Testing Test... 1 2 3!!!

Whew, I've been busy!

Besides working on two new designs, and finishing up the layout for a bunch of other patterns on the computer, I have putting together my "library" of dye samples!

Previously, I went and made samples of all base dyes that I have available to me...

Then I decided to create small samples of each colour blending into every other colour... I hand-painted gradients from one colour to another. Each gradient contains 5 dye soluations: 100% DyeA, 75% Dye A and 25% DyeB, 50/50% DyeA and DyeB, 25% Dye A and 75% DyeB, and 100% DyeB.

That's a lot of samples.

When they were set and dry, I cut them up and mounted them on cards for easy reference - DyeA on one end, and DyeB on the other.

Next step - photograph! I took a carefully light-controlled image of each card, and put them into on my computer.

After cropping and sorting these photos, I created colourwheel images for every dye base I have.  This way, I can see EVERY shade I can make by blending one colour!

The other day I had my friend Sara over. We had sooo much fun with these samples - we really put them to work! She wished to create a grey sock yarn for a present for her dad, and I wanted to dye some worsted yarn to knit a present for a family member. After dumping the sample cards on the table and drooling over all the possible colour combinations for a bit, she decided to try a diluted blend of black with a dash of cobalt.

I dyed my wool with a mixture of 75% turquoise and 25% black.

We were both SUPER happy with the results! Now I just can't wait to try more complicated combinations - that will be my next dyeing experiment!

Cheers!
-Grace

Dyeing... Touching Base

In the last few weeks, I have been REALLY into dyeing my own yarn.  I have played a little with roving, but most of my experimentation has used wee little samples of DK or worsted weight super-wash wool yarn. I bought the entire spectrum of colours available in one fantastic line of acid dyes, and I set about dyeing little samples of each colour. I want to establish my own colour palette, and I need to see what my base colours look like before I can do that.

First I created one litre bottles of stock in every colour... now I have a wonderful supply in my cabinet that I can pull out whenever I need!

Then I set about working my way around the colour wheel, making both light and bold samples of each colour of stock.

I have been making precise measurements and recording notes as I go. I have been taking care to make sure that all my results are completely "re-creatable".

I have been dip-dyeing and steaming my results... for these tests, that seems to be the quickest and most efficient way to get through ALL those colours at once in my tiny little work space!

I played around just a LITTLE bit with colour blending... mostly to see if I could make my own green.  I wasn't very happy with the first results, so I over-dyed it again with a stronger solution, and I am quite happy with this new shade. However, I have decided to complete my studies of all the base colours before I start a separate study of my entire pallet - making samples of all the blending options I have between dye stocks!

When all my samples were steamed and dried, I wrapped small lengths of yarn around index cards so I have easy access to a visual record of each colour. Now I can pull these out to see with my own eyes what each colour looks like before I set about designing a future colour combination.

Next stop: To create samples of the entire palette available to me. This will include tests with black dye and weak solutions so I can see all the tints and shades of my base colours. I have already got a start on it now, and will share the results as soon as I have them photographed!

Special thanks to my lovely sister Michelle for helping me take photos of the process!

Cheers! 

-Grace

Happier Than A Pig In... Pink!

This weekend I tried dyeing some yarn! I have had a little experience with acid dyes under the instruction of my good friend Jo Anne, and I have been craving to give it another go for a while now. So last week, I bought some acid dyes from Maiwa on Granville Island and started to play with some different hand-painting techniques. I have only cracked open one colour so far - but even playing with different dilutions of a single shade has provided me with lots of inspiration and experimentation!

I tested out a few different strengths of one shade of fuchsia - just by adding more water, I got paler shades of pink.

Than I hand-painted two skeins to try to achieve a "tonal" look. The first skein is purposely lighter than the other.

I was fairly happy with the lighter skein, but I thought the colours in the darker skein were too broken up. So the next day, I decided to try to over-dye both skeins in a diluted shade of fuchsia to see if I could even out the colours a little.

The bottom skein in the above photo is my first/lighter skein and top skein is my second/darker skein.  I was VERY happy with how the first skein turned out. I think the second skein is now a little too dark overall and is still has too much contrast between shades.

So just for kicks, I dyed a third skein, with a different technique to try to get the subtle colour shifts I was looking for. I wanted just a little bit of variation, so the yarn would look like a solid colour from a distance but still have a little bit of contrast to add some interest.  I believe I had success with this third skein! (Featured on the bottom of the photo below.)

I knitted up a little bit of each skein to see what the swatches would look like! In conclusion, I was equally happy with the results from skeins 1 and 3, but the third skein required less steps and gave me a more consistent look overall. If I was going to recreate a slightly-tonal yarn again, I would use the same procedure I tried on the third skein. I took photos of the swatches, but the photo for my second skein turned out HORRIBLE, and I frogged it before I checked it properly on the computer - my bad! So I apologize for the crappy comparison photos below! In order, they feature skeins 1, 2 and 3:

I can't wait to try out some more dying! Next, I want to create a lighter tonal pink yarn, then start to play with some purple.. I'm going to work my way around that colour wheel :D

Cheers!
-Grace