Monday, October 12, 2009

Thanksgiving dyeing

So this is the Thanskgiving long weekend around here, and I don't have to go to work! In fact, I don't have to do anything at all. But I do have some roving that has been waiting to be dyed, so today is as good a day as any other.

This is some undyed Corriedale pencil roving that I have. I haven't played around with any dyes for a long time, so it was good to get back into it. I had to dig out my pots and dyes... ran out and got some Kool-Aid and food colouring too. Just to play around a bit, you know.

But there is a problem. Here is the undyed roving:


And here is the roving after I dyed it. I got some pretty good colours; I might want to change it just a bit, the next time. But I don't quite like the way it has come out -- the roving, I mean.
When it was undyed, it was nice and fluffy and easy to draft. But when it was wet-processed, it seems to have flattened out to almost nothing. I would almost swear there isn't as much fibres as there was before! I did open up some roving, fluffed it up, and I really don't think there is as much wool as there was! Could some of it wash away? I don't get it. I didn't weigh it after, but it just doesn't seem as if there is all the roving that I started with. Oh, well. I did spin some of it already on the spindle, but this sure does puzzle me.

I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you may be. There is much to be thankful for, despite my complaining, and we need to keep that in mind. I had a good day, and I wish the same for all of you.

3 comments:

Linda said...

It sounds like you had a productive weekend. What will you be doing with the roving?

Alwen said...

I've heard of silk being weighted with salts, but I'd be surprised to find that done to roving. Can't wait to see it spun up.

Der Geezer von Tampadorf said...

Hey, Bubba!
I've had the same thing happen. Solution:
1. Dye water was one temperature, rinse water was another.
2. Swirling the wool in the dye caused agitation.
3. Your life of Sin & Wrongdoing caught up with you and you've soiled your wool with your evil ways.

Never-the-less, forge ahead. Spin it up after really heavy pre-drafting and you'll be fine. You haven't lost any mass of the wool. It's simply compressed [read fulled] and with some pre=drafting will come back to life.

Hopw all is well for you up in TundraLand . . .

Hugs,
~Mike in Tampadorf . . .