Hi All,

i am a beginner dyer... and so everything is an experiement to me still and i don't know "the rules" - so don't know when i'm thinking outside them. it's fun.

one of the things i'm playing with is using dyes i already had to see about dying fiber. i make pysanky (Ukrainian dyed eggs) and have lots of pysanky dyes on hand. after a while, the dye pots become too diluted to give a strong dye on the eggs shells. there is still a lot of dye left... so i feel bad dumping it down the sink. i decided to experiment with using this dye on fiber....

i posted photos of my first experiments in dyeing roving and spinning it up in this blog post.

and then just recently i've woven some swatches and i've been colorfast testing. the details are in this blog post

here's a sneak peek of the swatches before colorfast testing...

Comments

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 13:11

jemwork (not verified)

Those look very nice, good color depth. Your fiber looks like cotton? Do the dyes set with vinegar, like coloring Easter eggs?

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:05

esmecat (not verified)

thanks.

the fiber is 100% wool (mill ends)

the dyes are mixed (all except the orange) with 2 tbsp of vinegar in them whan the dye pots are made for the eggs... just like for the usual easter eggs. when i dyed the wool, i soaked it in a vinegar and water bath before dyeing and set it in the microwave.

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:20

whorlwindweaver (not verified)

Rules?  There are rules?  I say EXPERIMENT!

The dyes look lovely--great colors. 

Sat, 08/01/2009 - 19:24

tien (not verified)

Egg dyes work by dyeing the coat of proteins covering the egg (and to a lesser extent on the proteins binding the calcium of the egg together), so it makes sense that pysanka dyes would work on protein fibers like wool.  I don't know about their washfastness, though - I tried to dig out information on exactly what dyes pysanka dyes are awhile back and couldn't find any.

I used to make Celtic knot pysanka eggs, with some very nice results - but weaving is more fun!

Kudos to you for trying something new!

Tien

Wed, 08/05/2009 - 04:06

esmecat (not verified)

hi Tien,

yes, i'd heard that the pysanky dyes worked on the protien of the shell... that's what made me interested in trying them out. i was also very frustrated at the lack of information on pysanky dyes out there.

so far, the wash swatches have gone through a euclan hand wash and a washing machine detergent wash. mild fulling... but  very little bleed (much much less than with rovings i've bought from indy dyers using acid dyes) and no noticible fade in colors. i plan to put them through at least two more washer loads before making a final determination.

 

WOW! your celtic knot and dragon eggs are beautiful! and inspiring. i do pysanky  because of my polish background. my husband is scotish... and loves dragons. if you don't mind, i'm going to make him some knotwork eggs.

you can see my pysanky in my flickr album.

Jen

Wed, 08/05/2009 - 15:17

jemwork (not verified)

Wonderful eggs. I cannot believe you are a novice weaver - the pictures you provided are stunning - lovely selvages, great color - I have yarn envy. You just cost me $$ at ColourMart. The yarns there are way too lovely!

Wed, 08/05/2009 - 15:19

jemwork (not verified)

How would you say your pysanky dyes compare pricewise with say procion dyes? or other dyes? Where do you get them?

Thu, 08/06/2009 - 09:48

esmecat (not verified)

well, for me (for the moment) they are effectivly free, since this experiment was started because i was looking for a good use for the dye pots that were no longer strong enough for dyeing eggs... and didn't want to dump them down the drain.

i haven't experimented to see how much fiber can be dyed with a packet of pysanky dye... that would be the determining factor. the pysanky dyes seem like they would be cheaper.... but as i said, i haven't done the work to test that yet.

i sometimes get my dyes from the Ukrainian Gift Shop. they are the biggest producer/supplier of pysanky supplies in the US. there are a few others who make pysanky dyes... but they are harder to find and usually more expensive. when i don't order online from the UGS, i hop down to a local shop that carries the UGS stuff. a tad bit more expensive but without the shipping...