I haven’t used my fire red dye yet. Hmmm. On the other hand, this angel pattern [Ravelry] is perfect for white yarn. But then there will be over a thousand yards left, surely.

Iowa weaver’s notes about dying wool with procion dyes got my attention. She links to this PDF instruction sheet, skipping the same mysterious special wool ingredient, using vinegar as i would. Dharma’s method is altogether different.

I also think i could stand to experiment with the silk ribbon and the mohops. Perhaps it will be a mistake, but i’m going to give the bias cut ribbon a try first. (Will it pull apart under the tension?)

Links to shibori sites after the cut.
Shibori web notes:

• beans
• Some good reference books via DyeCandy
• Kaizen Journey’s shibori notes
• Samples of four types of shibori: Karamatsu Shibori (Japanese Larch)[circle], Mokume Shibori (Woodgrain) [straight line], Arashi Shibori (Storm) [the pole scrunching?], Ori-Nui Shibori [double outline line]

Today i’ve made i made my first and second attempts at rice crackers. I have “commercial rice flour” from the bin at Whole foods. Is this mochiko*? No idea. I’ll assume not.

To scale down, i use 1/2 c flour to 1/2 c of tap-warmed water and then added some more flour and a bit of brown sugar. It remained more like a batter than a dough. Instead of steaming it, i microwaved for 1 min on high. The resulting dough was stiff and reminded me of fimo. I kneaded it a little and then rolled it out between wax paper, placed it on a lightly greased pizza pan & flipped (greasing both sides).

With a pizza cutter, i made squares, and then i seasoned with a variety of sweet (more brown sugar, cinnamon) and savory (salt, cracked pepper, powdered onion).

I cooked it in a preheated oven at 350° for ten minutes (compare to “dry outside on mats in the sun”). The thinner ones at the edge were a bit hard and crunchy, the middle were chewy. Undercooked. One could just see where they might begin to “blister” (think of surface of saltines).

Christine put the remainders of the samples back in at 450° for roughly ten minutes. They turned golden, but were still a little tough.

The second experiment 1/2c flour to 1/2c warm water which i left in a battery state and microwaved on high for 30 seconds. The remarkable thing was the clear ring of where the microwaves heated the batter at the greatest strength: this was stiff like the earlier batter. The remainder was more like a thickened cream of wheat. I mixed this up and had a much sticker dough to which i belatedly added a bit of brown sugar.

Once it was kneaded to a smooth consistency (using more rice flour to protect against the stickiness), i started flattening, spraying with canola oil, folding, and flattening again. I’m hoping for flaky inner layers where the sheets of rice flour are fried by the inner layers of oil.

I rolled out — which was easier with this softer doug — cut and seasoned, and baked at 450° F for 16 min.

If anything, it’s the hotter oven temperature that made for the more successful trial. I’m not sure the oil needed to be incorporated. They definitely satisfy a desire for a crunch, and can be comfortably salty/savory or sweet. The thinner they are, i think the crisper, although i wonder if my small oven just bakes more hot on the outside edges.

I will probably try these again.

* Mochiko flour is also known as sweet glutinous rice flour, sweet rice flour, or mochi flour. — http://www.recipetips.com

I’ll admit i did not bring the dyes up to room (deck) temperature. Both the azure & the emerald should have better intensity with warmer water. I’ll admit, though, the azure is doesn’t need to be more intense.

A, B, & C are attempts at diluting the dyes to get a pale shade. The emerald C seems almost the same intensity as full strength I.

D, F, & H are from the previous dye sessions, as controls to see how the color changed with time.

G, the orchid, stayed close to true with time. E, the blue, lost its strength, which is actually quite useful. I, the emerald, seems to have not just faded but also drifted some. The emerald dyebath was the first yesterday, so i don’t think it’s a contamination issue.

A, G, & I are also attempts at "faux ikat dyeing," inspired by Linda La Belle’s The Yarn Lover’s Guide to Hand Dyeing.

