This was a weekend of mild experimentation :) I’d had an idea about a dyeing method that I wanted to try out. I was wondering about dyeing a scarf. My thought was that if you rolled it up like a jelly roll, set it flat side down in about 1/2 - 3/4 inches of dye solution, you might get a graded coloring on the scarf - the deepest color being on the edge that was on the bottom of the pot and lighter colors as you moved up through the width of the scarf via capillary action.
It’s not really bad, but it’s certainly not what I’d had in mind. Having thought about it for a while now, my best guess is that the scarf was too water-logged to let the dye rise from the bottom - that there simply wasn’t anywhere for the dye liquid to go, the yarn already being full of water.
But that’s just a guess and I’d be delighted to hear anyone else’s theories on the matter. I’ll probably try this again - after all, there’s a whole n’other side to that scarf :)
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umm, that is interesting- i’ve never had any degree of success dying garments (ask me about my tie-dying phase!!) so all i can do is agree with your hypothesis- there is a definite line of demarcation and less shading than i would have expected- it does appear you got even saturation along the entire length by your method of jelly-rolling the scarf, so that part was certainly successful-
Hey Robbyn! I think you’re right about the capillary action. When I put resists (rubber bands, clamps, etc) on silk the books always tell you to thoroughly soak the piece before dyeing so that you don’t accidentally get capillary dye action underneath the resist.
But the scarf is still very pretty!
i’m no dyer, but i’d be interested in seeing how the scarf looks with the other side dyed. i think that it’s starting to look pretty cool. :-)
Barb - Well, it was my first attempt at dyeing the garment rather than just the yarn…
Shows, doesn’t it? Heh…
The saturation amazed me though - that’s the deepest, most intense color I’ve ever gotten from the dye tablets. Definitely something to remember!
Laura - WOW! That’s good to know - thanks so much for sharing that information! I think I’ve still got to wet the yarn for the dye to take evenly, but maybe rolling it up in a towel before putting it in the pot would be a better course of action!
Opal - You got it :) I’m definitely going to give this another try. I figure I’ll use the same colors in the same proportions with a slightly different method on the other side and see what happens. Even if I get the same result, the scarf will at least be balanced :)
