a few pics

made the pH between 4 & 5

 

soaking the goods

 

soaking before heat (i know it's the wrong green) I didn't get enough magenta in it. Didn't dissolve as i thought.

 

just to show my heat method

starting over with skein 2

 

as i was adding my magenta, i noticed a good chunk never dissolved. so this is the result. more green. less olive!

 

pretty uneven dyeing - some is due to the fact that my ties were way too tight.

i think i need larger jars? maybe use quart jars with a little more dye bath.

neither look very pale to me. i'll post in the morning when they are dry.

 

Comments

Artistry

Mary - does the canning jar container help with the gradual rise in heat since the jars are not resting on the bottom of the pan?

Mary Rios (not verified)

Cathie, Karren said to use it if i had it. One thing i noticed, is lots of water evaporated from my jars. When they cool, i'll take pics...

Lots of learning with these skeins. My figure 8 ties ... way too tight... oh well...if they i did it perfect, i wouldn't need the class!

 

Karren K. Brito

Mary,

The pics are great!  The jar size looks fine, specially since Cathie's look smaller and she got level color.  Maybe Cathie will describe her method of agitation to us.  Good catch with the magenta not dissolving. 

The only observation I have is that the pH paper you have is not very good to get pH of 4.5.  The difference between 4 and 5 might not seem like much to you but the pH scale is actually a log scale and pH 4 is ten times as acid as pH 5.  What you have is broad range pH paper.

So far so good. 

Mary, the way to get to good dyeing faster is to make your mistakes faster.

Artistry

Yes, I have pint size jars so the are small. I agitate by taking the tyvek tag and lifting the skein out of the dye and dropping it back into the dye. I repeat this about 4 times every five minutes. I also make sure all threads are submerged by gently tapping them down .

Artistry

Yes, I have pint size jars so the are small. I agitate by taking the tyvek tag and lifting the skein out of the dye and dropping it back into the dye. I repeat this about 4 times every five minutes. I also make sure all threads are submerged by gently tapping them down .

Mary Rios (not verified)

Results - not level dyeing - my ties are partly to blame, and probably not enough dunking during the process:

i "think" i hit the neutral range - here's the second range, which i think is too strong in the level of chroma to be neutral

Artistry

Here are test samples 2 & 3. They are looking the same to me. I have adjusted the white in photoshop to get a better value reading.( actually the computer guru adjusted it)I am also photographing with the wrappings vertical so to have less shadow plus outside porch with better diffused lighting. Hope this helps to see accurately.

Karren K. Brito

Mary--making progress here. 

I would like to eliminate the cracks of white that I can see through the wraps of the silk yarn, they really effect the percieved color.  Can you push the wraps together tighter or put another layer on top.

No chips ever match, it is always which is the better match from these two.  From what I see in the photo, an mind you your yarn chip looks as level too me as Cathie's, I'd assign 5GY 6.5/2.  What Munsell notation would you assign?

Also the exhaust in the jar in the photo looks like it has a bit of magenta and maybe some yellow left.  Was the jar at room temp. when you took the photo? We may need to adjust the amounts of Glauber's salt and/or A. SET to get better exhaust or it could be the pH.

Cathie, what color was yours at the end?

 

Artistry

my exhaust was a very diluted green/brown, almost the same exhaust rate of Mary's.

SharonR (not verified)

Mary, what size canning pot are you using? Is the metal stand sitting on the bottom of the pot and the jar on top? Do you add water to the pot or are the jars sitting in a dry pot.Karren will an electric turkey roaster work? If so, can the metal stand be used if it has rust on it since it in not in the jar or will particles move in the air as it heats up? Thank you.

Mary Rios (not verified)

Sharon,

I used a big old canning pot - i put about 2 inches of water in it, and yes, i'm using a canning rack -  i didn't think to ask if it was suppose to be dry. Hopefully Karren will see this.

 

SharonR (not verified)

I was guessing to put water in it. I have only used it for immersion dying. I wasn't even sure how to put the rack in there-lol! did you put all the jars at the same time?

Karren K. Brito

Yes to the water, in fact the water works best when it is as high as the water inside the jars.  Better heat transfer.  But if you want it to heat up faster you can try less water.

