If you've followed my other blog http://doespins.blogspot.com/ you'll know that as a long time spinner, dyer, weaver,crocheter etc that I have dyed many of my yarns with both synthetic dyes and natural dyes.
I have decided to create a new second blog celebrating these dyes and my journey with them.I began using plant material to dye fibre, yarns and fabric at least 20 plus years ago. For some of those years all my dyeing was with local plants (I lived in Devon UK) and a few of the historic dyes such as indigo, and madder. Woad grew really well there. Plants from local sources produced lots of yellow, there was copious gorse, heather,and broom along with onion skins.
In the 80's we happily used copper sulphate, chrome, tin as well as alum as our mordants. Even then aware of the difficulties of disposing of chrome safely I used formic acid to aid fuller absorbtion and reused whatever was left into the next mordanting cycle. The remnants when I gave up using chrome as a mordant were taken to a chemical disposal site.
I have decided to create a new second blog celebrating these dyes and my journey with them.
In the 80's we happily used copper sulphate, chrome, tin as well as alum as our mordants. Even then aware of the difficulties of disposing of chrome safely I used formic acid to aid fuller absorbtion and reused whatever was left into the next mordanting cycle. The remnants when I gave up using chrome as a mordant were taken to a chemical disposal site.
My mordant of choice now like many dyers is alum although I do use copper sulphate occassionally.
I will attempt to post regularly, my track record on my other blog isn't great but I'm aiming for twice a month.
I will attempt to post regularly, my track record on my other blog isn't great but I'm aiming for twice a month.
