Nope, no hand rinsing for me today. I dragged the hose up onto the deck and gave this lot a heavy shower and there was almost no dye run off, as flagrant as I am with the stuff.
I actually ironed the two batches from yesterday and only a very few came back downstairs for re dyeing.
So many goodies.
I found a large piece of silk that was a gift from my friend Anna. I forget the official name but it's smooth, slinky and shrieks when you rip it. I snatched it into fourths the other day and Sweetie fell off the back of the couch with her hair on end and hit the ground running at the noise.
All I recall about dyeing silk is that it's vinegar and not soda ash that sets the color. We'll see what comes of this.
I reset the dyestock colors this morning, mixing colors that were very low and remixing some new ones. Topping off others with a little water. There are no labels on the bottles- it's all a magical mystery tour from here on in.
There's still a half bucket of smaller pieces of cloth waiting for color. I'm going to give them the pizza dough treatment in a little bit. Letting things soak overnight is turning out better for me and the fabric.
I have to pace myself today or regret it. I'm off from the day job today because we are going to see the Braves play tonight at CoolRay Field. I could slave at the cloth in the sun til I drop but I really want to enjoy the evening without being exhausted when I get there. The whole family will be attending, a rare and joyous event.
3 comments:
Have fun at the game!!! I am so envious of your dyeing days. It is still late winter and too cold to open the dye pergola, but soon! I get citric acid (it is crystal like and what you get in things like Fruit Fresh) at the health food store (Kroger's also carries it in the bulk spice area). It's less expensive than vinegar and I think I get better results.
I love watching what you do! Little scraps that I purchased awhile back are making their way into some small pieces lately... last night a delicious ocher swatch became the moon!
Re: silk... I dye a lot of silk scarves, and while I have used vinegar, my hubbie hates the smell! I have also used citric acid, but soda ash works just fine. Only difference is I nuke the silk in a ziplock baggie, stopping after 30 seconds to let the steam subside, and repeat for 4 times. Then I very carefully remove from the baggie to rinse and wash. Works beautifully!
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