August 17, 2005
Dye Day
What a busy summer! I haven't had much opportunity to knit with all of the family activities. However, I did take this past Sunday afternoon to spend with the girls, dyeing fiber and yarn. We used acid dyes and the cold pour method to create some absolutely beautiful variegated and self striping yarns. I enjoyed myself so much that I think I've found myself a new hobby!
These pictures aren't intended to document each step of the process, rather just capture the fun of the afternoon. Each participant brought supplies for the event, including the dyes already mixed into squeeze bottles. As a result, we had several shades of each of the basic colors to choose from: blue, purple, red, yellow, orange, and green, as well as brown and black. The dyes themselves are not acidic. Rather, they are properly activated in an acidic, aqueous solution. Everyone brought their own yarn/fiber and soaked it in either water or water/vinegar. We used vinegar to reduce the pH of the water. For those who soaked their yarn/fiber in plain water, they sprayed the yarn/fiber with straight vinegar after applying the dye. We worked outside on planks covered with plastic table cloths and balanced on saw horses:
We then pulled off a long length of wide plastic wrap on which we applied dye to the yarn/fiber:
After squeezing out the excess water, we spread the yarn/fiber on the plastic wrap and began to apply the dye. Some applied many colors in very narrow segments to create a variegated yarn. Others thinly applied dye to their fiber to create a marled or heathered effect when spun:
Others were aiming to create self-striping yarn, including fairisle sections:
After achieving the desired effect, we folded over the long edges of the plastic wrap to enclose the fiber. We then rolled the yarn/fiber up, starting from a short end. The rolled packets were placed on a steamer rack in a stock pot and allowed to steam for 20-30 minutes. We did this on camp stoves outside due to the heat:
After steaming was completed and the fiber had cooled, most people took their packets home to wait 24 hours before rinsing. Others didn't want to wait and unwrapped their yarn/fiber as soon as it was cool:
We then gently rinsed the unwrapped yarn/fiber in a dishpan or kitchen sink using plain tap water at room temperature. Voila! The finished product became visible for the first time. I dyed two skeins of sock yarn:
Fun!
These pictures aren't intended to document each step of the process, rather just capture the fun of the afternoon. Each participant brought supplies for the event, including the dyes already mixed into squeeze bottles. As a result, we had several shades of each of the basic colors to choose from: blue, purple, red, yellow, orange, and green, as well as brown and black. The dyes themselves are not acidic. Rather, they are properly activated in an acidic, aqueous solution. Everyone brought their own yarn/fiber and soaked it in either water or water/vinegar. We used vinegar to reduce the pH of the water. For those who soaked their yarn/fiber in plain water, they sprayed the yarn/fiber with straight vinegar after applying the dye. We worked outside on planks covered with plastic table cloths and balanced on saw horses:
We then pulled off a long length of wide plastic wrap on which we applied dye to the yarn/fiber:
After squeezing out the excess water, we spread the yarn/fiber on the plastic wrap and began to apply the dye. Some applied many colors in very narrow segments to create a variegated yarn. Others thinly applied dye to their fiber to create a marled or heathered effect when spun:
Others were aiming to create self-striping yarn, including fairisle sections:
After achieving the desired effect, we folded over the long edges of the plastic wrap to enclose the fiber. We then rolled the yarn/fiber up, starting from a short end. The rolled packets were placed on a steamer rack in a stock pot and allowed to steam for 20-30 minutes. We did this on camp stoves outside due to the heat:
After steaming was completed and the fiber had cooled, most people took their packets home to wait 24 hours before rinsing. Others didn't want to wait and unwrapped their yarn/fiber as soon as it was cool:
We then gently rinsed the unwrapped yarn/fiber in a dishpan or kitchen sink using plain tap water at room temperature. Voila! The finished product became visible for the first time. I dyed two skeins of sock yarn:
Fun!
