I found some very lightweight wool scarves that I experimented dyeing using fiber reactive dyes and Shibori techniques. I was very hesitant working with wool, but the results were beautiful! The scarf below is a very rich coral colour. It was rolled around a string, pulled tightly, immersed in the dye solution and steamed.
Working with wool resulted in a shopping trip to a charity shop to buy a pot that I could use to actually steam the scarf. Luckily, I found an enamel pot with steamer insert and lid – perfect for my needs. Once you have used an item to dye, you can no longer use it in your kitchen. After making certain my family was aware that the new pot was off limits, I began having fun.
My fear working with wool was that I would shrink and felt the scarf, but by slowly heating and then cooling the scarf completely before washing the dye out, there was no problem.
You can see how fine the wool is in the photo above. The pattern shows through the undyed portions. I was also surprised at how little dye washed out of the scarves. The wool absorbs the dyes beautifully.
The wool scarves have a lovely soft hand and are just right under a coat, and lightweight enough to use inside as a fashion accessory. I have another scarf to dye and can’t decide on the colour. What’s your favorite colour?
Doris, I am enjoying your posts re your experiments in fabric dyeing. I hope you will offer to share what you’re learning with the guild soon.
Hi Jane:
I am happy to hear that you are interested in the dyeing I have been experimenting with. I would love to share my work with the guild. My family has already heard enough! It’s easy to talk about a subject you are interested in. Thanks for reading.