Archive for the ‘Dyeing Out Loud’ Category

But I will anyway.

You see the reason that I don’t blog often is because I feel if I’m going to blog, I need to make it interesting, and interesting to me means including pictures.  But adding pictures brings a whole new slew of perfectionism.  First there is taking a good shot, making sure it is exposed properly and such.  Then there is uploading to the computer.  Then there is editing, which is usually just resizing and raising contrast.  And in my head, that just takes too long!  I swear sometimes I think I have ADD because I just can not stay focused on one project for more than 10 minutes.  So to spend half an hour with pictures, instead of just writing, makes it too much of a time suck, not to mention that by then I figure you wouldn’t even care much about the post to begin with.

Sooooo… no pictures!  I’m just going to blog the nice old-fashioned way!

My birthday celebration was quite the success!  I am so proud that it did so well.  A huge thank you to the ladies that joined me : Lisa, Rebecca, Paty, & Tasha.  The stocking could not have been what it was without you ladies.  And a big huge, sloppy kisses & hugs thank you to all of my customers!  Without you, well, where would I be?  Drowning in mountains of fiber, that’s where!  Not that that is the worst way to go..

I am planning my next stocking as we speak.  I have been told via my Ravelry group that boy colorways are wanted.  I stepped back and looked at what I have been stocking, and the amount of pink surprised me!  So yes, I am working on boy colorways – right now in fact.  The first is cooking on the stove-top as I write this.  I have 4 total new colorways planned.

I just placed an order for 12 lbs of roving, some new things as well as old favorites.  Keep an eye out for it!

And now, a confession.  I am scared of spinning batts.  There!  I said it!  I have had these beautiful batts in my stash in the past, but I am unsure how to spin them.  So I ended up selling them when I needed the cash.  I do have one remaining batt, and that is a FOTM club installment from Becoming Art.

I have been after Theresa, who makes and spins from batts to make a video for all of us batt nOObs out there to teach us!  She plans to make several installments, and her first is dizzing a batt.  So, I watched her video and found myself a diz – a wooden donut bead on an abacus that was laying around the house receiving no love.  The hole is the perfect size, according to Theresa – 1/4″.  And indeed it was!  I made a lovely roving from the batt, and am spinning it now.  I have to say, I am no longer scared of batts!  Dizzing it did wonders.  I can’t wait to diz my next one!  Thanks so much Theresa!

**The gallery is now updated!**

Pretty much what I’ve been!

I went on a knitting kick, so haven’t been dyeing at all lately. However I have a couple new colorway ideas, and I need to get dyeing starting tonight. I am attending a craft show this Saturday at Southdown Plantation in Houma, Louisiana. If you can make it, be sure to seek out the Shirley’s (heirloom sewing) booth. I’ll be bringing my goods into my mother’s booth, and my wheel is also coming along. Should be fun!

I’m about to go get some yarn kettle-dyeing, and while that is cooking I’m going to update my galleries – the handspun gallery is really not showcasing my current spinning. Those yarns are older – looser plying and thicker slubby areas. Since that is not so much how I spin anymore, I’m going to take them down and put up my newer works. I’ll keep ya posted!

On the home front, work is still slow for my husband. We are just barely eeking by, but eeking by we are Things will get better for us, and no matter what happens, we will all be ok.

My mother gave us her older glider, and we set it out on the front deck. The weather has been so nice lately that I love to take my knitting and spinning out there! Now if I can only dress it up with some nice potted plants

My son has begun potty training as well! Today he started taking his diaper off every time he peed in it LOL! I just wish he’d figure it out before wetting it, so I could get him on the toilet! But it’s progress, and progress is good. I’m looking forward to being diaper free!

Kettle Dyeing is a very easy and quick way to dye your yarn or fiber.  Basically you just pour some dye on your yarn, and let it cook for 20 minutes!

I have a video of the actual dyeing part at the end of this tutorial.  But please read the tutorial first so you know what supplies you’ll need, and for some important tips. **The part 2 video is on it’s way, it’s uploading right now**

**Please note that I am no expert at kettle dyeing. This is the method I am using right now, and is pretty much the basic form of instruction you’ll find for kettle dyeing. Please note that the pots I list, are only good for fiber amounts up to about 6-7 oz (in the roaster). In a stove top pot, I can only dye about 4 oz, and for the oven & crock pot I think you would only get a max of 3.5-4 oz as well.**

First thing you will need, is, of course, your supplies.  Your kettle – which can be a glass baking dish for using the oven to heat set, or a crock pot, or a stove top pot.  You want your pot to be enamel, glass, or stainless steel.  Don’t use aluminum, as it can have a chemical reaction with the acid and change the colors of your dyes!  I use a roasting oven.  I like the oven b/c it’s short and wide, so you can get more coverage.

