I’ve recently been exploring natural dyeing methods, and I was really excited when we started carrying a Indigo Dye kit.  What makes indigo dyeing a little tricky is that indigo is not naturally water soluble, and you need water to help the fabric absorb the dye.  So the indigo in this kit is reduced into powder, and when you add it to a bucket of water, it is a yellow green color because the oxygen was removed.  You add wet yarn or fabric to the indigo and hold it in the dye bath for only a couple of minutes.  When you remove the dyed yarn, it is a bright green color and you can watch it turn blue as it comes into contact with oxygen.  I have a more in depth tutorial for dyeing with this Indigo Dye kit here.  

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at dyeing for a while now. The
thought of the mess, the equipment and doing a really bad job at it kept
me from trying. But, after I found out there was going to be a
dyealong, I thought, hey! Perfect opportunity! Now I can at least
commiserate with others who have also made a giant mess. So, I got some
sock blanks, let myself get inspired, and dove right in.

I decided to try acid dyes, since it’s relatively low-odor and I
could do it indoors (with proper ventilation, of course). That proved to
be an advantageous decision, because when I got ready to dye it was
raining! I got all my supplies together and started the process.

The appeal of dying sock blanks is the never-ending possibilities. You can choose to be creative in a linear fashion or be abstract. I sound like an art museum docent. I chose to give linear a try for the blanks I was dyeing for my Shape-It Scarves.

Cornstarch!

Admit it! I completely surprised you! 🙂

Aloft, our beloved Kid Mohair and Silk yarn, creates a beautiful, sheer fabric when knit solo, but Aloft is also known for playing well with others! Pairing up Aloft with another denser yarn creates an opaque fabric with a Mohair halo and the strength of silk. It looks so good with so many other yarns, that it can be challenging to choose one, so we’ve put together six swatches with Aloft and other styles of yarn to show just how versatile it can be!

Don’t recognize all of the colors? New shades of Aloft are coming on March 27th, 2024!

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