Dye happy.

Category: Dyeing
Tagged: ,
by on

It was terribly unfortunate that my yarn order hadn’t arrived by the weekend, so I had no yarn to dye! Agh. Well. In lieu of dyeable yarn, I dyed some wool and silk noil over the weekend…

Last Wednesday was our last spinning/dyeing class and so we did some handpainting with Procion dyes. I’d never used Procion before, so this was a good, new experience. Procion dyes are used for low temperature dyeing of cellulose fibers including cotton, linen, rayon, and ramie. It also dyes silk. Procion comes in both a powder or liquid form and we used powders to mix dye stocks.

2005-11-28_dye_silk_fuschia.jpg
2005-11-28_dye_silk_yellow.jpg
Silk noil dyed with Procion MX
2005-11-28_dye_ramie.jpg
Ramie handpainted with Procion MX

I forgot to bring fibre to dye, but did purchase 1 lb. of tussah silk noil from the instructor which I used for dyeing. This silk noil was _cheap_ — about $16 CAD per pound. And one pound of silk noil is about the size of a bedspread! Of course, it does come with complimentary silkworm bits that you have to pick out…but did I mention it was _cheap_? When I get my drum carder, I want to blend the silk noil with some other fibres for some textured yarns.

Also, one of my classmates had given me a lock of ramie fibre a couple weeks ago that I pulled out and handpainted. This fibre turns out so shiny! But feels a little like really soft linen. I was very impressed with how the colours turn out so vibrant.

2005-11-28_dye_a.jpg
2005-11-28_dye_b.jpg
Left: Wool, hot pour dyeing. Right: Silk noil, immersion dyeing.
2005-11-28_dye1.jpg
Drying fibre.

I did get an order of new dyes from ProChem last week that I wanted to try out — some new Lanaset and WashFast colours in several shades of green and red. So I did some hot pour dyeing with wool — basically, you place the wool in a shallow amount of water (just enough to cover), then pour a little bit of dye onto sections of the wool. Wait for it to strike and exhaust, then add other colours to the other sections. Oddly, some of the dye colours separated a bit, so something that was supposed to be burgundy separated into reds and violets.

Two and a half hours until the new wheel arrives!!

Related Posts

Maiwa’s Introduction to Dyes

Dyeing by on

This past weekend was spent like every weekend… elbow-deep in dye. But this time, it was with Maiwa’s ["Introduction to Dyes"](http://www.maiwa.com/symposium/w_intro_dyes.html) workshop led by Anne Babchuk at [Maiwa East](http://www.maiwa.com/stores/maiwa_east.html). For three days, we explored a variety of different dyes and dye application techniques from Procion and Washfast Acid dyes to the new-to-me Vat dyes. Getting…

Tangled up.

Dyeing, Dyeing with Natural Dyes, Weaving by on

I’ve been making warps. Many many warps. Mostly because I have a lot of yarn lying around… naturally dyed, undyed, synthetically dyed, commercially dyed… omg, that’s a lot of yarn. Rather than using handpainted yarn throughout the whole warp, I’ve taken to mixing it up with a bunch of other solid coloured yarns. One skein…

  • andrea

    ay, i love love the colors. so saturatingly gorgeous. and now you get to spin them!

    plus a new wheel to boot?! lucky you ;)

  • Cheryl

    Hi there, I’m a fan of your blog…just wondering if you have any plans to sell more of the Blueface Leceister for the hat you showed in an earlier post? I’d love to make one…

  • Cheryl

    Hi there, I’m a fan of your blog…just wondering if you have any plans to sell more of the Blueface Leceister for the hat you showed in an earlier post? I’d love to make one…

  • http://bumblebeeknits.blogspot.com Carin

    I hope your yarn arrives soon, and enjoy your new wheel!

  • http://bumblebeeknits.blogspot.com Carin

    I hope your yarn arrives soon, and enjoy your new wheel!

  • http://rincaro.blogspot.com Corrina

    I’m so jealous that you have spinning & dyeing classes available. I’m just getting ready to make the leap into kool-aid dyeing! That is, as soon as my “dye-your-own” arrives. I’m loathe to try spinning without supervision.

  • http://rincaro.blogspot.com Corrina

    I’m so jealous that you have spinning & dyeing classes available. I’m just getting ready to make the leap into kool-aid dyeing! That is, as soon as my “dye-your-own” arrives. I’m loathe to try spinning without supervision.

