ENTWINEMENTS

I have created a group at Flickr, Sundyes at Entwinements, so that participants can upload photos.  You need and invitation to become an uploading memeber, and I think that I have sent invitations  to all participants.  If you haven't received your invitations just let me know and I'll send you a new one.  Everyone, even non-participants, can see the photos. They can be photos taken at the workshop or even more interesting is what your projects look like when after the workshop.  What do those wonderful colors look like after they have dried and/or then been used in a project. 

Please share!  The more we see the more we learn.  Sometimes it is easier to learn form someone elses' project because we  didn't come with any expectations for their project and we can see it for what it really is.

Posted by Karren at 05:55 PM | Permalink

I think people enjoyed painting their skeins last Sunday afternoon.  A little color here, a little more there and soon everyone is into fun colors.

 

 

 

 

Now on to indigo, the oldest and yet the hardest dye to use.  There is already a lot on this blog about indigo since the Japanese love indigo so and it is the most forgiving dye to use for shibori, so it is great for shibori novices.  Let's just look at some pics of indigo dyed cloth:

 

 

 

 This is a T-shirt with a few lines of stitched shibori

 

 

 

I hope you can see how many colors of indigo there are.

 

I will be preparing the vat, all you have to do is bring your yarn or cloth ready to dye. The fiber should be cotton or other vegtable fiber to take the high pH of this vat. For those who want to know about making the indigo vat you can read instructions here.

 

Posted by Karren at 07:40 PM | Permalink

PAINTING SKEINS

This is a more difficult project than the dip dyeing.  I think that the fiber reactive dyes are more difficult, but the best option for cotton and other cellulostic fibers.

You may paint a skein or a warp.  We learned last week that when there are only 5 people in the workshop and when they  co-operate, you can dye a lot more than 8 oz. of fiber.  Every one will get to do their 8 oz. then if time and materials allow, you can do more.  Come prepared for more.

In painting you are putting colors side by side, not layering them.  This means that you can put red and green beside each other with out getting the dreaded mud brown.

However this is also what makes the process more difficult.  You have painted one spot your favorite color and now what color do you put beside it?  Any color in the world, this can be too many choices.  What will it look like?


I suggest  that you bring a picture, variegated yarn or natural object to help.  We can then pick 3-5 colors from that design inspiration for the first painting experience.  Once you have painted one skein, you might have more or new ideas about the second.   

Here is a picture that Carol sent me, I suspect it was taken with the Hubble Telescope up high:

 

I see periwinkle blue, oranges,  dark browns and little bits of off-white.


So bring a magazine pictures, or a sample of a color combination to get started.

So any skein will work.  A warp will not muddle all the colors together when you weave, but put in lots of figure 8 ties to keep the warp in order.  Normal size skeins will blend the colors together.  If you make long skeins, say 10 yds. (a warping board will allow you to do this) you will get sucesive bands of colors.

Anyhow, come with some damp cellulose yarn and have fun with colors!

Posted by Karren at 12:28 PM | Permalink

We had a great time yesterday.  Five women came, they were nice to each other, helped each other, learned from each other-- we had a great time.  I forgot to take pictures, sorry.

 We did have one yarn that looked beautiful in the dye pot but washed out latter, so now we think it was not silk.  This is a relatively common problem in dyeing workshops.  I won't start speculation about why this happens because it could go on for far too long.  Just double check before you invest a lot of time dyeing.  Checking can be a simple as dipping a 2" piece of the yarn in a dyepot for 5 min., remove and rinse.   Or a burn test.

 

 We used Lanaset Dyes yesterday in six colors, suede, wheat, sage green, pink, bright blue and vivid purple.  I had 20L of dye bath mixed up and we just ladled some out to use for our dyeing,  the women asked how I mixed it up.  Most of the time the bath additives are given in terms of WOF but I general determine the amount of additives by the volume of the bath, a standard industry procedure.  Both work but yesterday it was more convenient to use the volume approach.

 

I measure the volume of water.  For each liter(about a quart) of water I added:

    * 2g of Glaubers salt (sodium sulfate)
    * 2g of a penetrant such as Albegal SET or Cibafluid LA
    * a pinch of sodium acetate
    * 1mL 49% acetic acid

Then I measure the pH, I want a pH of 4.5.  If it is higher than 4.5 I add more acid-- drop by drop, if it is lower than 4.5 add teaspoons of sodium acetate.  Measure the pH again.  Keep adjusting until 4.5 is reached.

 

The amount of acid needed will depend on your water, my water comes from a limestone aquifer and requires a lot of acid.  You may need less.  The sodium acetate and acetic acid are used to maintain the pH of the bath; it does not matter the absolute amount that you use, it just matters what the pH is.

Posted by Karren at 12:39 PM | Permalink