Swedish Woven Paper Hearts - With Some Great Links

This afternoon I sat down with my son and we made these woven paper hearts.  He's doing a school project on Sweden and these popped into my head.  It seemed like good timing to mix a Swedish paper craft with Valentine's Day. 


I know I have a template for these in my house somewhere, but my quick search this morning came up dry.  So onto the internet I jumped and I found some pretty nice links if you would like to make these with your kids.  


If you are wondering about age range, my son is 12 and he made the red and purple one completely on his own.  These things always depend on the individual, but I'd say maybe 8 and up unless you just have a super handy little person in the house. 


On to the links!  Family Fun has a tutorial complete with video.  That's always nice.  Their template is cute too.  It's the green and blue one in my photo.  It creates little hearts within the big heart.  I found that this template prints better with a horizontal paper orientation.


I also stumbled upon the Daughters of Norway Nordic Paper Crafts page.  How's that for a mouthful?  As a Scandinavian, I found this whole website pretty awesome, but looking specifically for our woven hearts, they have some seriously cool templates.  The pink and purple heart I made up above came from the third link.  It's the one in the upper left hand corner on the template page.  I found out quickly that this can go from a simple craft to a challenging one very fast!  I should also note that I altered the template by cutting all of the lines up to the same height.  How you would weave it otherwise, I have no idea!


There's still time to make homemade valentines and this is a pretty fun project.  I guess I should also mention that they open up like little baskets.  You can cut a strip of paper and tape or staple it into place.  You could slip a sweet note into the basket or even a little treat.  Once again, if you look at the Family Fun page, they have a picture of one with a handle and some red stuffing.  Gee, I just realized that our hearts our sideways instead of right side up.  I guess we'll have to make some more!

Spinning & Weaving at the Multicultural Festival

Once a year I pack up my trunk and head down to the Chandler Multicultural Festival.  I attend with my guild, the Telaraña Weavers and Spinners.  This year I brought along a special guest, my son Wes.  Wes does one service oriented project each month as part of his education.  The festival provided a great opportunity to be out in the community, spending time with others and sharing our love of the arts, in this case fiber arts!

I should refer to Wes not as my guest, but my secret weapon.  You see, I always take a bunch of wool and drop spindles to this event.  I spread a blanket out on the ground and sit at kid level.  I want them to know it's okay to touch and play.  After all, there's no better way to pass on the joy of your craft than by teaching the next generation.  When other kids saw my son sitting with a lap loom weaving, it really got their attention.  I think it made them feel like it was okay to ask questions and try out the loom  and spindles for themselves.

I spent a wonderful afternoon, surrounded by boys and girls and their parents.  At one point I had two brothers and a sister all learning how to work drop spindles together.  Whenever it was time for the kids to leave, I would unwind the yarn they had spun and give it to them as a little keepsake.  So many people asked me if I teach classes.  I don't have any official classes that I teach, but I gave them my card.  If someone really wants to learn, I can't say no to that!  There aren't many yarn shops or community centers that offer classes just for kids.  It's a shame especially when you seen how interested they are.

It has been a fulfilling day of teaching and sharing.  Days like this are rare treasures.  Why can't every day be multicultural day?

My New Ashford Joy Spinning Wheel ~ The Good/Bad/Good News

My new Ashford Joy spinning wheel arrived in the mail yesterday.  That's good news right?  It's exciting to get that big box on the porch and when it relates to one of your favorite activities, even better.  So, after dinner last night, even though I was feeling tired, I thought I would at least open the box and check it out.  It comes almost entirely assembled so I found myself putting the few finishing touches together so I could take it for a spin.

That's when I hit the bad news.  I picked this wheel in particular because whenever I'm spinning with a group of people, the Joys seem so quiet and smooth.  Now I realize I probably should have looked more closely.  I suspect those quiet Ashford Joys were single treadles.  The reason I suspect this is because my double treadle is not quiet.  There seems to be a flaw in the very design.  The wood pieces attached to the treadles rub against each other creating a knocking sound that gets louder with speed.  I had a few minutes of disbelief.  Could this really be the design?  Was it assembled incorrectly.  After triple checking everything, I hit my low of last night. 

I hate returning things and I just refused to accept that this wheel couldn't be made to run smoothly. That's when the tinker in me came out.  It's also how this story has a good news ending.   Here's what I did.  I changed the connecting tube on the right treadle (exhibit A).  Instead of running straight into the hole like you can see on the left treadle, I rearranged it by removing the screw (exhibit B) and then brought the tube up from the bottom of the treadle.  There was enough length in the tube and by reversing the direction of placement in this way, the wooden leg is held back and no longer rubs against the leg of the other treadle. 