Rust on the pot or rack won't cause problems if it has no contact with the dyebath inside the jars.Rust in the pot is a problem for immersion dyeing.  The rack keeps the jars from floating and tipping, and from rattling around when boiling bubbles form underneath.

pjdoney (not verified)

The first two dye jobs are done and they both look like I am ending up with a nice, pastel green.  I did try adjusting the pH lower for the second try (when I re-tested pH it looked like it might be closer to 4.7 so I added more acetic acid to what I thought was 4.5, maybe 4.6) and it looks very close if not identical to the first.  It's rinsing currently and will need to dry.

First job:

Second try!

Does this mean I win the title of Problem Child?

Mary Rios (not verified)

looks like you have a lot of exhaust - my finished water was transparent, albeit a color, still transparent - Karren, what causes this again?

peggy it's a pretty green!

pjdoney (not verified)

I do like the green but it sure isn't what we were tasked with!  I'm hoping to do the third round of dyeing after dinner.  I can make olive green all day long with Jacquard acid dyes but not with Lanasets!

Karren K. Brito

The task is not to get pale olive but to perfect your process,: looks like you're not there yet Peggy.  Poor exhaust, looks like half the dye is still in the pot.

Make a new dye bath for the next batch, try adjusting the Glauber's salt and A. Set (lees of one or both).  Look at the spreadsheet for any hints of how your process is different from those who are having sucess. 

I can't help more because I don't have any more info-- no written process, and you didn't fill in spreadsheet. 

pjdoney (not verified)

Thank-you, Karren, for the reminder to fill in the spread sheet.  I had forgotten about it.  I had referred to it previously looking up A. Set and Glauber amounts.

I'll have to go and find where my process is.  I did type it up a few days ago and you commented on it.  I will also say good-bye tot he old dyebath and begin anew.  As late as it's getting here, the dyeing will need to wait until tomorrow.

pjdoney (not verified)

 

My sample is 5G 6/ 2.

Karren K. Brito

Looks like you left the red in the dyebath.

Karren K. Brito

nice soft green, whatever you call it.

pjdoney (not verified)

I think I'm calling the color "good."  <whew>

I'm trying to find where to post the picture of our neutral yarn chip and nothing is coming up easily.  I've also dyed 7 jars of three colors and am waiting for them to dry so I can wash them.  You made the comment during class that the Lanaset dyed skeins needed to dry first before washing because you had to tell them you were done with them.  Could you explain that a little more, please?

pjdoney (not verified)

It's strange because in this black and white picture, the yarn value looks to be brighter than the N9 chip in the student book.  That is not the case in real life/ light.  Maybe my headache is spreading to the camera...

Karren K. Brito

Wool is usually kinda creamy color, the merino/alpaca mix I've been dyeing is 2.5Y 9/1.5  I wonder how they got yours that white. Nice for dyeing.

What did you finally do to measure the pH? Have you started on the pure colors?

Peggy, I have a hard time understanding you on Webex. I hear two word then miss some the hear a few... Your video shows the loading circle a lot too so I think that is the internet connection that goes in and out.  Could you use a phone for the audio portion of the class?  I think that I could understand and answer your questions a lot better if I could hear all of them.

pjdoney (not verified)

The wool is from a company in Canada called Lemieux.  I actually don't have the WHITE yarn because it could have been bleached.  I think it's considered natural.

Regarding measuring the pH i am still using the pH meter and the pH strip.  When I get over my heebie jeebies maybe I'll settle on one method.  I did begin the pure colors yesterday.  I've done the turquoise, the gold, and the lightest DOS of magenta.  I had hoped to do more dyeing today but am feeling cruddy at the moment.  Maybe tomorrow I can mix up more dye stock.  I'm still not thrilled with my exhaust which is about a 2.  I think you said that pH had the greatest impact on exhaust.  One thing I've noticed with the new digital thermometer (looks like a yellow lollipop!) is that I cannot get it up to 94 C inside the sample jar.  If I put the thermometer in the bath water surrounding the jars, it pops right back up.  Is this possibly some of my exhaust issue?

I will call in on the phone for Thursday.  I have to interpolate what you are saying as well with the in and out.  I hope I won't feedback everybody into oblivion!