Hints & Tips
I have read this tip at one of the newsletters of “Heritage Spinning & Weaving Weekly Newsletter” and I just wish I had read it before I had started my Husband’s sweater last year…
When you are working with a difficult pattern, throw a line inside your stiches each 20 rows or so. This way, if you make a mistake, when you take down your points the line will hold them together and you know where to start it over.
Just last month at my Guild, after a life time knitting, I have learned this simple tip to avoid tight casting line. Just cast your points on a larger needle. Thanks Nickie!!!
- Preferably work with the primary colours (Red, Yellow and Blue)
- Use light colours (avoid navy blue)
- Do not put too much dye, it will expand after the water hits up.
- Prepare your dyes according to instructions.
- You can prepare the solution for more than one dye.
In my case I put warm water, the dye, vinegar and salt. Shake it and use when I need.
Put the dry wool into your crock pot in a way that there are no spaces left for the fibre to move.
- Wet the wool inside the crock-pot with cold water to avoid felting. Press it so that the water penetrates all the wool.
- take it off the crock-pot and squeeze the extra water down by pressing it down. (you now have it in the shape of the crock-pot.
5 cms (2″) of water and half a cup of vinegar.
put the wool back in the pot.
You are ready to pour the dyes.
FUN TIME!!!
Pour yellow…
…pour red…
…pour blue!
If you are working with two colours only, you can leave a space without dye, sometimes even expanding you will get a natural area, or a lighter shade of the primary colour.
Sometimes the colours on the bottom will mix differently from the top and you can achieve different nuances.
With different tones of primary colours you will achieve different tones of secondary colours.
Yellow and Blue = Green
Yellow and Red = Orange or a brownish
Blue and Red = purple
Ok, now just put it on high and leave it there until the water boils.
Turn it off and let it cool down on the bowl. (I normally do it in the evening and let it cool down during the night.
If you put only enough dye, there will be no colour on the water. The wool will absorve everything, you can throw away the water. If you still have dye, you might take the wool out of the water (I flip it onto a surface that allows the water to go through) and mix a little bit of baking powder on the water to react with the acid of the dye.
Rinse twice or three times and if needed add some vinegar on the second rinse.
This is not totally dry yet, and the camera changes a little bit the colours, but you can have an idea. If you go to the Ontario Handspinners Seminar you will be able to see the real thing and more…
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