That's not all I had to do.  I also discovered that the leg of the left treadle was rubbing against the right treadle.  I actually got out my wood whittling tools (I guess it's strange that I happen to have wood whittling tools) and I carefully reshaped the wood in the offending spot (exhibit C).  At this point you are either thinking that I'm quick and clever or just plain crazy.  It did feel a bit nuts to take a knife to my brand new wheel, but if I sent it back, it would just become a problem for someone else.  The good news is that it now treadles very smoothly.  The only sound is the whirring of the wheel which is as it should be.  I'm a little less than impressed that I had to tinker to get these results, but I'm happy to have solved the problem. 

Three New Drop Spindle Kits!

I just stocked Wind Rose Fiber Studio up with three new drop spindle kits. If you know someone who wants to learn to spin, this is a great gift to get them started. The kit comes with complete directions, a drop spindle and leader cord and an ounce of natural Bluefaced Leicester Top. Then to make things fun, I add a couple ounces of hand dyed, carded and pulled roving. I like to introduce newcomers to the joy of spinning with very pretty fiber!

If you see one you like, just click the picture and it will take you to the listing. :D

Spinning Hemp

Hi, I thought I'd do another quick post on hemp today. Yesterday I listed 8oz of hemp in the shop and it got snatched up. Most of it is winging its way to Sweden right now. I have to order and dye some more because it really is a cool fiber.

A couple years ago, I made two YouTube videos All About Hemp Roving and Spinning Hemp. Back in those days, I was using a little flip camera, so I apologize for the low resolution. You kind of have to crank the volume too. In spite of the amateur video production, you can still get a closer look at hemp roving and see how it handles.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of hemp is hemp jewelry. That may be true for you as well, but hemp is getting more and more popular among fiber artists. A lot of spinners like to add hemp to their wool batts for the texture it provides. It also makes a cool core fiber. When you spin a singles of hemp, it turns into that hemp cord you see at the craft stores. In my video I say that you almost don't need to set the twist. The truth is, you really don't. I like to give all of my handspun a final soak, but it really isn't necessary with hemp. When you used it as a core fiber it creates a strong yarn that's great for rug weaving or more structural pieces.

Hemp roving can also be used for other crafts. You can tease the fibers apart and use them in paper making, small amounts can be worked into nuno felt and in general, it can be a handy embellishment for scrapbooks and other handicrafts. Here I am talking about hemp when I'm down to just a couple ounces in the shop. I still have 1oz of Fire Red, 1oz of Azalea and 1oz of dye free. When I get more in stock, I'll be sure to let you know!

Fiber Art Finds From Germany ~ Part II

A very special part of my family's time in Germany was a visit to Uberlingen. Uberlingen is in the south and actually just a three hour boat ride from Switzerland. It's a popular vacation and retirement spot because of it's warmer climate and location on Bodensee (Lake Constance). For my husband and I, it's where a friend from high school settled down, married and started a family.

Having my friend in Uberlingen meant I didn't have to wander the streets aimlessly and hope to stumble upon fiber art. She took me straight to the local yarn shop and then to a shop featuring the work of local artists. Oddly enough, this cute little flower girl is something I just happened to encounter along the way. She was sitting in the window of Odilia, a bookstore where some local crafts were featured. I thought she was sweet looking balancing that big red rose on her head.


So what kind of yarn did I find in Uberlingen? A lot of Lana Grossa which is Italian, but I did find one yarn that I believe is made in Germany. The brand is Skacel which is distributed here in the United States. The yarn I'm referring to the the sunset colored one on the right. It's called Zauberball or "Magic Ball" and it's a sock yarn.

I wish there was some way to show a lapse in time with words or symbols, because then you would know just how long I've been sidetracked while writing this post. First I was trying to find the name of the yarn shop in Uberlingen because I lost their business card. Then I started hunting down the company that makes the Zauberball yarn. The only reason I mention this is because I found a couple of interesting things along the way. My first discovery is another sock yarn also made by Skacel called Flying Saucer. It has to be some of the coolest sock yarn I've ever seen. If you like to knit or crochet socks, or if you just like to work with lighter weight yarn, Flying Saucer looks like loads of fun to make up. The link I've provided takes you to the Flying Saucer page where they also have a video.

