Unlimited color possibilities!
by on May 30, 2013

I am a huge fan of color.  I love to mix and match and get some lovely and unique color combinations.  My favorite is to dye Bare Roving and Yarn using the Jacquard Acid Dyes – there are so many colors to choose from! There are also many methods to dyeing. I used the crock pot method for this blog.

004

There are no complex tools needed to do this. You need is a crock pot (this cannot be used for food again, so head to your local 2nd hand store and pick one up just for dying), white vinegar, bare roving/yarn and acid dye colors of your choice.  Make sure you use protective gear – latex gloves (to keep your hands from dyeing too!) and a dust mask or respirator is a must when working with the powder dyes. There are instructions in the Knit Picks dyeing tutorial on the different dying methods and here are a couple of great books that would help you: Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing & The Complete Guide to Natural Dyeing.

31223 31336

I experimented with a few color combinations. In this first example I used Sapphire Blue & Sunshine yellow Jacquard Acid Dye  and Bare Gloss Roving.

GlossRoving2-small

In this next picture,  I used Teal, Turquoise & Chartreuse with Bare Stroll Roving.(on the left) and Hot Fuchsia & Burgundy with Bare Wool of the Andes Roving (on the right).

BothRovings_horiz-small

These yarns are now ready for spinning.  You don’t spin? Use the Bare Wool of the Andes and make yourself a felted scarf or hat! There are some great felting books available including The Complete Photo Guide to Felting.

31493

In this book there are great illustrations and fun felting projects to make as well as great instructions for the different felting processes.

Now all you need to do is start creating!

 

 

 

 

2 Comments
Tags: Dyeing, Felting, Inspiration, Roving

2 comments

  1. Iryna / May 30, 2013

    Kim, those are awesome colors! thank you for sharing! what methods did you use – handpainting or immersion dyeing?
    thank you
    • kim / June 3, 2013

      I did mine a little differently than the KP crock pot directions. I only put a little bit of water in the bottom of the crock pot. put about half of the wet roving (or yarn) in leaving the remainder hanging over the edge. I sprinkled the powdered dye directly on the roving – no particular order. Then folded the remaining fiber over back over itself and repeated with the dye on the top. I carefully added the remaining water on the edge in to cover the fiber. (you can gently push the fiber down (it seems to “float” a little). then I cook it – 3 to 4 hours, until the dye is exhausted (the water looks mostly clear – though it may be tinted a little). Let it cool and rinse well. Good Luck!