Immersion

What with tending to the sick child all week, feeling borderline sick myself, although the
yarn and the dyes appeared in the mail, not much happened to them. Sunday though, I was feeling better and a bit antsy to get started in the dyeing department. I didn't have the patience to make a warping board or set up for painting, so I tried an immersion dye experiement.

Using two chairs to make a longer skein. Perhaps not the most efficient method, but it suited my energy level --- I was kinda fidgety too.









The pot was seven bucks at Value Village.

For immersion dyeing, I placed the yarn (tied well on a skein about 12 feet in diameter) artfully zigzagged into the pot. I added 1 quart water and 10 ml of glacial acetic acid and let the yarn soak while I got out the dyes. Although this looks like a nasty chemical (and it is) it is just concentrated white vinegar. Very concentrated --- poisonous and caustic. 100% acetic acid --- white vineger is 5%.



The Wool2Dye4 kit comes with 7 colors. I knew I wanted three, but I knew they should be similar enough that any blending wouldn't get all icky.

Having no idea how much dye powder to use, I mixed about a half teaspoon of the Fushcia (magenta) with maybe a quarter cup hot water. Looked bright enough so I carefully poured it into one side of the pot. I originally had been thinking red-yellow-orange, but the Fushcia was way too purplish blue, so the next color I added was Royal Blue. The two colors in the pot looked dreadfully patriotic and primary, so I mixed some Royal Blue with Fire Engine Red to make some sort of purplish concoction for the third spot.
















Next, low heat for 45 minutes. I evidently used plenty of dye, because I had to do minimal poking to make sure all the yarn got some.



This photo doesn't show the colors very well, but it does show how the long skein combined with three colors worked. The ball being wound shows the colors more accurately.



Final thoughts: I used too much dye, the skein took forever to rinse and I am still not sure all the extra is out. I am happy with the bold colors though. The Royal Blue/Fire Engine Red combination made a really nice blackish purple.