Thursday, September 27, 2012

Dyeing for Fun

Yesterday I played with more yarn and thread dyeing.  I used four different types of yarn and threads with blue and green Tulip tie dye.  The results are mixed.

Here are before photos. On the left is white Aunt Lydia's #3 crochet cotton. On the right white DMC cotton floss.
 On the left is Sensations Kashmira 100% feltable wool and Aunt Lydia's #10 bamboo cotton crochet thread.  Both of the hanks are cream colored.
Here are the results. The #3 crochet thread and DMC floss took the dyes completely.  The bamboo cotton came out slightly variegated.  Blue/purple from the blue dye and green/yellow from the green dye.

The wool didn't take the dye very well.  I don't know if the results would be different if I left the dye on longer or "cooked" it.  But I am leaving for Phoenix tomorrow morning and I don't want to leave the yarn wet.  The color variations are stronger on the wool.  I still like the results and will probably crochet projects that can be felted.


Today is a "finish" minimal tasks around the house day.  Tomorrow morning we are flying to Phoenix for the long, hot weekend.

What are you up to today?

Sweet P

2 comments:

Paula, the quilter said...

wool needs an acidic dye. Acidic dyes won't work on cotton. Try overdyeing your wool with Kool-Aid. It sounds funny, but it really works. I have a tute on my blog.

Glenna said...

That's so fun. I've always wanted to play with dyes too. And love the comment about acidic/non-acidic dyes. Kool-aid is a great tip. I have a friend who made some beautiful antique-looking yarns using water food was boiled in: tea, beets, and kale. The yarns came out very unique and cool looking.