Dyers' Picnic

Yesterday we had another fantastic day experimenting with natural and acid dyes in Sarah's garden. First we should thank Sarah and Peter for getting out furniture, stoves, dyeing equipment (there's lots) and putting up canopies so we could have a great day sheltered from the sun or rain. As it turned out we definitely needed shade as it was so hot!

Sarah had 6 pots going at a time on her camping gas stoves outside, with natural dyes in them and everyone was encouraged to bring small skeins or fibre to make samples from each. These needed to have been pre-mordanted with alum (for most of the natural dyes) for good dye take up. There was walnut, wellingtonia, weld, apple leaves, lichen, artichoke leaves, annatto berries, indigo, sweet woodruff, logwood and cochineal. We made a huge variety of colours - natural dyes can be as bright as acid dyes. See photos below.

We all brought a contribution for a Bring and Share Lunch, lots of home made salads, quiches and wonderful strawberries and some delicious cheese scones I am told.

Rachel taught ways to use acid dyes on skeins of yarn for sock making. She showed how to dip and dye several colours at once and also how to paint the colours directly onto the wool. (Photos below)The wool was then steamed inside plastic wrap or bags in Sarah's fish kettle for 30 mins to set the colour. We then had to refrain from opening them and seeing what they looked like as its better to leave them to cool overnight before unwrapping. 

Tina showed us how to add dyes to yarn cakes. These are just balls of wool wound on a wool winder into 'cakes'. I had a go at this and it was great fun. I steamed the cakes and took them home to dry and they look lovely  - all ready to make some very colourful socks. They are superwash merino which I've never used before and it feels perfect for socks. The method for adding the dye was to roll the outside in a dye and then add other colours to the inside with a syringe.

Everyone was hot and tired at the end of the day but went home happy with some great samples to use. I'm sure Sarah was even more tired, but I think she was going to relax with a swim in her pool and then it was 'leftover food' for tea, so hopefully no more work! Thank you Sarah.