I’m calculating how much dye i need. I’m deploying all the blanks into target containers. I’ve documented the techniques i want to try. Am i killing all sense of serendipity, spontaneity? Am i scared of the dye?

Not sure. Tomorrow morning will tell!

…wait…

So i tried making the dyes just at dusk, and i must say, i feel like i am missing dye. I seemed to just barely have 3 tbsp of purple dye, and that’s what i put in the 2c container
for the purple; i only made one red cup and one brown cup. I feel like i must have a unit wrong somewhere, but all the checking i’ve validates the concentration recipe.

Plans — from before the dye limits were observed — after the cut.

Dye Weekend (DWE) 1: red, brown, purple

The plans from the earlier post, updated:

Mixing dyes:

Prepare 1 gal hot water for soda ash
1 gal hot water to 9 tbsp ash
Get 7 cups hot water prepared.
Set out dye containers, dyes, measuring spoons, urea. 
Remember trick of laying down a damp rag to catch dust.
Rag to clean off tbsp for dyes.
Suit up.
Purple: 
	in cup container 2 tbsp urea, 2 tbsp dye
	in 2 cup container 4 tbsp urea, 4 tbsp dye
Red, a 2x dye, repeat twice:
	in cup container 4 tbsp urea, 4 tbsp dye
Brown, a 2x dye, repeat twice:
	in cup container 4 tbsp urea, 4 tbsp dye

Dye plan! (Have phone handy for documentation; timer)

* Loose scrunch and dye ziplock
	* TDF-10 - Purple cotton cardigan (faded) - purple 
	- wet cardi
	- purple: 1c/8tbsp dye 
	- soak 5 min
	- agitate
	- 1c soda
* red TDF-Y01, TDF-03 (new cardi & shirt)
	- shirt has been spiraled & tied
	- pre-wet both
	- cardi in bottom with 1c/8tbsp dye then 1c soda
	- agitate
	- 15 min
	- add shirt and 1c/4tbsp dye; 1c soda 
* red, brown, & purple thread and silk samples (see video)
	- ● red: ½c/4tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ◒ red: ½c/2tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ○ red: ½c/1tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ● brown: ½c/4tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ◒ brown: ½c/2tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ○ brown: ½c/1tbsp dye ½c soda
	- ● purple: ½c/4tbsp dye ½c soda
* Brown & purple per video techniques 
	- soak all items in the soda ash. This means the dye
		begins to fix as soon as it hits.
	- purple mix a 1c/8tbsp dye & decant into squirt bottle
	- brown mix a 1c/8tbsp dye & decant into squirt bottle
	* TDF-12 & 24 shirts - purple squirt
	* TDF-23 purple sweater - purple squirt, brown pour
	* TDF-09 jeans - purple squirt, brown pour
	* TDF-14 green sweater - brown squirt & pour
* TDF-06 a & b:
	- soak all items in the soda ash. This means the dye
		begins to fix as soon as it hits.
	- red mix a 1c/8tbsp dye & decant into squirt bottle
	- brown mix a 1c/8tbsp dye & decant into squirt bottle
	- a) squirt red top, brown bottom, brown slippers
	- b) squirt brown top, red bottom, red slippers

Estimates: I’m going to use 1.5 lbs for sweaters & jeans, 1 lb for shirts and the nightgowns. For each pound, i’m estimating the dark intensity of 8 tbsp (1/2 c) of concentrate.

1. Purple: 1.5 (TDF-10) + 2 (TDF-11&12) + 1.5 (½ TDF-09&23) + 1 (overdye TDF-06) = 6 lb ⇒ 3 c concentrate
2. Brown: 1.5 (TDF-14) + 1.5 (½ TDF-09&23) + 1 (TDF-06) = 4 lb ⇒ 2 c concentrate
3. Red: 2.5 (TDF01&04)+ 1 (TDF-06) = 4 (rounding up) &rArr = 2 c concentrate

Ok, i made only 1 cup of concentrate for each color last year. This seems extreme: i honestly thought i was going to need less dye. I just rummaged for containers so i now have a container volume of 7 cups.

Plan:

I’ve purchased three remaindered white 100% cotton jersey cardigans from Lands End and have an order to Dharma in my queue for t-shirts and a dress to pair with the cardigan. My dye choices from last year are rather bright and bold: and i realize i’ve yet to experiment with the brown and red dyes to see how they behave.

