Dyeing alpaca

This post goes with the YST episode 108.

Awhile ago I got the dye pots out to try dyeing some alpaca. I had already washed and spun some of this alpaca fiber but there was quite a bit left. My thought was if I am going to get the fiber wet to wash it, I might as well then put it in a dye.

I give all the details of the process in the podcast.  I will give a few brief details here.

The alpaca didn't look it but was very dirty.  It took many wash and rinses before I was not seeing any dirt in the sink once I drained the water.  While going through that process, I got two dye pots made and heating on the stove.

I think this cactus bloom was the inspiration for my two dye pots:

For some reason my Christmas cactus decided to bloom this spring.  For the dye colors I picked a deeper version of green and maroon.

I used acid dyes, putting vinegar in the dye bath with the fiber. The pots were held on the heat just below boiling for 30 minutes, then I turned the heat off and let them sit there for about five hours. Then I removed the fiber, rinsed it several times, and let it dry.

This is the fiber before I picked it apart.

It was not easy to photograph, the pink is not really a hot pink, and the green is much darker.  I was really please with the dyeing.

I had some left over dye, not from the dye pots but from when I was mixing up samples of dye colors to decide what to use.  I had drum carded batts of this same alpaca, and I thought I'd see how it would work to wet the batts and pour the dye on them. I worked on Saran Wrap, laid out a batt, poured the dye and rolled the batt up in the wrap. I put it curled up into a glass pie plate, and then microwaved the packet very briefly.  The first batch did not work well, I forgot to add vinegar.  I did remember with the second batt and it took the color much better.

One batt each color and then one batt with both colors on it.  I like the very pastel affect, but doubt the yarn will show the color as much as the batts.  It was a fun experiment.  I have only used half of the fiber, so I may repeat the dye process one more time, as well as just wash more and card and spin it in it's natural color.  Then I can make a project with the three colors.

Dyeing inspirations

The colors around me this time of the year always make me want to dye yarn. So I thought I would include a few photos here for inspiration.

These are the leaves on my smoke tree:

I think what I really want is a knitted fabric that looks like these leaves. Not in an intarsia sort of design, where the colors are in specific shapes, but in a mottled blending of the greens and purples. I think those vivid stripes of leaf veins would need to be part of the concept too.

Here's just a general autumn color photo.

There's something about that maple tree that appeals to my dyer's eye. In real life, the coloration is very pastel which I liked even better. Here in the photo, I have darkened the color to be more visible.

Finally, wouldn't this vivid black be a great color to contrast with all those fall tones:

I love the black wooly worms found in my area. Don't ask me what that predicts for the winter! I can see no difference in the thickness of their coats from one fall to the next. Given that our winter weather can vary wildly, somehow I do not think these are 'official' winter predicting wooly worms. Nice color though, that's for sure.

CW