The Windowsill Dye Studio: Dorm Room Edition

 We are BACK!! 

I acquired blackberries this morning -- maybe half a pound, max -- and decided since they're (frankly) not great for eating, they're perfect for dyeing. So I started figuring out container acquisition, which led me to spend some time poking around the backs of dining halls, digging through recycling bins for any useful containers. An hour, five dining halls, one dorm, and two bruises later, I had a giant jam jar and empty can of ketchup that wasn't going to cut my hand open. 

supplies laid out on a desk, including a giant can and giant jar, a mug, a bowl of blackberries, various fibers, a measuring cup, and salt
The supplies 
[id: supplies laid out on a desk, including a giant can and giant jar, a mug, a bowl of blackberries, various fibers, a measuring cup, and salt]

the same supplies as before, arranged on a blue towel and without the fiber, which is being mordanted
Beginning the process!
[ID: the same supplies as before, arranged on a blue towel and without the fiber, which is being mordanted]

The ketchup can was my mordant container: seven cups of hot water to a large amount of salt, which helps with colorfastness for berry dyes/stains according to various internet sources. (I did not measure the salt.) The fiber (nice mediumwool roving, a handful of longwool locks, some cotton thread, a couple of random wool things I spun and plied, together weighing maybe half of the berries' weight) went in the mordant bath for an hour (covered with a random plastic plate), then came out and dried a bit on a towel while I made the dye.

A white mug filled with blackberries
[ID: A white mug filled with blackberries]

the white mug, now filled with blackberry dye that has been mashed but not strained
[ID: the white mug, now filled with blackberry dye that has been mashed but not strained]

part of a large jar, filled about an eighth full of dark red dye
[ID: part of a large jar, filled about an eighth full of dark red dye]

looking down into the jar of dye, showing fibers floating in dark red dye
[ID: looking down into the jar of dye, showing fibers floating in dark red dye]

I don't want to strain berry seeds out of the yarn so I put the berries in a mug to pour 8 oz boiling water over them. They just about filled the mug, so I left it uncovered for 15 minutes to steep. I mashed the berries, then strained the dye through paper towels, squeezed out every drop of juice I possibly could (my hands are Very Purple rn), then added another cup of boiling water just for heat and stuff, put in the fiber, and sealed the jar. I'll leave it for about a week, then rinse. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Murderbot Goes To Prom

Image
 Or, my senior prom is over (it was a lot of fun and I could have danced all night) and I am So Close to graduating!!! (Tomorrow!!!)  And so I have written fanfic about it. And also did fanart about it. This is my beloved high school alternate universe of the murderbot books where they’re theater kids, and these are the photos that would be on their various Instagram accounts.  ID: Arada and Overse standing together in front of two trees. Arada has brown curly hair and medium dark skin, and wears a pink floofy dress with a shimmery skirt; she also has a pink flower crown and a turquoise corsage. Overse has light skin and curly light brown hair, and wears a sleek teal gown that fades to lighter shades on the skirt; she also has a necklace, a pink corsage, glasses, and a turquoise flower crown.  ID: Ratthi and Pin-Lee standing next to each other in front of an old tree. Ratthi has brown skin and brown hair, and wears a blue-gray suit with a white shirt and red tie, corsage, and flower cr
Read more

Things Bardic Is Learning About The East Coast

 A list: - *everything* is green here and there’s so much water and so many trees - everything is named after a person or a place in England. There’s no saints, no “beautiful views” or “snowy mountains,” no religious names at all. - turnpikes are a real thing and not just something that shows up in a history textbook  - ITS SUMMER WHY IS IT WET WHY IS IT RAINING I DONT LIKE IT - low flow toilets are less of a thing here because, according to my father, “water is basically free” - SERIOUSLY WHY SO GREEN WHY SO MUCH WATER - wet season is all year? All roofs are peaked? Everything’s so old????? What is UP with this place????!!! - no earthquakes what the HECK - why is there farmland right outside town??? - I apparently know nothing about water. This has been told to me multiple times. 
Read more

Papagena Shawl — pattern and pictures

Image
I finished this a few weeks ago, and I’m finally sharing both pictures and a free pattern for my new favorite shawl (and, hopefully, I might even be able to figure out ravelry posting)! I love shawls because they go with everything, and this one combines rainbow colors, a feathery border, and beautiful drapeiness. 
Read more

Off to college!

Image
 Here I go off to college, time zone is changing, but as always this blog will be updated… whenever I feel like it which is often never.  [ID: an open plastic box with much yarn in it.] This is the Yarn I Am Taking, parentally limited to one box (a tragedy , I tell you)  The girls (gendered) about to be stored [ID: a Snow White large doll and two American girl dolls, original josefina and beforever kaya, sitting in front of a bed.] The other set of girls (nongendered bc trans/non-binary supremacy) about to be stored [ID: all of the Ever After High dolls I own sitting on boxes.]
Read more