Dyeing Day 2015

It was much better weather the following week and a few of us got together to have a dyeing session at Ann's. In particular we wanted to have a go at dyeing some self striping yarn, as our resident expert was unable to join us (we missed you Jayne) we followed the book that the group bought recently.

 

So the book came out and off we go - yarn and roving soon filled every sink and bucket Ann possessed to soak

Robyn had some roving to dye it was a grey/beige mix from Leo and it will be interesting to see how the colours come out over the subtle colour of the roving and Hilda had some alpaca she wanted to dye to spin and make something for her grandson

The book suggested winding an extra long skein using parking meters but we couldn't find any of those so Ann used chairs!

And used a dipping method to make a tricolour yarn

She then finished with her own method of squishing the dye along the yarn to blend - worked a treat!

I wound long skeins on a warping frame

Here I am with yarn laid out, debating what colour to start with

and I'm off, using a painting method and rolling in plastic to keep the colours separate as I go

I finished with a splattered effect

Ann painting some hand spun merino, graduating the colour as she goes

Another painted self striping skein, I want to weave these yarns so I dyed one skein with long sections for the warp and shorter sections for the weft - what could possibly go wrong!

As ever I am too impatient to wait 48 hours so I steamed my yarn, rinsed it and here it is hung to dry

Back on the frame to skein up

This is a 3 ply merino, I measured and dyed it to weave but looking at the skein it would make lovely socks!

This is a DK merino to be woven

 

I painted this merino roving in a rainbow - it takes ages to dry, to open the fibres back up I found a button to diz it into a pencil roving - I can't wait to try spinning this - if it ever dries!

  

Robyn's roving is cooked and ready to dry

Ann's wool, hanging to dry

Dry and skeined

Ann's wool in a beautiful range of pinks and purples - the new squishing method has produced a lovely blend

The pinky, sunset colours in Ann's hand spun merino

 

And the finished skein - just gorgeous - pretty enough to leave as a skein!

 

It was a great day as always, we just got packed away as the rain started and my plans of being home at lunch time soon went out of the window - I got home after 5!