Dye, Dye My Darling!

01 Jul 2010 3 Comments

by debinca in Art, Color, Fiber Tags: bar mitzvah, hand dyed wool, handspun, kipah, tallit

I’ve devoted the last several months to finishing a hand-spun tallit (prayer shawl) and kipah for my son’s bar mitzvah on June 19 – and planning all the details of a weekend-long series of synagogue services (the backbone of the occasion) and celebrations with family and friends.  Just before the weekend, we went to the American Jewish University campus, which is one of the few places in the area with a non-Orthodox community Mikveh for a ritual that marks the change of status – in this case, from Jewish boy to Jewish man.  While there, we stumbled upon this remarkable exhibit, Uncommon Threads, which takes the concept of fiber arts way beyond fabric and yarn.

A crock of wool.

Last weekend, I finally had time for some new work of my with fiber when the LA Spinning Guild held its annual Dyefest.  I attended last year, was inspired enough to come home and order some of my own dyes, then stuck them in a drawer until I could learn more from my friends at the guild and lots of books. I didn’t dye as much as I had hoped while at the Dyefest, but I learned some new techniques, including a new way of using the crock-pot for some gorgeous water-color results.  I have also finally figured out that dye is more similar to watercolor than other kinds of paint, but it’s not exactly the same.  It’s transparent, but it also forms a chemical bond with the wool, and the outcome is affected by the size and structure of the different color molecules and how quickly they bond with the fiber.  Mixing red and yellow won’t necessarily get a nice even orange like it does with paint, because once it all goes into the dyepot, if the red molecules attach faster than the yellow (which tend to be slower), it’s not just a matter of waiting for the yellow to catch up.  The reds might use up all the available molecular “partners” leaving few or none for the yellow to bond with.  It’s completely different color theory than anything I’ve done using paint.  The really great thing is the magic of the dyepot:  what starts as a nearly opaque, simmering pot of color eventually turns back into clear (or almost clear) water as the dye “exhausts” – not because it’s tired, but because the color molecules have exhausted out of the water and onto the fiber.  Acid dyes (so called because they need an acid p.H. balance in the water to work with protein fibers – which is provided by vinegar or citric acid) need to be processed with heat – steam, a simmering dye pot, or crock pot. Some people get very technical with measurements, and I started with good intentions of geekiness, but in the end I used some loose proportions to calculate how much dye to use, and just played around to see what happened.  Next I’ll try to replicate results over several batches, which means taking notes and measuring.  I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do with any of this fiber; at this point, it’s pure color play and eye candy.

It’s Wensleydale, Gromit!

Even the clean-up paper towel looks pretty!

The crock pot - assembled and ready to go.

Locks with dye applied, before squishing and steam setting.

Turquoise dyepot.

Dye stocks mixed and ready for action - the yellow took some time to dissolve.

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