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Tuesday 13 April 2010

what a difference a colour makes!

I finished plying and winding the "easter yarn". I decided first to try plying with a commercial purple yarn, alpaca, but there was quite a lot of yarn on the bobbins - so I ended up plying the rest with a commercial sockwool, dyed charcoal (used for the tree of life socks...). all in all I have nearly 600 g of yarn now, though in two batches that don't really go together. still - the cat approves:)) ehm, that cat - quite embarrassing...when's a cat not a cat? when she is actually a tomcat! she must have been very young and we didn't look too closely when she "moved in", but now it's easily visible - and it explains, why "she" didn't like to befriend the neighbouring tomcat:)) he is quite small for a tomcat - but very friendly and he likes textiles to boot!

I wound 4 balls - but I have to admit that I prefer the purple one. not, because I like purple anyway - but I think even though the coloured yarn is the same on both sides, the mix with purple looks much friendlier and more inviting.
I also dyed the yarn with the Goodall's food colour - can green actually look poisonous? I think it can:
I spread a little bit of yellow food dye on the two skeins before, irregularly, so that it isn't a totally even dye. then I just put 125 ml of food dye with some vinegar into my dye pot - added water and the wool and heated it all up. simmering or 30 minutes seems to have done the job:
the green is actually very strong - and I'd say if poison had a single colour - it wouldn't be too far off:)) but I like it - I found a pattern for a lace scarf online and even though I wouldn't like to wear a whole sweater in a colour like this - I think a scarf like this would look good on any dark colour!

9 comments:

Delighted Hands said...

This is why we keep spinning and dyeingyarn-you are never quite sure what you will get but it is all good! I love the bright green!
(We had a stray cat we called a girl and took her in to be spayed-it turned out to be a neutered already male-surprised even the vet!)

Guzzisue said...

definately prefer the purple, probably becuse I'm plying a purple/blue mix to knit as a scarf for a friend.. Just hope I have enough yarn or she may have to have wrist warmers instead :-)

Woolly Bits said...

well, I nearly always prefer purple:)) if you don't have enough yarn for a long scarf, you can always make a neck warmer instead - at least it still goes around the same area - unlike the wrist warmers:)) I think my scarf could be used as a traffic light when done - I hope I don't cause any accidents next winter:))

Maire Ni Neachtain said...

If you want to get a really luminous green, you can also use Koolpops (you know those drink type things that you can freeze) as a dye...it's positively radioactive!! Mind you, you would need a lot of green coolpops to dye a hank of wool and as for the blue!
Maire Ni Neachtain

Leigh said...

Bettina, I am absolutely shocked that you, my natural dye hero, would use food color! Just kidding! ;) That greed reminds me of the color of antifreeze, which is poisonous, so "poison green" is a good name.

Love your kitty and love that purple! Maybe being a tom is better; no kittens in your future, eh?

Woolly Bits said...

Leigh, I hope you've recovered from the shock:)) I have to admit that I use whatever it takes to get the colour I want! well, nearly - if I think how many tests I'd have to do to even get close to a green like this - I'd rather take the food stuff:)) I'd probably end up with tons of other colours before I'd manage this!
and yes, you're right, I am quite glad not to end up with kittens - it's not easy to find good homes for them here and I couldn't keep them all! I'll have to have him spayed though, don't want the neighbours to suffer either!

Maire - I actually used 5 bottles of goodall's on 300 g of wool with this - though I think I'd have gotten a similar green with just 3 or 4. I'd have thought those ice loollies contain a lot of sugar too? will I end up with edible socks then?:))

Helen said...

You can get that really bright green with weld and indigo,but not of course quite so easily.
I love the yarn and really like the one with green in it -the not purple one-I do like purple but the other one I find more exciting.
I loved the egg cosies too but like you surprised at the colour loss. One wasn't brazilwood was it? Brazilwood is not all wash fast and the colour pours out if it is in hot soapy water

Woolly Bits said...

Helen - yes, the red was brazilwood! and I couldn't help myself and put all three of them into a proper wash - now the red is purple etc.:)) well, at least now the egg cozies match the doily:)) I find the change of brazilwood quite nice - I made several items like this and find it quite interesting to see the changes.... not for heirlooms of course, but ok for every day things.

ladyoftheloom said...

That is a crazy green!

I love your purple also!
Alice