OK folks, here you go. This is a picture of coffee-dyed yarn, along with a bit of what the color looked like before it was dyed. As a bonus you get to see a bit of my weaving. Not pressed weaving, since it is a scarf and has been (obviously) wrinkled up all summer. Hey, I never promised ironing! 
Here is a pile of dyed thrums(the leftover warp that gets cut off when you are done weaving) and the original yarn. This yarn is dyed to be fairly dark, because I thought the color was prettier than the lighter color I experimented with. To answer the question that I am sure some of you are wondering, "No, the darkness of the roast has no bearing on the darkness of the dyed yarn." It is all about the weight ratio of the dye stuff to yarn. Not as much dye stuff (coffee, onion skins, bugs, snails, etc.)to the amount of yarn, you get a lighter colored yarn. The more stuff you use, the darker your yarn. I used only your basic mordant of alum and cream of tarter. You can skew the colors of natural dyed yarns by tossing in other chemicals, safe ones being things such as vinegar. Not safe ones include heavy metals like copper. Yeah, I go for not messing with my septic tank and ground water too much. When I clean the basement this winter I should come across the experiment samples of different colors. When I find them, I'll pass them on.
Have I ever mentioned that I think buying/getting/giving used books is a perfectly acceptable thing to do in life? I mean, if it isn't used before I get it, it will be used right away. (Well, I don't give used books to others if i don't know how they feel about it.) I don't "collect" cookbooks, but I sure do like them. I will admit to owning quite a few of them (don't even ask), but I don't need random ones just for the sake of owning another cookbook. I have been looking at this particular one for a while now, but haven't thought it was worth $30, or even the price it would be at B&N with my mom's member discount. I even looked at it at the store this summer on our day trip in Portland. It was cheaper there, but I still wasn't sure it would be worth the money. I figured I would check it out from the library first and then decide if I wanted to own it. Can I just say how much I love AbeBooks? I figured as long as I was looking for a few other books there, I might as well check prices for it too. I found it for only $4 and it showed up in my mail box yesterday.
I was looking for this book, which I had to get. It had already fallen into my "Should I buy this cookbook?" criteria of, "If I have checked it out of the library three times already, it makes sense to buy it." I love this book (obviously since I have checked it out/renewed it at least four times and had over due fines on it), and we will see how the Bob's one is. It can't be too bad for the price (and no, shipping wasn't very much either!). That same rule has been known to apply to other types of books as well. Mason-Dixon Knitting is on my Powell's wish list. Why? 'Cause I have renewed/checked it out several times already (I have lost count, so it has to be more than three) and probably will again soon. I want to make their baby sweater for a friend, so need to read it again for that pattern. Besides, you would think that I might own it for all the Ballbands I have made already. (Powell's didn't have what I was looking for at the time, and AbeBooks doesn't have a wish list. I'm not really picky about where used books come from, but it is really cool that Abe is all independent booksellers.)
Now I am off to test the "The house will blow up if you turn on the furnace before October 1st" theory. It isn't even dinner time and is only 63 degrees in the house, plus there is a frost warning for tonight. I figure I can test the theory and maybe blow up, or I can definitely freeze! Plus, I need to make bread and it will take a lot longer at this temp. (Of course it is supposed to be seventy plus by Monday, but hey, I know how to turn it back off.)
Cool! Like the yarn (and the weaving). I need to try doing some dying on my own!!!
ReplyDeleteI like cookbooks too (Biker Billy Cooks with Fire is fun if you like hot food). I have a couple really old cookbooks with great recipes in them--the kind that call for boiling 4 lbs of beef bones, etc. Some things I probably couldn't find the ingredients for, but I wouldn't want to make 'em anyway. But they're definitely not Weight Watcher friendly--those people WORKED all day (as opposed to working from a chair).
I am NOT going to turn on the furnace yet...NOT NOT NOT! (I will sleep with socks on, however).
I thought of you when our forecaster said the marine layer would return (which it has) and then added, "Oh yes, and in Northern Minnesota there are freeze warnings."
ReplyDeleteThe return of the marine layer means the Pacific Ocean is once again cooling us off, but we are not yet to the point of closing the windows ay night. We turned off the a/c a few days ago though.
Oh WOW!! That is absolutely gorgeous yarn!!! When the swap is over, and I can "reveal" my true identity to you, I want to buy some from you!
ReplyDeleteI think that is probably the neatest thing I've seen in a very long time, and the most creative!! SNAILS?!
Right so...
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There was once a snail who always dreamed of becoming a race-car driver. One day he learned that his uncle had died and left him a large amount of money! Now his dream could be realized! He bought himself a race car, souped it up, and then painted large red letter S’s all over it.
When he was at his first race, a friend of his asked why had had painted his car that way. "Simple," the snail replied. "When people see me and my race car go zooming down the track, I want them all to exclaim, `Look at that S-car go!’"
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With that being said.....
Did you say SNAILS??!! How cool is that!! I hope you don't have to squash them up or anything :S The wikipedia article does not say how it is harvested....
I absolutely LOVED reading this post!! More! More! More!
And now that I know about your love for cookbooks, I have another something special I am going to include in your package ;)
Have a FANTASTIC night!!
I also think it is absolutely fantabulous (yes, I made that word up) that your handmade yarn matches your new blog design so perfectly! LOL I am so happy with the way it turned out!!
ReplyDeleteHave I ever mentioned that I think buying/getting/giving used books is a perfectly acceptable thing to do in life? I mean, if it isn't used before I get it, it will be used right away.
ReplyDeleteI agree! We have a friend who refused to read sci-fi written after he was born (1977), so we've often picked up stacks of old Analog & Asimov's Science Fiction for him from our local used book store. He's never complained.
I adore your coffee-dyed yarn! I've got a thousand questions, but I'll read your old posts first to see if they answer them.
Hi... I found you via the Dishcloth Swap!
Beautiful yarn... I stumbled upon your blog while looking for information on dyeing yarn with coffee. My husband likes his tans, and I thought it would be a safer way to go than acid dyes. I guess it's time for some experimentation.
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