Next you will need your dyes.  You can use food coloring or a drink powder mix like kool aid, or you can buy professional acid dyes.  Please keep in mind that if you use pro acid dyes, you can never use any of your dye equipment for food use again.  You can however, use them for food if you use the food coloring or drink powder as your dye.  I like to use acid dyes.

You will also need your acid – you can use vinegar (white or apple) or you can use citric acid, which is my favorite.  Citric acid has no smell and you use alot less of it.  For vinegar you will use about 1-2 cups, and citric acid 1-2 tablespoons.

Now for your fiber – you want wool, silk or nylon for acid dyes.  You can use a blend as well, but know that if you use a blend of plant fiber, that content of the fiber will not take the dye.  This can result in a nice heathery color.

Other supplies you will need are your jars or bottles for mixing the dye, something to stir with like a bamboo skewer (100 for 1.00 at Wal-Mart), or a spoon.  I like to use a turkey baster to get the dye exactly where I want it, and don’t forget a fine particle dust mask to use while handling the dyes in powdered form.  You will also need water.  If you are not experienced with dyeing, you may want a candy or digital thermometer to tell you the temperature.

Soak your fiber or yarn in water and your acid – I do this directly in the pot I am using.  While that is soaking, mix your dyes.  Don’t forget your dust mask!  Add your powdered dye to your jars, then add about a cup of very hot water and mix it up.  Once the dye is completely dissolved, fill the rest of your jar with cold water.  If you leave some dye undissolved, you will get specks of highly concentrated color.  Sometimes they go where you don’t want them to – like bright pink on your yellow …. if you can’t get it all dissolved, you can try using a strainer, or fishing it out some way.  Usually a good fast stirring will do it.  Some dyes can take longer to dissolve and will require longer stirring.  Using glass Mason jars are really good for this, b/c you can easily lift up the jar and look at the bottom of the jar to see if there is any dye that’s settled at the bottom.

Alot of places online say to put just enough water to cover your yarn.  I don’t know about you, but in my mind this means having the slightest itty bit of water sitting on top of the yarn.  This is not something you necessarily want.  If there is too much water in the pot, your colors will all mix together and you can end up with muddy brown.  So what I do, is have just enough water for all the fiber/yarn to soak up.  You want it completely saturated though.  This is why we leave it to soak – and also squish it to get as much air out as you can.  You’ll know you have the right amount of water if no water is sitting on top of the fiber in any area, but if you squish down on your fiber it comes out, then absorbs right back again as soon as you let it go.  Just make sure it’s completely saturated!

So now the fun part!  Add your dyes to the fiber!  You can pour it in from your jar, squirt it with a bottle, or use your turkey baster.  You can pour in the dyes however you want to – make a design, do pie wedges, or just put it on randomly.  If you think you may want to repeat this colorway ever again, be sure to write everything down!  How much dye powder you used, where you poured in the dye, etc.  You’ll want to use your stirring instrument to lift the top layer so you can make sure your dye has penetrated to the bottom layers.  Don’t over-do this or you can felt your fiber!

Now you’ll turn on your heat.  On the stove you want the heat just below simmering – on my stove this is about the medium setting, or 5.  You’ll have to experiment with your stove to find the right temperature.  In the roaster oven, set it to 200.  For a crock pot, I’d go with the high setting. I can’t give you a recommendation for the oven, since I don’t use the oven for my heat source.  On the stove or in a roaster oven, you’ll let the heat get to 180-200 F, and then leave it alone for about 25 minutes.  In the crock pot, I’ve read you need about 2-3 hours.  Again, I don’t use this as my heat source so I can’t give you an accurate recommendation.  Don’t forget to cover your pot!  I also use a timer so that I don’t forget about it, which I have a tenancy to do.

Once it’s all cooked, take off the heat and the lid. You’ll know it’s done when the dye is exhausted – which means that the wool has absorbed all the dye and your water is colorless,  or almost clear. Some colors, like black, only need a little bit so some of it may be left behind even if the wool is completely dyed.   Let it cool down in the pot, and then rinse your fiber or yarn.  Wash it up, get the extra water out by rolling it up in a towel.  Hang it up to dry and viola!  Your very own kettle dyed beautiful fiber.

Now if you’re impatient, not that I am or anything, after the heat is off  let it cool down about 20 minutes.  Then I will dump the fiber and water from the pot into my wash tub, which will let it cool off even faster.  Once it’s cool enough to handle, I’ll fill my tub (or sink) with warm water (around the same temperature of the fiber) and add my wool wash.  Let it soak for another 20 minutes or so.  Instead of rolling the fiber in a towel, I like to put my fiber or yarn into mesh laundry bags, and spin it out in the washing machine.  Do not let any water enter your machine, and do not let it agitate or you will felt your fiber.  Make sure it’s only set to spin.  I’ve never had any trouble with felting doing this, but I’ve read accounts of it happening.  Now hang it up to dry and it’ll be dry in just a couple of hours

My friend Shannon threatned to break all my knitting needles if I didn’t post a new update.  Apparantly a week of nothing new is too long to go between posts. :p

I’ve been working on a fairy doll as a present for Abby’s birthday, which is, ah, NEXT WEEK.  OMG.  It’s all too fast, man.  Too fast.  She is turning five.

