Remember when I posted about the Dye Party? One of the people there, Rachael, did this cool finger painting method and I was itching to try it out. It’s a more messy and random method, and sometimes its fun to not be precise.
For this experiment, I used Lillian, a single ply of 100% Mulberry Silk. I really enjoy dyeing silk, because of the beautiful luster it gives.
Lillian was soaked in water for 30 minutes while I prepped my materials. I mixed up two bowls of Jacquard Acid Dyes in Hot Fuchsia and Turquoise (Yeesh, I didn’t realize how often I use this color combo. I’ll remember to branch out!). I added 1/16 tsp of dye powder and 1 tsp of citric acid in each bowl.
Plastic wrap was laid down on the counter and the yarn placed on top of it. Using gloved hands, I put my fingers into a bowl of dye.
And I started dabbing dye onto the yarn in random splotches. Just keep dipping into the dye and getting some more.
I did the same thing with the turquoise dye.
And over and over and over and over. I started getting to the point I was scooping water in my hands and drizzling it over the yarn. I also gently squeezed the yarn to make sure the dye was getting everywhere.
Finally, the yarn was fairly saturated. This isn't a fast process, but it gives it a watercolor feel.
Using the plastic, the yarn was wrapped into a cinnamon roll and microwaved for 2 minutes and then 2 more minutes. I let it cool to room temperature, rinsed it and hung it up to dry.
It’s a beautiful softly variegated yarn. I like how it turned out. It would pair nicely with Zitron Traum Seide, don’t you think?
Stay tuned for next week where I test out another base color!
Ready to make your unique colorway? Hop on over to Makers' Mercantile® and pick up your undyed yarn and supplies. We can’t wait to see what you make, so tag us on social media with #makersmercantile!
About Tara
Tara Warburton is the former graphic designer for Makers' Mercantile® and a fine artist. She specializes in watercolor and colored pencil illustrations. She lives with her two cats, who are not helpful when knitting.
