A Good Day To Dye

I just love the colours in these little pansies! The way the purple back slips around gently into the rusty red which segues into the yellow centre with dark maroon stripes. Swoon. How would you copy that in dye without getting mud? Ma Nature, Master Dyer.

Well, I busted a gasket yesterday morning and spent several pleasant hours digging in the front garden before the rain started. Then with tired fingers I finished the last leaves and roots for Papyrine:

So she’s all ready to dye today. It’s rather cool for the fibre reactive dyes I plan to use but I can tuck the whole package under the plant lights for heat enough to set the dye properly. This is my only chance to add colour to the seemingly endless white paper knitting (50 hours plus invested so far) so I sincerely hope I don’t screw it up. No, I definitely don’t want to leave it white – I want it to look more like a tree. Good thing I have over 40 years of dye experience, huh? Doesn’t mean I don’t still get surprises however!

I figure while I’ve got the Procion MX dyes out, I might as well try dyeing the 2 skeins of bamboo/nylon sock yarn at the same time. I have no idea how the nylon will react so it could be “interesting”. There are always compromises and surprises with these bi-component yarns where one is protein and the other cellulose. I’ll be trying for a more-or-less even colour in a dark warm brick red. I’d cross my fingers but that just makes it hard to work.

While the dyes are batching, I hope to get back outside for some more mucking about in the dirt. The sun is in and out of the clouds at the moment but it’s not supposed to rain. I have to have all my seedlings planted very soon so I can clear the greenhouse so I can plant the tomatoes in it. Whew! I’ve been holding the seedlings for too long in flats as it is. But the weather has not been cooperative and the garden isn’t ready to receive them yet. Despite all my hard work. Whine. Whine. so I had better get down to the dye studio pronto.

Wish me luck.