Monday 10 January 2011

Next Thursday Dyeing

My last blog was on Friday. On Saturday I went to Kennet Valley Guild and on Sunday Anne and her family came round. Madi helped me turn out the scullery and then wound 7 x 100 gram skeins of wool for me. I need these for next Thursday when I have a dyeing day. That is going to include

  1.  dyeing Madi's skeins to various shades of indigo blue by varying the number of times each skein is dipped
  2. dyeing some skeins of wool/silk in violet dye and finishing off space dyeing a section of that warp in a darker shade of violet 
  3. trying out some black Procion dyes on cotton fabric. The last time I got a dark grey which was quite attractive but I really wanted black so on Thursday I shall start by dyeing small pieces of cotton in each of the three different blacks I have and then try a larger piece using the best of them
  4. trying out colours and dyeing times for some samples of fleece and handspun. This is preparation for the re-enactment of 'The Weaving of the Newbury Coat' which happened in 1811 and was the result of a wager between two Newbury men. Could a coat be made in 24 hours starting from the sheep? It could. So the Guild is going to do it again.
  5. I would like to weave a pattern of fishes in Summer and Winter using space dyed yarn. So I will be doing that as well.
  6. dyeing some skeins of wool two colours of yellow. I am preparing for weaving my yellow scarf for the October Exhibition at Greenham. I am also going to do a yellow scarf in lace weave as the improvers in the Guild weaving course are all doing lace weave this year. And I don't see why the tutors can't join in.
I have decided what to do about a new Day Book. I definitely want one which is A4 and I haven't got one spare. So I am going to use the blank pages in the Design Book and, in the meantime, make an A4 book out of the A3 cartridge paper I have just ordered. When it is done, it will become a Design/Day book.

This all adds to my list of projects. Derek (son-in-law) produced a cookery book on Sunday  which is falling apart. Could I do anything about it? Well I can try.
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2 comments:

  1. Sandra Rude11 January 2011 at 02:35

    Hi, Pat,
    Black is easy with acid dyes on silk or wool. With Procion on cotton, you really have to use 4x or more the usual amount of dye, and often dye, overdye, and possibly overdye again, until you've saturated every possible dye site on the cotton. Make sure the dyebath stays in the temperature range that Procion likes - 70-90(F). At this time of year (especially if you're working in a garage), that means start with warm water, and you might need a burner or an electric heating pad. Best of luck!
    Sandra

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  2. Pat11 January 2011 at 09:17

    Thank you very much, Sandra. You are right about the temperature in the garage. So I will bring the Procion dyed things indoors. I'll let you know how I get on.

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About Me

I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.