This weekend i spent some time with Photoshop and some random models from the web to see how my color choices might play out. I’m not entirely sure i would wear the brown-purple cardigan over the green and red shells, but i have an idea of what it might look like now. I also must recognize that if i were to over dye the brown purple with the green, i’d end up with something different from the emerald. I can’t be sure that the colors will simply be an translucent blend as with photoshop: my experiments with acrylic pigments have given me a good sense for how pigments don’t mix the same way the colors of light do.

Then there’s the way the dye takes to different fibers: depending on how the cotton has been treated the color may take with a vibrancy or a more faded tone: last year’s yarn experiments with mercerized cotton crochet thread and cotton yarn show the variations behind the cut.

No matter how “unexciting” one-tone dying is, i think i will make a simple red twin set and green twin set just for practical use. … I note that the low water immersion method i’d use is doesn’t exactly produce “simple,” and perhaps by the time i get to the green i’ll be more ambitious.

Then i’ll get adventurous with the brown purple pairing: this is because i have a variety or purple tops already (some of which are faded and i’ll experiment on as well), and some brown clothing items, so trying for a sophisticated multi dye process with this palette will be a pleasant adventure.

After the cut, the beginning of my 2010 dye plans, to be updated over the next few weeks.

Dark cardigan over light shell seems to be the right choice.
Multitone cardigan & simple shell.
“Neutral” brown on top and color at base of multi toned cardigan.

To Dye in 2010

LANDS END

TDF-01. (3) Women's Regular Rib-knit Button-front Cardigan 
	- 19605-46Q7, White, XL - $14.99 each
	cotton jersey
	[a: DWE 1; b ; c ] 

DHARMA Order placed 2010-04-13

The first three are rinsgspun cotton jersey.
	[DWE 2 ; ? ; ]
TDF-02. Feminine Fit Softee - #FFS, XL - $5.32
	Pair with TDF-01a
TDF-03.  Feminine Fit Softee V-Neck - #FFSVN, L - $6.36
	Pair with TDF-01b
TDF-04.  Fem Fit Softee Tank - #FFST, XL - $4.93	
	Pair with TDF-01c

TDF-05. [DWE ?] Jersey Princess Dress - #JPDSS, XL - $19.95
	Pair with at least one of the TDF-01

TDF-06. [DWE 1] (2) Rayon Short Sleeveless Dress - #BR4, 2XL - $19.50 ea
	Nightgowns, in complementary dye patterns

TDF-07. [DWE ?] Ladies Tank Tops - #LTTA, L- $5.55
	This is a "just in case" item: if the ringspun cotton the softees 
	clashes terribly with the TDF-01, this might not. Otherwise, gift?
TDF-08. [DWE ?] Dharma Camisole Extra Long - #DCAMEL, 3X - $6.60
	This is a "just in case" item. If i find a top that needs the coverage,
	I'll have a camisole at hand

Already At Hand
  TDF-09. [DWE 1-2] Tan jeans 
  TDF-10. [DWE 1] Purple cotton cardigan (faded)
  TDF-11. *Purple longsleeve top with ruffled edge (faded)
                 100715: can't find
  TDF-12. [DWE 1] *New purple longsleeve top with tea ring (*head desk*)
  TDF-13. Pam's yarn
  TDF-14. [DWE 1] *Christine's green cotton sweater
  TDF-15. [DWE 1] Misc set #1: hot pad,  undies
  TDF-16. Pink cord slack, size 12, with brown stains
  TDF-17. White shorts with brown spot*
                 bleached spot out
  TDF-18. White T with faded Friends School motto
  TDF-19. Un altered white Men's shirt
  TDF-20. Aqua strech capri leggings
  TDF-21. Faded black denim shirt
  TDF-22. 12 cotton handkerchiefs
  TDF-23. Old purple 20% cotton sweater Christine
  TDF-24. Faded black shirt
  TDF-25. Yuletide cotton yarn
* not in the dye box

Yarn Hanks Needed (2009 plan)

Mercerized:
  TDF-Y01. [DWE 1] dk (red|brown), md (red|brown) lt (red|brown)
  TDF-Y02. dark (red|brown), light (red|brown) (ikat)
  TDF-Y03. [DWE 2] dark green, week 1 
	-- this should be a very large hank
  TDF-Y04. [DWE 1] tri-tone red brown purple
  TDF-Y05. [DWE 2] tri-tone green brown purple
  TDF-Y06. quad-tone red, purple, green with brown 

Silk (Shoe) Ribbon:
   [DWE 1, 2] red sample, week 1 & week 2
   [DWE 1, 2] brown sample, week 1 & week 2
   [DWE 2] green sample
   [DWE 1, 2] purple sample, week 1 & week 2
   blue sample,  week 1 & week 2
	-- samples as small flower & leaf motifs?