(Click through to see the threads from experiment #1)

Another experiment was with overdying a Christmas ombré color mix of some old skein of sugar and cream cotton yarn.

I also dyed green a tank top and lace top for my sister. The lace had some places where only blue took, not all the green. Christine thinks it looks interesting, i think it looks stained.

I dyed one of my Stevens Creek trail shirts: i’d put it in the blue dye, distracted by how warm it was on the deck. Eventually i realized the blue was for another shirt and i hadn’t yet added the soda, so i squeezed out the blue and poured on the orchid. The blue is pleasantly pale with an irregular pattern of the purple. It’s fun, different from Christine’s.

I also dyed a thrift store shirt azure, trying to keep one layer masked off. It didn’t work well: i blame that partly on wetting the shirt long before i dyed it, so the masked off area had a long time for water to seep into the mask. Once the water seeped up, i should think they dye would follow more quickly.

Began making up dye on Friday and dyed off and on on Saturday.

After the cut, reports on the yarn & thread experiment and the glue resist experiment.

Making Concentrate

I made the concentrate for the Emerald, Orchid, & Azure following the notes from Color by Accident, using the 4 tbsp of urea, and 4 tbsp of both the blue and green. The Langers juice concentrate bottle is a perfect size for the cup-plus of concentrate. Given the ratio “1 gal hot water to 9 tbsp ash” i used 4.5 tbsp of ash in the 2 liter jug.

Next time:

• Need a tablespoon *spoon* measure. The small cup was very convenient, but a tbsp sized scoop would be less likely to stir up the dye powder.
• A whole cup of concentrate is more than i likely need. These measurements can easily be cut in half.
• Don’t use the funnel with powder, especially if the funnel tip is going to be in the urea solution.

General Practice

I did not pay that much attention between the time of the dye and the time of the ash solution. I did not take the ten minutes recommended in Color by Accident.

The orchid and emerald were kept in the dye for about an hour. The full azure dye-bath was at least forty minutes plus the time to watch the movie Jaws.

Yarns & threads

The cotton yarn is Sugar’n Cream, cotton worsted 4 ply, white, 120 yds. I made six skeins roughly 16 yards each.
The thread is J&PCoats #10 Royale Classic Crochet Thread, Mercerized cotton from the “over 1.5 miles” super ball. Two skeins of roughly 50 yards (0.4 oz) and six skeins of roughly 26 yards (.2 oz each for roughly six motifs.)

The first yarns were not exactly well thought out as i was still giddy with actually doing the dying. I think the timings below for the green and orchid are right, but there could be some variation. I was so stunned with how dark the mercerized cotton thread was, i sued a reduced strength dye from concentrate (2 tbsp to 1/2 c water and 1/2 c ash solution). I’d also noted the inconsistent dye of some of the earlier yarns, so i was much more careful with the blue and i agitated those more than with the earlier orchid and emerald.

• A: cotton yarn, emerald, essentially T=0
• B: cotton yarn, T=10 min . The emerald yarns and threads were in with the tank top and may not have gotten the agitation needed. Note the irregularity in the color.
• C: cotton yarn, orchid, essentially T=0.
• D: cotton yarn, orchid, T=10. Orchid yarns were in their own dyebath.
• E: cotton yarn, azure, T=0. The azure *yarns* were in the same dybath as the tank top, with much agitation. They were left in the dye much longer than the orchid and emerald, as well.
• F: cotton yarn, azure, T=10. (Had timer present for azure dyebath.)
• G: mercerized cotton thread, emerald, T=0. The tight acrylic tyes and the tight twist of the skein, plus low agitation kept this yarn from a consistent dye.



• H: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=0.
• I: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=10.
• J: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=20.
• K: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=30.
• L: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=40.
• M: mercerized cotton thread, orchid, T=50.

