make beautiful things.
Yes, you!
~ the berry
thought it would be fun, I didn't
realize I was starting a whole
new obsession that has taken
over my weekend, and maybe
my whole week, Fiber Dyeing
is addictive!
I ordered several skeins of yarn
from Knit Picks, but for my first
go round I only dyed one skein,
a wool/nylon blend that would
be a little forgiving if I really
messed up with the temperature.
A few weeks ago I made an iron
mordant from rusty pieces of iron,
water and vinegar, so I had that
waiting.
I picked a pot full of mint, cooked
it on the stove for an hour and then
cooled it overnight.
After soaking the yarn in water I
added it to the dye pot and let it
hang out over night.
The next morning I checked the
color and it was tan, not quite
what I was looking for so I needed
to move along.
I put the pot on the stove, added
the iron mordant, slowly heated
everything up to 180 degrees and let
it simmer for 10 minutes, then
I let it cool for three hours.
After washing the yarn in a natural
dish soap and hanging it to dry my
final result is a soft grey, perfect!
Now I have moved on to elderberries
and using a pre mordant,..exciting
times here at Clover Seven!
To be continued.....
Note:: Thanks to the book,
The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes
and the internet for all the help with
this craft.
Joining Karen.
This looks like a lot of fun! The possibilities of the natural things you can use is endless I would imagine! I asked my yarn shop owner about doing a class on this. She said never ever would it happen - LOL! I can see why - you would have to do it outside in the parking lot - ha!
ReplyDeleteLinda in VA
I am quite excited that you are doing this hobby! and I think you will be dyeing much much much more in the future. BTW I bought some watercolor markers some paper and a water brush to embark on a new hobby (maybe). We will see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! You're like a fiber alchemist.
ReplyDeletethat color is PERFECT!!!! (the mordant took it from beige to grey????) Love it!!! Just like a magic trick. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it the best! Wonderful that you got such great results, there is something truly special about natural dye.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
so mint gave you grey?! that is so amazing to me.
ReplyDeleteoh how lovely Tracey. I want to do it to. I recently discovered a yarn shop not too far away where they dye most amazing yarns with daffodils for a gorgeous mustardy colour and nettles for amazing green. As soon as I'm organised I will do it to I will be watching your for tips. I also bought a drop spindle to have a go at spinning before considering a full sized one!
ReplyDeleteThere's a link to some pictures of the yarn:http://cookingupastorminateacup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/knitting-therapy.html#comment-form
Yey have a fun yarn dying week.
debx
Whoops too excited. I forgot to say the colour is amazing and I bet it smells awesome. oh and elderberries...that should be wonderful...
ReplyDeletedx
That is very exciting Tracey! Now all you need is a few sheep, a spinning wheel and you can make it all "from scratch"... ;-) I do love the grey yarn you wound up with and look forward to seeing you knit something pretty with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to spend the weekend! Isn't it fun learning something new? I'm going to try something new today...quiona patties (per your link from a recent post). ;) Shopping tomorrow with protein powder on the list...you inspire!
ReplyDeleteOh how exciting!!! I can't wait to follow you and your fibre dyeing endeavours - i love love love the clouds in your last picture.
ReplyDeleteNatural dying is lots of fun because you really don't know for sure how things will turn out. I'm going to try and experiment a little more this year. My favorite is solar dying. I love putting yarn in the big jar and letting it sit in the sun. We are going to try that with sea water and kook aide to see what we get!
ReplyDeleteTracey - it would have been cool enough that you used your own mint to dye, but then you also made your own mordant from rusty metal? Impressive!
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine how much fun you are having with this Tracey. Can't wait to see what you dye with next :) Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteFiber dyeing sounds exciting! I always wanted to try and after seeing these pictures I want to give it a whirl!
ReplyDeleteAfter my experiment with Kool-Aid dying I decided I like the finished product so much more than my experimenting. I"m glad you are having fun with it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I cook mint with water it is to make a mint simple syrup for mojitos!
It is because of posts like this that I don't even attempt to dye. I can see where it would be completely addicting. I will leave dyeing and color inspiration to true artists like yourself.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love that soft grey. Beautiful, Tracey!
My goodness you are creative.
ReplyDeleteHow fun! Can't wait to see more, elderberry sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that you've discovered a new craft to pursue and enjoy! Can't wait to see it all knit up, Tracey! Have fun!
ReplyDeletexo Lisa
Lovely experiment Tracey. That resulting grey is perfect. My most recent natural dye experiment is with Cutch and I got the best shade of tan ever. You'll definitely love dyeing. Lots of surprises there and I can't wait to see where you go from here.
ReplyDeleteLove all of the quotes that you share in each post! :)
ReplyDelete