Dye Weekend (DWE) 1: red, brown, purple (recipes here.)

* Loose scrunch and dye
	* TDF-14 - brown
	* TDF-10 - purple
* Manipulation & tray dying experiment with over-dying the three purple clothing 
	items TDF11-12: more manipulation 
* Dye TDF-09 jeans brown, over-dye with purple [over-dye could be left for the 
	next weekend]
* TDF-13 -- checked with Pam: purple, and left overs
* TDF-Y01, TDF-Y04
* red, brown, & purple silk samples
* TDF-06 a & b:
	shibori beans diagonally and two tone dye red-brown & brown red
	corn or potato starch over dye in purple (could be done the next weekend)

Dye Weekend (DWE) 2: week old red, brown, purple; new green

* Over-dye TDF-09 jeans purple, if was left for this weekend
* Over-paint starch on  TDF-06 a & b nightgowns, if left for this weekend
* TDF-Y02, TDF-Y03
* TDF-Y05
* week 2 red, brown, & purple silk samples
* week 1 green silk samples
* TDF-01a & pair: both shell and sweater in a light green dye bath, all over loose scrunched. 
	Overdye TDF01a in dark green dyebath

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]

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.

General Preparation Process

UF = Unit is the weight of fabric; 1F = 1 lb of fabric

Prepare fiber

Scour in a hot wash of 15 min with Synthrapol (1/2 tsp to 1F) & soda ash (1/2 tsp to 1F)

Mix powders into concentrate; soda into solution

Powders are of some chemical concern as irritant. Mix up all needed in a batch session: They keep for roughly a week, refrigerate for longer.

1 cup of hot water + 2-4 tbsp urea 
cool to below 95°
add 2 tbsp dye (see below for specific adjustments)

Later, the concentrate is mixed with more water or with soda solution. Note that there are two times to relatively increase the amount of dye depending on the tinting properties: mixing the concentrate & mixing the solution. AJ notes doubling black at the concentrate stage.

1 gal hot water to 9 tbsp ash
cool to room temp (but later says use warm?)

Dye recipes

primaries: 8 tbsp/1c
light primaries: 1 tbsp/1c
some color mixes involved ratios like 
	5 tbsp/1c + 2tbsp/1c
	4 tbsp/.5-1c + 6 tbsp/.5-1c

Dye process summary from p 25

Wet fabric 1c water to 1 yard
	sometimes the water is left in the container
mix dye concentrate to 1c dye soln to 1 yard
pour over fabric
	value, color parfait added soda at this point
wait 15 min 
	manipulation may happen here if more dye involved
pour warm (?!) 1c soda soln to 1 yard  
	this may have second dye concentrate 
	make sure to distribute through fabric
allow hour to wait. more Movement, more distribution of color

Chemical additives

UF = Unit is the weight of fabric; 1F = 1 lb of fabric

PROCION^® MX DYE: reactive dyes loose strength at room temp over 5-7 days. Keep cool. Lose strength above 95° F. Dye at 70°F-110°F. [See here]

UREA: “moisturizing.” Allows more dye in the concentrate. Use hot water to dissolve: will cool the water.

SALT: used to “force” the dye from the water bath into the fiber. AJ doesn’t think it’s necessary in low water method. (Standard method uses UF salt in dye bath of 20 F water.)

SODA ASH (sodium carbonate): Cellulose fiber fixative. In solution with water, indefinite shelf life. Dissolve in hot water, use at room temp. Can dye silk with same method, dramatic color variation.

DYE+SODA: at full strength for 15 min.

Specific color notes

10 FIRE RED* – requires 2X as much dye

30A NEW EMERALD GREEN*(T) – requires 2X as much dye; contains #25 Turquoise: Requires more rinsing to remove the excess dye ; Warmer tap water (up to 130F) when vat dyeing, can yield deeper shades; Using Glauber’s salt instead of plain salt when vat dyeing can also improve results.

34 RUST BROWN* – requires 2X as much dye

56 AZURE BLUE* – requires 2X as much dye; yields deeper shades when vat dyed at a higher temperature (hot tap water (130 to 150F).

64 ORCHID – no notes.

Tools

plastic 2 cup measures
plastic measuring spoons
heavy duty plastic spoons
funnels
something for soda solution
something for mixing/shaking dyes

googles, dust mask, rubber gloves

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