My small color wheel from Michael's
All what I need to get started dyeing my wool.RUG HOOKING BLOG
About Me
- Julia
- I'm a mother of four grandmother of seven and great grandmother of three. I live with my husband in the house that we built with the help of my brothers and will have been married for 57 years this February.
Monday, February 28, 2011
MY DYEING EQUIPMENT
Little by little I've bought some of my dyeing equipment that April had on the list but I still need a crock pot but I'm not ready to use one just yet.
My large canner holds 7 wide mouth quart jars and my hooking binder where I keep all my information and prices of all my rug hooking supplies. My sewing machine is only partly visible. I use it to zigzag the edge of my backing to prevent it from fraying.
My Cushing dyes and TOD dying spoons which I got from The Cushing company
My small color wheel from Michael's
Two additional enamel pots for dyeing, one was $4.99 and the large one was $5.99
My cheap projector to enlarge my designs on the wall. It's not the best but it works good enough for what I need it for.
I got my large safety pins to hold my color palettes together and some round tags to identify the color palettes, a pair of Friscar scissors that I bought at half price a few years back at Fabricville and some permanent fine markers to write on the labels, and even a bit of precut wool ready to dye.
All what I need to get started dyeing my wool.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving some comments. JB
My small color wheel from Michael's
All what I need to get started dyeing my wool.
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Are you going to show how to do it? I love seeing all of the things you got to dye with. Do you use that projector like you would a light box? April does us a crock pot doesn't she? My daughter in law uses her crock pot to dye her wool that she spins. It works good for her. I think the jars would work too. You could dye lots of different colors couldn't you.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see it. Thanks, I really enjoyed this Julia.
Isn't it fun just "accumulating" all the "tools" that we need for rug making?! I love all of my "dye" stuff....I really need to get it out and play with it soon.
ReplyDeleteWow that's alot of stuff!!
ReplyDeleteI like the projector where did you find that? and you keep track of all you have spent in your binder? That is a good idea may make you think twice on the next big purchase.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Julia, you are such a neat and organized person. I admire you!!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of people using crockpots. No stove top simmering. I have one, but haven't lent it permanently to the dyeing cause yet. Just seeing all your supplies out makes me wish I could stay home from work and plunge into the dye pots myself! Keep us posted with more of your dyed wool!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
Thanks for all your comments. I'll try to answer some of your questions. Farm Girl.-- I'll try to show how I go about dying my color palettes if I can find the time to take some photos. It would be nice to have someone here to take pictures as I work.
ReplyDeleteThe projector is for projecting an image of what you want to draw and make it bigger ... I take a small drawing and put it under the projector and turn it on and the light project the image on the wall. I use a large sheet of grid paper to trace what is projected on the wall.
The crock-pot is to dye larger piece of wool that wouldn't fit into the jars. You can just turn it on so you don't need to use a stove burner.
The jars are used to dye 7 different color values all at the same time. Each jars has a different measure of prepared dye solution and is filled half full of warm water and the prepared wet piece of wool that measures 6" x 13" is added.
You need one to two inches of warm water in the canner and put the cover on and when the water is boiling you boil the water for 30 minutes and then you add two tablespoons of vinegar in each jar making sure that you stir the wool as soon as the vinegar is added and remove the wool out of the jar and put it back in again to get your color even.
I want a mottled appearance so I barely stir the water in the jars.
I am keeping track of how much my dyeing stuff cost so if I ever need to sell them I'd have an idea of how much it cost me. Plus It's also an a good idea to know how much it cost to get set up properly.
The projector was purchased at Michael's Art store and it's one of the cheaper one. This one cost only $35.00 plus tax.
They had one for around $400.00 but unless I was designing for a business it would be way too expensive for me. JB
I forgot to mention that you need to boil for another 30 minutes after the vinegar is added and let everything cool until the next morning so all the colors are absorbed in the wool.
ReplyDeleteThe wool is put into the washer on a rinse cycle and dried in the dryer with a sheet of fabric softener and a couple of old bath towels. JB
I'm impressed. And I agree with WeaverPat - you are so organized. I'd be embarrassed for you to see my hooking corner. :)
ReplyDeleteOK, Julia...I was just going to say that you are SO organized! I love to be organized too, but you are super ood at it!! Can't wait to see the next project!!
ReplyDeleteThanks you girls for your praises but really, I'm not that organized. I just follow suggestions to make things go smoother. I can't work in chaos but I live with a super disorganized person which is not always easy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband drives me crazy because he's so disorganized as he never put things back where they belong and then can't find what he's looking for and gets upset because he blames someone else for not putting his tools where they should be. lol... You should see our office. I've organized the office but he leaves papers piled up everywhere. Grrr...
Julia ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing all your dyeing supplies. I've bought some second hand supplies and am just waiting for them to get here. I really want to try my hand at dyeing but finding/making the time will be hard.
Hugs :)
Lauren
Julia, I so want to try hooking again. Hand dyed wool is so unique and beautiful and must give the dyer a sense of peace, knowing that only through patience and good planning, a rainbow emerges from the kitchen. I used to keep bees, or rather, they kept me, but no time for it now. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHey mom, make sure that there are no dings or cracks in the enamel of your pots because even the smallest bits of rust can change your colour. The rust "saddens" the colour or makes it duller.
ReplyDeleteI had someone tell me that they used crock pots for doing all their dyeing and they sold roving comercially! I think that she had 9 crock pots that she picked up on super sale or at a place like Value Village.
Jackie, I'll check them out throughly in the good light tomorrow. I've been thinking of buying a crock-pot at Value Village but the cover was missing. I'm looking for duller or antique colors anyway but I know what you mean with iron dulling or even blacken the colors. Thanks. Mom
ReplyDelete