I have a bit more done on this now, a leg, and the hair.  I haven’t worked on it anymore than that, because yesterday I spent all day dyeing 3 lbs of yarn!  That was a lot of work!  Today I’m re-skeining, and hope to get a few lbs of roving dyed.

I also finished plying up the first half of the Nurturing Threads swap.

Ah, I guess I need to get back to re-skeining — but I’ll leave you with a picture of what is happening behind me right now

The other day I coughed up the dough for a 12 pack of 1 quart canning jars and a huge (21 gallon I think?) canning pot.  Like, so huge it exceeds my largest burner size by about 2 inches.  Holy wow.

Since I finally got my grubby little hands on these nifty jars, I decided to give space dyeing a dry with my rovings.  I L.O.V.E. it!  It’s so fast and easy it’s insane!  There is NO handling of the fiber while it’s cooking so it comes out as  nice and fluffy looking as it went in.  I am supposed to be able to get 7 jars in the rack thingy, but I can’t seem to position the jars correctly.  I can see myself getting a roving dyed every day with this method.

I’m hoping I can perfect my kettle-dyeing (roving) with this huge pot as well, since I’ll have more manuvering room.  I love kettle-dyed roving!

I’m about to update my knitting tips page, so keep an eye out!

I finally have Abby doing some chores.  She actually loves to help out, except if it means picking up her toys – then all you hear is ‘I need a break.  Mom, I’m tired.’   So I started a chore chart for her – she does a chore, she gets a sticker.  After 7 stickers, she gets a dollar.  Right now I have her cleaning the table and her room.  She’s also emptied the dishwasher for me, but that makes me nervous.

Is it bad that secretly I love her doing these things, b/c it means less work for me?  :baghead:

As promised …

On the potty training front – I’m afraid Matthew has decided he didn’t like the constant reminder’s of ‘do you need to go potty?’

My son is just a bit over two years old, and I still rock him to sleep.  Some may think that he is too old for this, but I treasure it.  His soft little check nestled against my neck, the sweet little boy kisses as he tries to prolong sleep – it’s heaven.  Well, sometimes not, like when I want to go get some work done and it’s taking an hour and he’s still blowing raspberries and trying to tickle me, but I digress …

Anyhow, as I was putting him to sleep last night, I was trying to think up a colorway to dye up after he was asleep.  I knew I wanted to kettle-dye it as it’s faster and I haven’t felt up to hand-painting lately.  You see, I have a good amount of neck, shoulder and back pain and I visit a chiropracter weekly for this.  I started out going 3x a week for a month, to twice a week to a month, and I had just weaned down to once a week for a month when Richard lost a whole lotta hours at work.  I thought I would do my part and cut out expenses, so I cut out the chiro visits.

This was a mistake.  I pretty much reverted to how much pain I was in back in November when I started getting treatments, all in the span of a month.  I have since started going back weekly.

So where was I?  Oh yes.  I’m not feeling up to hand painting just yet so I knew I wanted to kettle-dye yarn.  I’ve wanted to do a pink & purple colorway for awhile now, so I thought about adding in some turquoise.  When I finally got to the dye pot, I added silver on a whim.  Once I saw all of the colors together, it just so strongly reminded me of my daughter Abby.  At 1AM I was trying to name the yarn and all creativity had run dry-  I originally was going to name it Abbyloo (Abby’s nickname).  It didn’t fit though, so I slept on it and came up with Firstborn this morning.

Tonight I am dyeing another new colorway, again one I was inspired to try while putting my son to sleep.  I caught a glimpse of the toy rocket he received from Santa last year and thought it would look nice on yarn.  So stay tuned for Retro Rocket tomorrow!

And I leave you with this lovely baby alpaca/merino yarn I spun up for a friend in a fiber trade.

A few of the fibers I have done for our next stocking on IDC

Around a month ago, I posted on my favorite forum, DSD, a PSA to remind everyone to LABEL their dyes.  Because while I was trying to kettle dye my rainforest colorway, I accidently used navy instead of brown.  The resulting fiber was very nice though.

Apparently I have not learned my lesson.  Tonight I’m trying to perfect kettle-dyeing (I’m getting there!) and was going to do a pinks colorway on some seawool – well, I grabbed navy AGAIN instead of the pink I wanted.

*sigh*