Sun Dyes and Discharging Colour



        I have been making marks onto silk scarves  (3 different types- pongee, chiffon & habuti) and taking colour out of others. There was rust impressions on a few also, but what made myself look into sun dyes was that they have lovely base colours(Vibrant) and the sun is used, which means it gives myself a reason to go out doors to create. I have been trying to organise to weave and felt outside -as it is dark inside the house during the day, I am closer to having a loom that is movable to a flat outdoor space. It also gave me the chance to use the plant matter that is in abundance here in my back yard. Lovely large gum leaves and wattle, with others I don't know their name- plants. So I set up on the table with cover and away I go. mixing or merging colours on the scarves or saturating them and using the long grass to make natural impressions is what keeps me seeing the outside as part of my work area.

 

      The discharging started on black chiffon scarves that gave much more colour and pattern than I had thought. Most probably because others works that I have seen resulted in a more clear defined print pattern usually as it has been screened on and has given a more whiten pattern . I have used leaves then using this to make the pattern or a paint brush. Then I wrapped, knotted and tied flat sticks to resist the discharge paste thus leaving plenty of the base fabric to be discharged. I am amazed at the colour that came out and what I am left with.

Thank you

Hand dyed and Knitting

 I explored a couple of years ago - Microwave dyeing with mainly local yarns (except for some very old bubbly yarns - ? Paton's that I got locally). They range in 3-8 plys and I used Food colouring, coming from the primary with only a couple of secondary like green, brown and possible an orange.

 I have hand knitted since I was 11, often following patterns but these scarves are my free form or freedom style. I have applied cast on and do what feels interesting and when I have used the whole ball of 25 -50 grams.

 

 

The next few show a close up of what I have knitted - like wrapping, garter stitch, bringing knitting through and over or picked up. 

This is a gather method that I tried and is more than the 50 grams in weight as I had been going to use as a warp but knitting happened.

 

Just a few made.

Dye - Natural

I attended a Natural Dye day at the local Handspinner and weaver's group near home. A bit cool still, but what colours we created from natural plants and natural dyes.  We took some carrot tops and 8 skeins of 10gm wool from my stash of whites. It gave myself the chance to see if hubby would come along and understand what I mean by natural dyes. We were given a list of items to bring along, with a plate to share, which was a nice way to meet people.

I must confess I took Hubby along, hoping he might enjoy the day. It seems like he did, as he was in at the different dye pots seeing what happens. He came away with a few samples for himself, I wonder if he'll make something. I had asked him along hoping he might as well get some practise with the process, for then he could help here at home. Also that it may make sense to him, my often strange requests in the creating process.



My samples with labels



We mordant a few samples and then into turmeric with two and one into the indigo (blue). Some non-mordant samples into eucalyptus  (what I call a rust red) and turmeric (yellow) and when ready carrot tops (green). I also put into indigo a couple of non-mordant and for varying times to see the shades of blue.

After the mordant the turmeric samples we kept one yellow and put the other one into the indigo to make a bright strong green.  With the carrot tops - I took out one sample and with another, when other ingredients where added to the pot to change the strength of greens. Our dye day was cleaned up and ended with my plate of delectable natural dyed yarns.

What a lovely day to which more natural dyes made be done at home, at the colours were bright and lovely.