Then one link led to another and I found myself watching this video on ArtFelting by Knitting Daily which features Karin Skacel the president of the Skacel company:



I thought the felters out there might find that interesting.

Okay, let me turn my focus back to my original post. The other yarn in the picture above, the soft purple one, has become one of my new favorite yarns to work with. It is made by Lana Grossa and it's part of the Linea Pura Verde line. The reason I have so little of this yarn left, is because I actually made it all up into a new design that I'll be sharing soon. All I'll say for now is that it's a scarf inspired by my time in Europe and I'll be writing up a crochet pattern to sell at Wind Rose.

The Linea Pura Verde is 75% Organic Virgin Wool (Merino extrafine) and 25% Alpaca. I love the quality that the Alpaca lends to this yarn and the little nubs give it such a great texture. One of the first things I did when I got back to the states, was to look to see where I could buy more. It's not the easiest yarn to find, but I ended up placing an order at Hot Yarns and the service was great. In just a couple days I received my supply of Linea Pura Verde in a selection of colors.

Well I have one more item to share from Uberlingen, but I'm worn out from writing this post. Let me take a little break and I'll be back tomorrow to show you an awesome pair of felted wrist warmers from the local art shop I mentioned earlier. See you tomorrow.

Summer Cotton Crocheted Bracelet ~ The Pattern is Coming!

Phew, it feels good to get all that dyeing done, but my husband tells me that I have too much fiber on my blog lately. Now how can a fiber blog have too much fiber???

Seriously though, point well taken. I do have a variety of interests and I like to offer a little diversity here at Wind Rose. A few days ago I asked if anyone would like me to write up the pattern for my Summer Cotton Crocheted Bracelet and a few of you said, "yes", so that's what I'm going to do!

I just made up this new one so I could think about how I'll write the pattern. The first one had amber beads and this time I chose water colors. I also took my pictures inside for a little more light control. In this photo at the top of the post, I splayed the chains so you can see how they take on the appearance of five bangles.



I took a couple more poses just to show the bracelet at all angles. The twisty picture makes me happy. Anyway, before I digress, The pattern is coming. I had a guild meeting yesterday and an art class today, so tomorrow is the earliest I can get started. I just wanted to assure you that I will write this pattern and it's coming very soon!

One final thought today, also in the interest of blog variety, I'm planning on attending (at least for a short distance) a sheep drive on Saturday morning. I've never seen 2000 head of sheep on the move, so this should be pretty cool. I was actually wavering on whether or not to go, but I don't think I should let the opportunity pass. I'm announcing this on my blog because if I write that I'm going, then I know that I'll actually get up in the 4:00 hour, early Saturday morning and go. I need a little motivation to get up that early!

How to Begin a Strip of Hairpin Lace ~ Photo Tutorial

Hi all. I finished my first strip of lace on my hairpin lace project. As I promised, now that I'm starting a new piece, I've taken some pictures so you can see how to begin a strip of hairpin lace.

*Click on the pictures to see a larger view.





1. Start out by forming a slip knot on your hook.
2. Holding your hook in the center of the two parallel posts, wrap your yarn from front to back around the post on the right, yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook. The first loop has been made.
3. Flip your hook over so that it changes from front facing to back facing. Turn the hairpin lace tool clockwise and as you do so, wrap your yarn around the outside of the unworked post. Your hook should now be facing you.
4. Slip your hook under the front of your first loop,
5. yarn over and pull through loop, yarn over and pull through both loops on hook. single crochet made.
6. Again, flip your hook over to change it from front facing to back facing. Some people like to flip their hook in a vertical motion between the posts. I have found that sliding one end of the hook and then the other, in a zigzag motion is very comfortable.
7. Turn your hairpin lace tool clockwise while allowing the yarn to wrap around the outside of the opposite post. Your hook is now facing you.
8. Insert your hook under the front of the previous loop. Make single crochet.
9. Continue on in this fashion until your strip of lace is the desired length.

That's all there is to it! :D

Related Posts:
Crochet Master Class ~ The Latest Addition to My Library
Let The Hairpin Lace Project Begin!
The Hairpin Lace Project Continues...
How to Begin a Strip of Hairpin Lace ~ A Photo Tutorial
The Hairpin Lace Project ~ Part Trois
The Hairpin Lace Project ~ I found Yarn B!

Needle Tatting ~ Here I go!

Yesterday I made the transition from shuttle to needle. What I discovered took me by surprise. I thought that once I started needle tatting, I'd never look back. I knew I'd be able to create double knots faster and I figured that if all the same design elements could be created with a needle, then needle tatting would emerge as my favorite form. I didn't expect to be missing my shuttles almost right away.

