above: (yes, that's an old copy from New English File Elementary mopping up the kelly green)
A couple weeks ago, I got it into my head that it would be an awesome idea to start trying to hand-paint my own yarn. I love
variegated yarns, mostly because I have a very finite attention span while knitting and the changes in color keep me from getting bored; also, I love any activity that requires one to commandeer the kitchen (sorry, Iain) and make a huge mess. Anyway, it seemed like a good idea, even if the last time I dyed anything was ten years ago and I walked around with purple hands for a few days afterwards.
above: the impressively sculptural tower of saran wrap in the middle is so I can neatly wrap up the yarn afterwards.
I've been intrigued by the possibility of making your own natural dyes ever since I watched
an old lady in Laos dye a skein of silk red with a handful of crushed nutshells. But it turns out, natural dying is a pretty big (
and not as safe as you might think) undertaking to set up in a tiny, temporary kitchen, so, after a quick foray around the internet, I decided to go with acid dyes instead, as they seem relatively low-impact and not terrible for your health, provided you don't snort the dye powder, which is why I am wearing this incredibly fetching dust mask below:
Above: ...and now it's on the internet to be preserved forever and ever!
So last week I dyed two small skeins to get a feel for the whole process. Sexy mask aside, the painting (pictured above) is definitely fun, creative, and well worth the prep-time. I did go a little overboard on the variegation the first time around, but at least I learned what not to do next time.
Above: hooray for the 100 yen shop for selling me cheap dyeing utensils.
After painting, I steamed the yarn in the saran wrap for 30 minutes before rinsing it out. The green skein, above, was a bit too neon for my taste, so I put it back in the dye pot with some dark green dye in hopes of muting the color a bit.
Afterwards, the green washed out quite a bit - I'm not sure if it's because the green skein is silk (whereas the red was wool) or because of that last-minute decision to over-dye the whole thing darker, or what. But at least it won't stop traffic now and there's a chance someone might want to wear it.
The red skein came out much more vividly - a bit too vivid and with too many changes in color for my personal tastes. Still, it was a lot of fun - I can't wait to do it again!