A, B, E, F (click link to see before) ecru crochet thread; C , D (link to before) white. D also has black accent.

I think the pairs ecru green & purple motifs were staggered by ten minutes, and we can say they started at essentially T=0. The blue was in the full strength dyebath at T=0. I’m not sure when the white-to-orchid motif went in. Visually, it seems it must have been after T=0.

Next time:

• Continue to weaken the dyebath – 1 tbsp to 1/2 c water, or 1 tbsp to 1 c water – and also try shortening the duration to less than the full hour.
• Don’t tie skeins tightly.

Meadow Resistance

"Meadow Tank Top" experiment in using "Elmer’s Washable Clear School Glue" as a resist. Emerald and Azure over thrift store white tank top. Attempt to use hairspray as a resist seemed to have failed. Glue was good though!

Next time:

• Let glue dry a whole day or more.

Once “note” for this test is that i am using pre blended colors: i understand from my reading that the components of the colors can have different uptakes with time. If there is a fast reacting color (say red) and a slow reacting color (say blue), the first item in may pull a larger ratio of the faster reacting dye out of the dyebath than later elements. It’s possible i’ll see color shifts as well as gradations.

I’ve been working on this post in draft mode, but now that i’ve ordered the dye, i’ll post & keep updating as i prepare the skeins & swatches.

1. Done: Check how much the motifs already worked up in white thread weigh; round up in ounces. (six weigh around 0.2 oz) Plan to dye in motif-friendly N oz skeins. N = 0.2 oz
2. Done: Find out how many yards per oz.: motif friendly M yard skeins. M = 26 yds
3. Select different color (acrylic) yarns for tying off skeins and flagging swatches.
1. A (urea): grey
2. B (2nd color, urea):
4. Once skeins & swatches are prepared, use a permanent marker & tape, number the skeins/swatches to indicate duration of dyebath. The expectation is that the gradient will be obvious enough to tell the difference in the ten minute cycles, tape tags are “just in case.” Lable only 2-5.

Group 1: full set

These yarns get the full experimental set of two sets of six skeins to dye in two different colors with a urea presoak, long enough to make up things, and a two sets of six swatches to dye with a water or urea presoak, plus one undyed swatch.

• new white #10 thread: Royale Classic Crochet, Size 10, 100% Mercerized (2730 yds) Skeins done: 0. Swatches done: 0
• ecru #10 (#20?) thread: 0.2 oz = 2x16x29 inches = 928″ = 25.7 yds Skeins done: 7. Swatches done: 6+4 Not likely enough for 12 skeins.
• Sugar’n Cream, cotton worsted 4 ply, white, 120 yds — actually, this only had enough for one set of skeins. I made six skeins roughly 16 yards each. Skeins done. Swatches done.

Group 2: minimal set

These yarns are just made up in one set of swatches, soaked in urea.

• old white #10 thread, to see manufacturer difference. Swatching in triangle motifs. Swatches done: 2.5.
• black #10 thread, to observe over-dye. Swatches done: 0.

Group 3: single color swatch set

I’ll purchase three skeins each of these for 60, 40, and 20 min dye baths, as well as the one skein for the full range of 2×6 swatches.

• DMC #5 perle cotton, 27.3 yds. Swatches done: 0.
• DMC 25 cotton embroidery floss, 8.7 yds. Swatches done: 0.

Dye order placed 2009-06-25

Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. - 30A NEW EMERALD GREEN PR30A-2 30A	1	4.50	4.50
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. - 34 RUST BROWN PR34-2 34	1	3.95	3.95
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. - 56 AZURE BLUE PR56-2 56	1	6.95	6.95
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. - 64 ORCHID PR64-2 64	1	3.95	3.95
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. - 10 FIRE RED PR10-2 10	1	4.50	4.50
Soda Ash Fixer 1lb. FIX1	1	1.69	1.69
Urea 1lb UREA1	1	2.10	2.10
Cotton Hankerchiefs - 12 pack CHSET	1	9.95	9.95
Ladies Silk Handkerchiefs - 12 pack SH	1	5.95	5.95

Thanks to Kimberly Swygert’s stained white denim jacket, i spent the weekend researching low-water immersion dyeing with a few excursions into how a simple resist might work.