It's true that the rings and chains moved along quickly, but my mind almost immediately began to see limitations to working with a needle. I felt like I had less control in a way. I think that my feelings in large part were affected by my choice in books. Learn Needle Tatting was falling a bit short for me. Since I've already practiced the basics, I was thinking ahead and wondering how split rings and chains would be possible with a needle. I flipped through the pages only to find that this particular book doesn't go that far. It includes rings and chains and adding on a new color, but that's it.

Now, in all fairness to Learn Needle Tatting, I should mention that I went from there to The Complete Book of Tatting by Rebecca Jones to find that she too had only gone so far as rings and chains where needle tatting is concerned. Of course the Complete Book of Tatting states in the subtitle that the focus is on Everything You Wanted to Know but Couldn't Find Out About Shuttle Tatting. So in my tatting shopping frenzy, I clearly failed to supply myself with a good needle tatting guide.

What now? YouTube, that's what! Hooray for YouTube! So I have some new favorite videos. This one: TotusMel Needle Tatting Spilt Rings & Josephine Chains.MPG clearly shows how to create a split ring and a Josephine chain with a needle. Split chains are well explained is this turoial: needle tatting - split chain and split ring (kinda). I know the word "kinda" doesn't inspire confidence, but she's referring to the fact that she kinda covers split rings as well as split chains. One more video link for fun: Needle Tatting Flower Pendant.MPG. In this video, the tatter creates a flower pendant from start to finish in 7 minutes.

So now my enthusiasm for needle tatting has been revived. I'm ready to go back in my studio and see what I can create with my tatting needles. By the way, I haven't been taking the time to block my pieces before photographing them. I'm too impatient to go on to the next project. The Pink and silver samplers up above are two separate pieces, but I thought they looked kind of cute layered on top of each other for their picture. The little silver one will probably become a Christmas tree ornament this year.

Cro-Tatting

This is one of those times when I suspect that I am the last person to discover something. No doubt people have been combining crochet and tatting for centuries. Although the name, cro-tat, this is new to me.

What's in a name? For me, everything! You see, I have long admired tatting and even thought to myself that I should one day learn. I wasn't in a hurry because tatting seemed like a craft that would require me to learn a whole new skill set and that takes time.

Then today, as I was reading my blogs of choice, my new friend Angie was sharing her latest creation. She crocheted an iPod case and embellished it with cro-tatting. Somehow, the prefix cro-, knocked down whatever barrier stood between me and tatting. I am comfortable with cro-! I have a collection of afghan crochet hooks in every size. "If I can tat with a crochet hook, I'm in!" I thought.

My first move was to Google cro-tat. My search led me to this Prym Newsletter with a set of basic instructions for cro-tatting. It looked like a great tutorial and I've gotten used to translating the European stitch abbreviations into what we use here in the US. Still, I felt like I would need a little more instruction to get me started.

I headed over to YouTube where I found this lovely video for the basic cro-tat stitch. This helped me quite a bit. The way the knots are cast on seems like it would be second nature for anyone who knits, but as a crocheter, I took a hard look. Once I had that part down, I was in great shape. I went back to the Prym tutorial and made this little flower shape.

Now my mind is whirling with excitement. It is so much fun to teach myself something new and I can't wait to do more. Of course now that I have cro-tatted, I can easily envision needle tatting and I can even see the ways in which needle tatting may be easier. There would be no worry of dropping your yarn as you pull the hook through your knots. It would be fun to try to make my own needle tatted lace. I can also see endless possibilities for incorporating cro-tatting into my crochet projects. Like I said, WHIRLING!

Okay, I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I'm excited. I hope you enjoy exploring these links, but I warn you, the cro-tatting bug may be contagious!

My First KumiLoom Braids

Last week I told you all about my new KumiLoom. I thought I'd come back today and show you my first braids and how I have turned them into cords for pendant necklaces.

The pendant on the bottom represents the Tao of Creativity. It's my favorite piece of jewelry. I realize it's just a simple pendant, but being creative is important to me and so I like to wear this symbol around my neck.

I love the way the pendant looks on the silver and black braided cord. This is my first ever KumiLoom braid. I thought it was going to be too big in diameter, but the weight of it seems fitting for the large pendant.

The smaller pendant with the Celtic star belongs to my son. His favorite color is blue, so he picked light blue and black for his braid. He is currently reading Peter and the Starcatchers, so when he wears his pendant necklace, he imagines himself to be a catcher of stars.



