Well folks, as is usually the case, that full weekend never came. But I did give myself a brief break to play with the dyes I got at Rhinebeck last fall. Wanna see some pictures?
The victim: seemingly innocent merino top that I intended to be Falkland Islands wool. Live and learn.
The dyestuff and mordants: madder, alum, and cream of tartar. The same cream of tartar that was in my spice cabinet. Handy, eh?
First I plunked the fiber and mordants in the dyepot for a nice long steady hot bath.
Then it was time to change the water and begin the dye process. Doesn't this look gruesome?!
But after an overnight nap, it looked more like this. The fiber was almost totally saturated with color. Just the rich coral orange/red I was hoping for.
I took everything out of the bath and gave it a good rinse, letting it dry flat for almost an entire day. Once dry, this is what it looked like. And this is why I never dye with merino. What a matted mess.
But wait! I own a drum carder now!
So I carefully pulled apart strips of the top and loosened them as well as I could, and then I gradually ran them through my drum carder. Then I blended them with silk and mohair to add some color depth.
Much better.
On the wheel. Half-way there...
Done! The carding made a big difference. Next time I'll try dyeing my already colored Shetland fleece to see how the natural color and the dye intermingle. But for now, this is your roving reporter (pardon the pun) signing off for the day.
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