The start was finding that Dharma Trading Company has clothing blanks — undyed clothing ready to take the lovely dyes. But better than than: much of the cotton clothing is assembled in the USA and the company makes an effort to avoid sweatshop conditions in their Indonesian sources for rayon clothing. They’re venturing to bamboo fabrics (essentially a type of rayon) as well. I found myself imagining extreme projects of wardrobes from bolts of undyed organic hemp and sweaters from the undyed yarns offered. I’ve reined myself in to three pairs of socks, a bunch of bandanas, and a tank top. And two skeins of sport- weight yarn.

Tray dying is a type of low-water immersion dying, where just the bunching of the fabric in the tray creates resists. This shows stitching as a resist — and i realize that the sewing machine could help these more delicate cousins to the ever-present tie-dye scale. I understand batik from the time spent making pysansky. And time is the issue there, oh the effort of melting wax. One fiber artist, Paula Burch, points to electric frying pans and appropriate mixtures of beeswax and paraffin, and then there’s boiling the fabric to release the wax — no thanks. But a little note at the bottom about glue resists triggered my imagination.

I found a workshop description noting that ,”[t]echniques include: oatmeal resist, flour resist, cornstarch resist and household glue resist,” but no photos. A silk painting fiber artist described a bit of using glue but a struggle to get it out. Yet, she was doing oh so gently handled and painted silk. The low-water immersion method with procion dyes requires several rinsing steps (low water is relative). That might mean that the resist would need to be reapplied every time — which actually could be quite fascinating in that dyes could go down on bits of fabric that had previously had resist, producing areas with multiple true dye colors.

The diamond+squiggles pattern is a rough experiment in how the transparent procion dyes might layer in an overdying situation. I have resisted beginning a stencil template laser cut from Pokono (but i spent time looking through my collection of global clip art books, and oh, the Japanese seal designs appealed to me). First, actual experimentation would be needed to see how well resists work to see how fine a line could be kept (without going to harder resists like gutta and wax).

The colors in the diagram are grabs from the digital swatches at Dharma. The transparency is just a guess, and my mouse drawn lines are made with less control than i could with an actual brush or applicator. I left some errors, though, just so i could see the effect. The colors don’t show the potential effects from mottled scrunched fabric. My original vision of subtly varigated solids gives way to explosions of pattern and color.

As a final note, i’m not starting with the warm and cool primaries as often outlined in hand dying tutorials. I get my color blending fix from Golden paints, so spend some time looking at the colors predicted as being in next fall and winter and then realized what i really ought to do is look at the beads i’ve bought but haven’t used. Generally, i find myself thinking, “What will i wear with them?” The emerald and sapphire seem to come close to the green and blue glass beads at hand, and i think the copper cording and wire would work well too.

I haven’t placed my order yet. I stay my hand, thinking about WHEN i could do this, recognizing that i’m not sure when i’ll have time to do this. On the other hand — i’ve spent all weekend thinking about it!

Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. – 30A NEW EMERALD GREEN #PR30A-2 30A StockInfo: 1 $4.50 $4.50
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. – 34 RUST BROWN #PR34-2 34 StockInfo: 1 $3.95 $3.95
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. – 56 AZURE BLUE #PR56-2 56 StockInfo: 1 $6.95 $6.95
Fiber Reactive Dye 2 Oz. – 64 ORCHID #PR64-2 64 StockInfo: 1 $3.95 $3.95

I rarely accessed the archived boxes, so shelving them deep in the corner is acceptable. It does feel neater and less like a jumble, so thats a win.

