I had no idea what all the fuss was about until yesterday. I have been reading and reading about it but didn't have a clue until this morning! I got to see an experiment come out just the way I had hoped it would. Isn't it great when a plan comes together especially when you are crossing your fingers and holding your breath the whole time it's unfolding?
I have been wanting to try my hand at dying fiber/yarn myself for a long time. So I read about half a dozen blogs and decided to take the plunge. Gathering up the supplies was super easy because until I got my confidence up I wasn't going to invest a ton of money in something that I wasn't sure was going to work. Now that I know it does, I will invest a little more money and see how it goes.
The first investment was a crock pot. I read how others who were dyeing things were using used or new crock pots dedicated to just dying. It was advised in every blog I read not to use the same crock pot for dying as you do for your food especially if you are using chemical dyes. I used simple food coloring so it wouldn't be problem but I had a feeling I was going to move up the dyeing ladder so I bought a nice red crock pot from Target for about $20. I could have gone to a yard sale and bought a used one but this was easier and I got a color that would fit in well in my kitchen.
First I started with fiber that I had spun back in 2006. It's been sitting in the stash for way too long and it's time I start using the stuff I spin. Since I have a pillow pattern via another blog, I decided that this fiber would be dedicated to the pillow. My room is yellow and I want a pillow to put on the bed.
This is only a small skein of what I had to dye but it gives you an idea. This was one of my first efforts as a newish spinner. It's Border Leicester that I was either given or bought. I see from the tag that I spun it on 1/27/06. See did I tell you it's been a while. One skein had 176 yards. The second skein didn't have yardage on it, but 4.3 ounces. I have no idea why I didn't keep track of the yardage. Anyway, I dyed both of those two skeins.
Here is a shot of the two skeins in the new crock pot. I think I filled it with too much water but when I drained out all the water the water was clear like I read it was supposed to be.
Here is one of the skeins after it was gently wrung out and it about to be put into a bag and then to through a small spin cycle in the washing machine. I am surprised at how bright it is. Looks just like sunshine! 
Sorry about the background but the drying rack is in my sun room where I think it will dry much faster than inside in the house. I will have to go out and turn it over to make sure that it dries all the way through but I can't wait! So now I see what all the fuss if about and I know I will do more in the future. How can I not?? I will show the pillow in progress as soon as the yarn dries and I get started.
8 comments:
It looks great. You have a new hobby to add to your list. Have fun!
Wow- that is so neat!! You are getting so crafty! I wished you lived closer, girlie- I'd love for you to teach me how to spin.
BTW- how is the goat cheese coming along?
Wool Winder-I am ticked that my stuff actually turned out okay. I am so thrilled that I ordered some dye to try more. I was looking at my stash of roving and I have either two or three bags that are white and I might try them first.
Farm Chick Paula-I have a crafty gene running through my system. I am a hands on person and I think that's why I went to culinary school. If I can't work with my hands, I am not happy! Spinning is so much fun! I really do love it. The goat cheese making continues on. I ruined last week's cheese so I think I am going to try again this weekend. I am not going to give up!
Ah, shucks, that's just about my most favorite color in the world, especially during winter when everything is grey and drab. Is it really as sunflower yellow as it looks in the photos? Beautiful! Great job!
I didn't know you like yellow! Yes, it's really that yellow. It's the brightest thing in my livingroom at the moment. I thought about doing a pillow but am rethinking that. I think I might want to make a yellow bowl for my master bedroom. I have to look at it for a while longer and then it will come to me, I hope!
Fabulous colour! Good on ya and good on ya that you have a dedicated dye pot, no matter what you are dying with. VERY IMPORTANT not to mix the two...
Congratulations - great success! If you add a little black to the yellow, you can get some interesting greens.
Leslie, I had read that I needed a pot just for dying and nothing else. So I decided a crockpot was a good investment because I do most of my dyeing there. I am not looking to be a professional at this point. I trying to never say never...it could be my 4th career?
Sharon-good to know. I was a bit taken when my yellow was so YELLOW. Good thing my bedroom is yellow. So I can use it there but boy was it way brighter than what I had pictured in my mind!
Post a Comment