Friday, May 14, 2010

Sunshine, Daisies, Butter Mellow

Turn this boring yarn:
Patons


Yellow!
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How did I do it?

Onion skins about 4 ounces or so saved from this winter. I simmered the yellow onions skins in enough water to cover them for about an hour. I saved it for a month or so in some canning jars until I had time to mordant some yarn.

Yarn is mordant with 1 T Alum and 1 tsp Cream of Tartar.

Added the yarn to the onion skin dye liquor in my big pot and cooked for about at hour got it to 180 deg F. It made a lovely yellow yarn. Let me show you again!

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7 comments:

  1. I can't believe that you got such a beautiful yellow from onion skins. Amazing!

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  2. P.S. I just noticed your new header--looks great!

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  3. Loving the natural dyes. Do you have a sense of how they wear? Will they retain this color like the chemical dyes?

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  4. Fading happens. But it depends. So far my socks are doing good with the walnuts. The pokeberries I use did fade some in my window tests. I figure for hats or mittens I can just dye them again.

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  5. I love that yarn!

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  6. Samantha, this yarn is gorgeous! I am always looking for ways to avoid filling up my trash can. I love the idea of using peels and scraps to make such beautiful colors. I've never been inspired to try hand-dyeing and now I have a feeling I'm going to give it a try - especially when the dye is as simple as you've described.

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  7. Wow. I would've never thought of that!

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