To finish them and create a closure, I went to my favorite online bead store, Fire Mountain Gems, and ordered end caps for my braids. I ordered several sizes to have on hand, but for these necklaces, caps with a 5mm opening worked out great. I already had the hook closures, so it was just a matter of attaching my hook and loop to the end caps. I did this by inserting a headpin through the end cap, trimming off the extra pin length, and then curving the remaining metal wire around my fasteners with a loop. A wire cutter and a pair of round nose pliers were my only tools.

Before inserting my braids into the end caps, I wrapped them with metal wire to keep them from unraveling. Then I used a dab of E6000 glue to secure the braids to the caps. The result is a nice, finished look for my necklaces.

Now I'm working on my first square braid. I had to braid several rounds before muscle memory took over. The square braid has a few extra moves. I found a YouTube video that goes through the process step by step.

Well that's all my braiding adventures so far. It's nice to be making something that even my sons and my husband like. I've finally discovered something I can make for the guys in my family. Woohoo!

How to Paint Hemp Roving (& Other Cellulose Fibers)

This tutorial shows how to paint hemp roving. You can use this same method for dyeing cotton, bamboo and other cellulose fibers.

Here are the materials I'll be using:
4oz of 100% Hemp Roving
1/2 teaspoon Procion Dye (I like to use Procion Dyes from Dharma Trading, but any brand of fiber reactive dye is acceptable)
1/4 cup soda ash (or your mordant of choice)
5 tablespoons of salt
9 x 13" Clear Pyrex Dish
Microwave Oven
Gloves, Bowl, (4 cup)Measuring Cup, Measuring Spoons (your dyeing dishes and utensils should be separate from the ones used for food)

Let's get started.
Begin by pre-soaking your fiber for at least 30 minutes. If you are concerned about your fiber being thoroughly clean, you can add just a few drops of mild soap to the water. After 30 minutes have passed, It's time to prepare a mordant bath to scour and prepare the fiber for dyeing. In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup soda ash with the hottest tap water. Stir until the soda ash has completely dissolved in the water. Take your hemp from the pre-soak and squeeze out all the water. Then transfer the hemp into the mordant bath you have just created. Let the hemp sour in the soda ash for 5 minutes.

The picture on the left shows the hemp in the pre-soak. On the right, the hemp has been transferred to the mordant bath. You can see that the water is a little cloudy from the soda ash.



While your hemp is scouring, you can prepare your dye bath. Using a 4 cup measure. mix 4 cups of warm tap water with 5 tablespoons of salt and 1/2 tsp of your dye powder (or the amount indicated on your brand of dye). Stir until the salt is dissolved and the color is completely mixed.



After five minutes, wearing your gloves, remove the hemp from the mordant bath squeezing out all excess water. Lay the hemp out in an even layer in the Pyrex dish. I like to go back and forth in a zig zag motion.

Now it's time to paint. Keep those gloves on because we are going to be finger painting. Give your dye bath one more stir to make sure it's completely mixed, then carefully pour the dye water over your roving.



Use your hands to work the dye into the fiber. The reason I use my hands and not a brush to paint is because roving likes to cling together when it's wet. The most challenging part of this process is making sure that the dye reaches the core of the fiber. In the picture on the right, I am gently teasing the roving apart to see if my dye has worked all the way through.

Take your time with this part of the process. I like to carefully gather the roving and turn it over in the dish at least once so I can work on both sides. It's also nice to have a clear dish because you pick it up and look through the bottom of the dish to see if the dye has gone all the way through or if there are bare patches in your fiber.



When you feel confident that the hemp roving is evenly painted, cover your dish with plastic wrap. Use a knife to create a few vents to allow steam to come out. You can see that my plastic is a little cloudy. That's because our dye bath was warm, but now it's time to turn up the heat.

Place your dish in the microwave. My microwave is fairly typical. It has a rotating glass dish in the bottom. Since the Pyrex dish is a rectangle and is too large to turn in circles, I set it with one end on the rotating plate and the other side hanging over the edge. This helps to prevent a lot of excess movement.

The cooking time is 2 minutes, then open the door and turn the dish around so that the other end is toward the center. (I do this so that the heat is more even.) Then 2 more minutes and turn again. Repeat this until the fiber has had 8 minutes total in the microwave. If you are worried about your color, you can check your roving after 4 minutes. Just be sure to wear those gloves to protect your hands from the dye and the heat!

