns turn into dubbing and blend. As you lay out the colors,
write down on a 3 x 5 card the name of the dubbing, date and how much of
each yarn you need to get the color you want. Add the lights and darks until
the dubbing is the correct color. As a final finish, if you have a package
of dubbing enhancer in clear or the UV dub that is the white with blue
highlights ( I believe it is called pearl) cut that in fine 1/8 in pieces
and add it to the dubbing and pull the kitty brushes against each other
until the dubbing is a wonderful blue of your chosen color and also sparkles
like WOW. Usually, it will take about 3-4 cuts across the end of the pearl
UV dubbing just as it comes from the package to add those highlights. There
you have it..blue dubbing. (or whatever color you want). If you want to, you
can just use the wool yarns without doing the big skein of acrylic. I look
for blue Mohair ( this will give you the long shank look of goat dubbing)
when I am in the knitting store and any other soft, fluffy yarns in the
colors you will likely need in the future. In my tying shop are three big
storage crates with the yarns I use as basics. I use mainly the Lion brand
yarns for the bases. Check out their own home page, also
http://www.herschners.com for some wonderful yarns if you don't have them in
a store near you. Let me know if you can't find the things you need and I
will find them for you. Do you need the Kingfisher blue or the blue jay blue
for your fly? Questions, give me a holler. Joyce
