over a mile of color

What did I do from 11:30-7:30 or so on Saturday (or should I say, what did Paula and I do)? DyeFest I, 2005!

First, Tim and I did some grocery shopping, during which I picked up a new pair of rubber gloves, and two bottles of organic lemonade, so that I could empty them into a pitcher and use the nice glass bottles for dye storage. I put a bunch of skeins and some synthrapol (soap) into a big bowl to soak.

Then, Paula came by and the three of us took a quick trip to Home Depot and Linens n Things for masks, a drop cloth, measuring cups and spoons, and a bucket.

Back at the homestead, we toted the dyes, a big pot of hot water, the electric tea kettle, measurers, bowls, and storage containers out to the garage. I am trying to keep toxic dye powders out of the house.

We mixed a solution of each of the colors for which we had dye powders (black, red, yellow, blue, moss green, deep purple, and fuschia), by adding powder to boiled water, and then created a few new colors by mixing together some of the dye solutions (dark red, a greenish-turquoise, orange). Each of these went into a separate container (plastic and glass bottles we had been hoarding), and then everything went back into the house.

Put down the dropcloth in the kitchen, set up a couple of roasting pans and a crock pot (purchased at a thrift store) with water and citric acid crystals (fixative), and let the water warm up. Then, the dyeing began!

We went through 1.5 miles or so of handspun and pre-purchased yarns. There are a dozen or so colorways, 1-4 skeins of each. They dried on the weight bench overnight, and then got some fresh air the next day. This picture doesn't really do them justice, but then, neither have any of the pics I've taken yet, so hopefully you'll get some more when the sun comes out and I'm home and photo-happy again. The yarns should be coming soon to a yarn store or craft fair near you!