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Beginning Dyeing

colored material

 

I have been dyeing wool for years but am new to dyeing cotton.  But I use cotton scrim in my nuno felted scarves.  I have purchased hand dyed cotton on Etsy before but since the scarves were a hit at the fairs last year I have to up my productivity.  It only makes sense to do my own dyeing and keep up with my philosophy of making as much of my products as I can.

Unfortunately or fortunately there are different dyes and processes for wool versus cotton.  I looked for many ways to avoid having to learn something new but came to the conclusion I would just have to dive in and take a crash course on my own.  I ordered a procion dye kit from Dharma Trading Co. in San Rafael.  I was intimidated by the gloves, mask and what seemed like very complicated directions.

I took the plunge though and each time I do a new batch it gets easier and more familiar- like most things in life.  I was rewarded by the gorgeous shades that came to be on my yards and yards of the loosely woven material.  It is almost addictive at this point.

Since I am not using a precise recipe or scale I just eyeball all the ingredients and each batch is one of a kind and unique.  However that means it is also hard to reproduce.  I however enjoy that part of the dyeing process.  It keeps the art and wonder in there since it’s always a slight mystery of what color will remain.

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