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