Monday, August 11, 2008

Dyeing!

So first up, before the fiber fun....you may have noticed I changed my template. I've been thinking about changing blog platforms and last night I set up a blog on another platform to see if it really would be that much better. I stayed up way too late and pretty much got it set up, including importing history from here. I'm still undecided. That is probably because it's all new there and I have to learn how to use it, and here, I know how to make happen what I want to happen. For the most part that is. Of course after I went to the bother to set that one up, I had the thought that maybe I was just sick of my Blogger layout and maybe it's time to try a new layout. DUH! Should have thought of that first, but there it is....that's the way my brain works. I'm not listing the other blog address here yet and won't if I don't stick with it. I may just spruce up this place. :)
Now for the fun.

It's long been my goal to get organized enough to be able to spend time dyeing fiber and making my own custom blends for spinning. I'm finally making headway in the washing of Alpaca and spent some quality time on Sunday vac packing clean alpaca so that it could be stored away in the shed for future fiber blends. After I finished that I ran across some of that nasty sticky Border Leicester that I took to Julie's for carding last month. I had every intention of taking it back out to the shed to re-box it, but before I knew it the package was open and it was in the pot of hot water on the stove after a squirt of dish soap was added to the water. I told my self I was just checking to see if the stuff was going to wash out clean or not. That was until the dye ended up in the pot...then I had to admit I was dying fiber. ;) Last night I dyed up approximately 4 oz of each of these colors: Burgundy, Spruce, Purple, Sapphire Blue. Here's my results after dyeing today.
This morning I washed more fiber to be able to dye this afternoon. Today's colors are:
Emerald and Yellow.
Right now I have Silver Gray and Fire Red on the stove a cooking away.
These are all Jacquard dyes and they are some of the colors I ordered a couple of months ago. I as a bit intimidated to try them but they are SO MUCH EASIER to use than what I was doing before. The procedure is almost exactly the same. The only difference is that I do not have to dissolve the gel coloring before mixing it with the water in the dye pot. I was shocked at how fast and easy it really was. I will use up what I have in my back stock, but I believe all future dye purchases will be powders. ;) I'm just so excited to get solid results that I can use for color blending on the carder. Each color is only 4 oz so that will give me enough to play with the blends. My mind's already ahead of me and planning what colors to put together!
I'm still spinning up the white singles that were carded at Julies fiber mill. It's a bit slow going as it's soooo sticky and white is always a trial for me to spin, however I did finish the second bobbin today and started a third. Once this one's completed I'll be plying!!!! So I'm getting there. At least I'll have something to spin at guild.

1 comment:

Cindy said...

Love the new look. Your dyeing is beautiful. Bet you're having a blast!