The miracle of self-patterning yarn

Ok. I like yarn, you all know this. And when I first started knitting socks, I was introduced to the miracle of self-striping yarn, like the candy corn yarn that I ordered a few days ago. I mean, did you ever? Yarn that stripes *itself*?! You just buy a skein, knit along, and miraculously stripes appear. Seriously. That's ingenious.

And this hand dyeing process is something I can't even imagine. I've asked about it with regard to any multi-colored yarn, and the answer is something to do with tying sections off that I simply can't understand. It doesn't matter. It's satisfying enough for me to procure the yarn.

And then. AND THEN. My friend Karen points out an etsy seller to me who makes *self-patterning* yarn. Not self-striping. SELF-PATTERNING.

I think I nearly stopped breathing. SHE DYES THE YARN SO THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A REAL WATERMELON SLICE WHEN YOU KNIT IT. Seeds and everything! And she has MORE!!!! Snowmen for Christmas! Ghosts for Halloween! THEY APPEAR ON THE YARN LIKE MAGIC!!!!

Her yarn is so popular that it is all sold out right now. I know this because I am now stalking her shop page on Facebook. And I've already written to her on etsy about reserving some yarn. Go look her up. You can see the ghosts and the other holiday patterns in her sold items. IT'S WORTH IT.

Ok, but how does she do it?! How on earth does she hand dye the yarn to make *ghosts* appear on it? Even thinking about this makes my brain smoke. I've determined the following:

(1) She spins the yarn. I don't know how to do this either, but I can see how it could be done.

(2) She mixes dye. Ditto.

(3) She rings up God. He queues in her request, and when He has time, He points his finger down and poof! The yarn comes out like the above.

There is no other explanation.