The biggest win is that getting to the files and finding things, particularly files that were way in the back of the drawers, is much easier with the tubs.

Shelving from IKEA, tubs from Office Max. Outlay was definitely less than a replacement quality file cabinet.

Before.

The drawers were nigh impossible to open.

After.

Could i scan the images and duplicate them all? It does have a copyright statement (so i’ve added that to the Copyright Evidence Registry). Since it was published between 1964 and 1977, that is sufficient to set the copyright to 95 years after publication. So, no duplication and posting the book on the web. Instead, i’ll use the pages for simple seasonal cards.

Interestingly, the author of the book, Rosalind Welcher, is noted on the back fly leaf as “best known, perhaps, as the creator of the Panda Prints greeting cards, where the excellence of her example has impelled the entire industry to try, not always successfully, to improve.” The book itself is published by Panda Prints Inc.

I did stop to take some photos in the garden. I’d planted some chard and spinach on the 23th of August (or there’bouts): the squirrels dug it up. The Meyer lemon is blooming beautifully. It’s definitely been tomato ripening weather. I’m afraid i let the squirrels get too many of those fruit, too.

While i’m updating, i should also note that months ago, when i was fiddling with printing, i asked the Artistamp folks about acrylics through the mail — too sticky? adhere to other mail pieces? Jenny Groat and Mike (“mikesrgreen”) recommended clear bags from www.clearbags.com.

A. Collect tools & ingredients:
[✓] M get pizza stone
[✓]] M get ingredients (safeway brand flour, cornmeal; Fleishman’s breadmachine yeast)
* granulated yeast (at least 2 packets for first try; jar would be good)
* all purpose unbleached white flower
* cornmeal
✓ have coarse salt
[✓]] identify something that can act like a pizza peel – the small cookie sheet with the bent corners will work, esp if used bent corners down..
[!!] identify dough storage device
>>> 5 qt spec, but we’ll do half recipes so 2.5 qts
>>> *NOTE* have two 2 qt tupperware that could work well after first mix — 2008-09-06: well, maybe.
>>> bottom shelf clearance req h <= 6.5"

[✓] M season pizza stone by baking at one hour at highest temperature
>>> requires cool evening, cool day
>>> could be done during steps B, C, D

B. Mix and let rise 2 hours
* water, yeast, flour, salt
* container
* wooden spoon

2008-09-06: approximated 3/4 tbsp as 2 1/4 teaspoons — ha! not an approximation!

C. Refrigerate at least 3 hours

D. Shape, rest 20-40 min[1], & bake
* dusting flour, cornmeal [3]
* dough in container
* knife to cut free dough, slash top[2]
* “peel”
* stone (in preheating oven)
* cake pan (in preheating oven) Revolving tray holds 1 cup of water.
* 1 c water for cake pan

[1] 1 lb boule 40 min; 1 lb baguette or 2 1/2 lb baguettes 20 min;
[2] no slash on ciabatta
[3] ciabatta has no dusting flour, book specifies sliding flour instead of cornmeal. See below!

Step D questions/experiments:
* We don’t want to bake a pound at a time, maybe a half pound. I think this means 20 min rising no matter what shape, but see below
* It would be delightful to make roll size. Recipe on pp 108-9 divides the 1 lb into six rolls, rests 40 min if refrigerated, 20 if fresh.
* Convection oven, tiny oven — how will that affect the times and temperatures? 2008-09-07: Do NOT use the yeast bread setting (which is at 400 degrees). Takes an extra 10-15 minutes, at least.
* Our grocery’s “ciabattas” have cornmeal on the bottom. Neener.

Step D PLAN to make buns like we like from the grocery:
* half a grapefruit size ball of dough removed with wet hands
* gluten shield maneuver
* quarter dough , shape into squared buns no thinner than 3/4 of an inch
* place on corn meal “peel”
* preheat to 425 (adjusting down because convection oven)
* bake 15-20 min