More on a Pink Theme

As I did in my last post, I am using the rough wool that I purchased on Ebay, original color of light pink. This time I dyed about 400 yards, (2 200 Yd. skeins). I used the immersion method, half dry, half wet to make a bi-tonal color.

I really like this color, with light and dark tones of the Vermillion Pink. Below you see both finished skeins.

Next I used the same technique with a light grey yarn, also from Ebay, also 2 200 yard skeins.

This time I used a mixture of Lilac and Pink to come up with this very nice purple.





I think this method of half wet/half dry immersion is extremely nice. I am not a huge fan of lots of contrasting colors in a yarn, though I will certainly be trying some of that too. I like the more subtle sift in colors that you get from this method.

Yarn Dyeing Continued

My first dyeing adventure! I started with some 100% wool that I purchased on Ebay, light pink in color. I chose this as a practice yarn because the yarn is quite scratchy, so I figured if I messed it up, it's no great loss. The first step was to soak the yarn in a vinegar bath to allow the wool to accept the dye more readily. (See photo on left.)

Next, I mixed up some vermillion and some pink dye, then soaked sections of the wool in each container for several minutes, moving the yarn so the dye would color different sections with more or less intensity.


The result is show above, with the original yarn show in the cone, and the newly dyed yarn in balls with a small sample of the yarn knitted up. Stay tuned to see more fabulous yarn coming soon!

My New Craft

I've been wanting to do this for a while, and happily, now is the time. This is an excellent book for learning how to dye wool, with lots of beautiful pictures, and easy to understand directions. The author, Gail Callahan, shows you how to set up your studio, what tools you will need, and step by step instructions for dyeing using several methods, and gives you some projects to do as well, if you are so inclined. I'm having a blast! The book is Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece, by Gail Callahan, published by Storey Publishing, 2010. The gorgeous photos are by John Polak.