Have you tried kettle dying? That is my next project. I like hand painting; but it is so messy and time consuming, kettle dying is supposed to be quicker and less messy. I am going to use my old crock pot with one of the liners you can get.
I stated dying yarn about 18 months ago and finally got the hang of knitting about a year ago. I tried for years but it eventually just clicked. I really like knittinghelp.com.
So far I have not done a lot. For dd- a hat, capris, mitts. a top. For ds2 a blanket (which took a lot if time) and a hat. I need to make ds1 a hat, even though I haven't had time to knit since the babe was born in august...that should be a quick knit. My goal for 2012 is 12 projects...about one a month. I am also on rav. Deezee02 there too!