Tips N' Tricks #2
Tips N' Tricks #2
Marion's Quart Jar Dyeing Method
Seems to me when you are dyeing in a regular dyepot it is a major undertaking. Of course if you are dyeing a large amount of yarn or raw fibre you have to use the dye pot method. I have been known to dye a whole goat purple and that is a big dye procedure. Usually I only dye small amounts of different fibres for my spinning demonstrations and I like to have lots of different colors to mix in the carding or spinning. Just bits and pieces.
I came up with the idea of a quart jar dyeing method and it really works well for me. Soooo I would like to pass it on.
What you will need:
Into each quart jar put a small amount of dye. I usually don't measure unless I want to keep a record.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
Fill jar half way with water. Stir the dye solution.
Wet the fibre and squeeze out the excess water.
Place the fibre in the jar .. pushing to the bottom of the jar so the water covers. You can add more water if you think it is needed.
Screw on the lids (not too tight) and place in a large pot that is filled half way up with water. Bring to a boil.
Turn heat down so you have a simmer.
Cook for about 20 minutes or so.
Turn off heat and let cool down so you can handle the jars.
Rinse the fibre in lukewarm water. Squeeze out.
Rinse in bowl of vinegar water (1/2 cup vinegar to 1 1/2 quart of water). Squeeze out.
Rinse again in lukewarm clear water. Squeeze again.
Lay out on a wire rack or hang to dry. Sometimes I lay out the fibre on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven so the pilot light heat of the oven will do the drying.
Sometimes I have cotton, silk, wool or whatever in each jar. It is interesting to see how the color differs with each fibre even though it is in the same dye jar.
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