  • http://www.mindofwinter.prettyposies.com Julia

    Gorgeous colors! I love your choices. Can’t wait to hear what you think about the new wheel. I feel that I have one in my future – just trying to hold off!

  • http://www.mindofwinter.prettyposies.com Julia

    Gorgeous colors! I love your choices. Can’t wait to hear what you think about the new wheel. I feel that I have one in my future – just trying to hold off!

  • http://birdsnestknits.typepad.com/birds_nest_knits/ Nancy

    Ahhh.. for local dyeing classes – that would be so fantastic. I love how vibrant the colors turned out. Have you developed a favorite technique?

  • http://birdsnestknits.typepad.com/birds_nest_knits/ Nancy

    Ahhh.. for local dyeing classes – that would be so fantastic. I love how vibrant the colors turned out. Have you developed a favorite technique?

  • andrea

    ay, i love love the colors. so saturatingly gorgeous. and now you get to spin them!

    plus a new wheel to boot?! lucky you ;)

  • Lavender

    I got a bag of the silk noil as well for blending. But I gave it a go spinning as is and it is so very nice too. :) Now the delemma is to spin it or blend it.

  • Lavender

    I got a bag of the silk noil as well for blending. But I gave it a go spinning as is and it is so very nice too. :) Now the delemma is to spin it or blend it.

  • http://thegreenonion.blogspot.com/ Iris

    Beautiful, vibrant colours!

    Have fun with your new wheel when it arrives!! :)

  • http://thegreenonion.blogspot.com/ Iris

    Beautiful, vibrant colours!

    Have fun with your new wheel when it arrives!! :)

  • Sherry

    Oh, such gorgeous colors! You like the same color combinations that I do.

    It’s so cute, the way you look forward to the new spinning wheel. I wish I could afford even a spindle! I can’t wait to read how the new wheel is.

  • Sherry

    Oh, such gorgeous colors! You like the same color combinations that I do.

    It’s so cute, the way you look forward to the new spinning wheel. I wish I could afford even a spindle! I can’t wait to read how the new wheel is.

  • Therese

    Any sign of the new wheel yet. Am eager to read feedback from you.

  • Therese

    Any sign of the new wheel yet. Am eager to read feedback from you.

  • Therese

    Any sign of the new wheel yet. Am eager to read feedback from you.

  • Therese

    Any sign of the new wheel yet. Am eager to read feedback from you.

  • http://alianneknits.blogspot.com/ Alison

    Lovely colors! That ramie is absolutely brilliant!

  • http://alianneknits.blogspot.com/ Alison

    Lovely colors! That ramie is absolutely brilliant!

  • http://bklynhandspunyarn.blogspot.com Marie

    I love the color results even with the color that separated – sometimes I like the result better when it separates. Ohh a second wheel – you’ve got to post pics when you get it – have fun!

  • http://bklynhandspunyarn.blogspot.com Marie

    I love the color results even with the color that separated – sometimes I like the result better when it separates. Ohh a second wheel – you’ve got to post pics when you get it – have fun!

  • http://knittingrat.blogspot.com laughingrat

    Such lovely colors! Sometimes it’s nice just to be able to rest the eyes on a pretty photo or two. I really need to learn how to use my camera a little better so I can start providing some decent photos, too! :)

  • http://knittingrat.blogspot.com laughingrat

    Such lovely colors! Sometimes it’s nice just to be able to rest the eyes on a pretty photo or two. I really need to learn how to use my camera a little better so I can start providing some decent photos, too! :)

  • http://specialstuff.typepad.com/sugar_bunny_boulevard Laura

    Beautiful colors – I love seeing what you put in the etsy shop – you have definitely made me want to get some “dye your own” and do some experimenting. Thanksgiving dinner made me think of so many colors that would make beautiful scarfs and socks: pumpkin, cranberry, sweet potatoes, spinach, butter. Not so sure I’d get good results using my leftovers to dye with though. :)

  • http://specialstuff.typepad.com/sugar_bunny_boulevard Laura

    Beautiful colors – I love seeing what you put in the etsy shop – you have definitely made me want to get some “dye your own” and do some experimenting. Thanksgiving dinner made me think of so many colors that would make beautiful scarfs and socks: pumpkin, cranberry, sweet potatoes, spinach, butter. Not so sure I’d get good results using my leftovers to dye with though. :)