May 27, 2011

Indigo Dye Over Onion Skins


Took some of the superwash Blue Face Leicester I got at MDSW festival and went to a natural dye workshop out in the country here in Virginia.  I came away with this.  The fibre is dyed with onion skins brightened in the pot by tin and then overdyed with a dip in a woad vat and a dip in an indigo vat.

I can see that the result is very striking and that the colours are harmonious.  Some handspinners at the workshop admired the combination very much.

Me, I think the fibre could star in its own science fiction horror movie.

For the right person, someone who likes autumnal colours, once the fibre is spun and knit it will make a gift that's really something.

There are only two ounces.  I am going back and forth trying to decide on the way I want to spin them.  I could spin a fine yarn with two plies and make fraternal mittens.  On the other hand, the colour might look more punchy and more evenly blended in a soft, fluffy worsted three-ply yarn.  If I go that way, I'll probably need to spin up some of the same wool undyed to eke out the yardage for a hat.  There's always the option of stranded knitting using this colour against an undyed background, though I think the result would be diluted and rather wretched.

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