Preparing for the 2014 Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival and Dyeing Combed Tops

The last couple of weeks have been a hectic schedule of handling the canning and freezing of our garden harvest as well as prepare and inventory items for a vendor booth I will have at the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival in West Branch, Michigan the last weekend of September. 

 

Here is a picture of last year's (2013) booth after the Saturday sales.

 

 

Luckily, I took advantage of the few days this summer we had perfect weather (dry, warm and breezy) to dye some Merino and Falkland tops to have on sale in the booth this year.  The Falkland top is new this year and the fiber very similar to Corriedale in softness and luster.  The following are pictures of one of the colorways gently drying on the line. The first picture is of the Falkland top kettle-dyed in the "Misbehaven" colorway.

 

  The next picture is of the Merino Top in the "Misbehaven" colorway but not kettle-dyed.

 

 

 

 

Currently we have our second cutting hay sitting on the ground waiting to dry, be raked and then baled.  What is worrisome is that the fellow doing the work also has a day job so can only work on it in the evening or on the weekend and guess what, it may rain on Saturday when the hay should be baled.  So we're praying for sunny days the rest of this week.

 

Anyways, got to get back to labeling the handspun yarns and balling up more rovings.  Hope you can stop by the booth and let me know if you read my blog.  The fall color change should be spectacular soon and hope we don't have any stormy days at least for the next two weeks.

 

How I would dye alpaca fiber using Jacquard Acid Dye

I would wash alpaca fiber first to get most of the dirt out... even if doing right before dyeing but then I would use very hot water and no soap, just a couple of hot water soaks.

Be sure to wear a mask while the dry dye powder is exposed to the air. Rubber gloves help when dealing with the very hot water. Do not use any dye utensils for food preparation or canning.

A canning pot can hold up to 2 pounds of dry fiber. However it will be difficult to get 2 pounds to dye completely. The measurements and suggestion is for doing 1 pound of dry fiber at a time.

Dilute 1/4 cup of white vinegar in hot water to make about 2 cups. Set aside. This diluted vinegar water will be added later.

Be sure to soak dry fiber in very hot water for a couple of minutes.

In the meantime, fill canning pot half way with the same very hot water (does not have to be boiling water but may want to add a little boiling water to make it very hot). If dyeing outside, figure out a way to keep the canning pot very warm, either by placing in the sun or put inside a larger container surrounded by steaming water. If you are using a stove, hot plate or burner, don’t boil the fiber in the dye water in the pot because boiling will damage the fiber. About 80 to 90% of the dyeing takes place the first 10 minutes so that is when the water needs to be the hottest.

Using a large (16 oz) clean jar fill half way with hot water then add 1 heaping teaspoon of dye powder (for 1 pound of dry fiber), seal jar then swirl gently to get powder to dissolve. Add some more hot water to fill jar about 3/4 of the way, seal and swirl again. Once the powder is dissolved add dye liquid to canning pot and stir (with large wooden spoon). You can add a little more hot water to the jar to get any residual dye powder out.

Now gently strain and press out excess water from the wet fiber then gently place fiber into the dye water in the canning pot, using the large wooden spoon to press down and swirl around the fiber in the dye liquid. Some fiber will always float on top but add enough hot water, if need be, for fiber to swim in the dye liquid.

Poke and gently swirl fiber a couple of times then after 10 minutes slowly add diluted vinegar water to canning pot being careful not to pour directly on fiber (ie. push fiber to the side). Poke and gently swirl to disburse vinegar solution into the dye water (the vinegar is the acid that gets the dye to lock onto the fiber). Cover canning pot and keep warm until dye is mostly exhausted (about 2 hours). Check on the process once in a while by gently lifting fiber up then poke back down into dye liquid. With rubber gloves on, check the dye water in the palm of your hand to see if dye is mostly exhausted.

Once you are satisfied with the dyed fiber, check the temperature of the dye water because you will now want to rinse the fiber in the same temperature water. I do it by feel and generally by this time the water feels warm lukewarm. Be sure to wash hands after having them in the dye water. Hand lotion also helps to more quickly remove dye coloring from skin.

Drain or lift out the dyed fiber. I use a large plastic colander especially for dyeing to help drain and press out the excess liquid. Continue to soak/rinse and drain the dyed fiber until rinse water runs mostly clear. Press out excess water, roll fiber in old towel to press out more water then lay out fiber to dry.

Be sure to clean out and dry canning pot, jars, utensils and work area.