Allow your hemp to sit in the Pyrex dish until it has cooled completely. Then rinse your fiber with cool water until the water runs clear. Squeeze out the excess water and lay your roving out on a towel to dry in the sun or hang it over the shower rail if the weather is not cooperating.

When your fiber is dry, it may feel a little stiff. If you gently pull on the roving in the same manner as if you were drafting, The fibers will loosen and feel softer.

That's all there is to it!

Dyeing Corn Fiber ~ Part I

Corn has been around in other forms for some time now. I first remember seeing it as a biodegradable filler for packing boxes. More recently it has been applied to plastics creating eco-friendly takeout containers and utensils. Now, we are seeing it enter the textile market.

It seems to have natural benefits. Blended with cotton it creates a fabric that is lighter, more UV resistant and soft next to the skin. Since corn is an annually renewable resource, it's hard not to see the upside of these new applications. However, my focus is on my own craft. As a dyer and a spinner, how easy is corn fiber to work with? That's what I plan to find out.

I've done a little research to see what has already been written on the subject. I haven't been able to find much about the experience my fellow crafters are having with corn fiber. The best information I was able to find was on Paula Burch's All About Hand Dyeing. She has Corn fiber clearly listed under synthetic fibers and indicates that disperse dyeing is the most effective method.

So what's this? Corn fiber is synthetic? Well, technically yes. "Corn fiber is manufactured using new, cutting edge bioengineering technologies. It is produced by the poly lactic acid from corn. Then a liquid "batter" is created and cooked, then the fiber is produced by wet-spinning and stabilized by acetylating, and is then cut into short staples after curling and thermoforming.

Corn fiber is part of the new class of green textiles. These fibers provide the environment with a unique "cradle-to-cradle" approach, coming from the earth and being wholly biodegradable. Corn fiber contains no petroleum and all products are manufactured to be eco-friendly."(1)

Corn Fiber is also known under its trademarked name Ingeo(2). Ingeo (corn fiber) is a biopolymer known as PLA or polylactic acid. That's not a very natural sounding name for something that comes from corn, but let's not forget that it's manufactured without the use of petrochemicals and it's biodegradable not to mention renewable.

So as a dyer, it seems the bottom line is that I'll need to use dye that is created specifically for polyester or in other words, synthetics. While that may be true, I still want to see how corn fiber will behave when dyed with acid and fiber reactive dyes. Many of us who spin like to blend our fibers. What will happen if we blend corn fiber with wool or cotton and then dye the blended fibers together?

Today, for Part I of this post, I have the results of dyeing corn fiber with acid reactive dyes. I used the method that I have outlined in my article entitled My Preferred Way of Dyeing Soy Silk Roving. From looking at the fiber and my experience with other synthetics, I thought this would be a good approach. The result is the light amber color you see in the picture above. Had I been dyeing wool, my results would have produced a solid orange. The corn fiber took the dye, but to a much lesser extent. I am pleased that it did take some color though. What this means to me as a fiber artist is that I can blend corn fiber and wool and when dyed, the corn fiber will create natural highlights. This could be rather pretty in a yarn and subsequently a knitted, crocheted or woven garment.

In Part II, we'll get a chance to see how corn fiber takes to fiber reactive dyes. It will be interesting to compare results. It seems only right that I should also try a dye product recommended for synthetics. I don't happen to have any such dye in my studio, so I'll have to order some. I'll return soon with more on my exploration of corn fiber.

Related Posts:
Corn Fiber!
Dyeing Corn Fiber ~ Part II

(1) Louet North America
(2) NatureWorks

Dye Gone Wrong? ~ How to Rescue Your Roving

Here's a picture of the roving I have drying in the sun right now. It definitely has those fall colors working throughout. There are shades of chestnut and olive as well as burnt orange and warm yellow. Adding a little interest to the mix is a touch of pink. When this is dry, I think it will be very pretty.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because yesterday this roving looked so bad I could barely stand it! My intention was to dye this roving in shades of pink, chestnut and olive green, but something went horribly wrong. My olive green came out grey with hints of blue. It formed a terrible contrast to the warm chestnut tones. I set it out to dry trying to convince myself that it wasn't that bad. The next morning, gazing upon the fiber with rested eyes, I knew I had to rescue this roving.

It happens to all of us. Sometimes we don't get the colors we want. Maybe its a new and unfamiliar dye product or a dye stock that is getting old which is what I think occurred in my case. So how do you fix it? You can rescue your roving by dyeing it again. We call this overdyeing in the biz and people do it all the time.

This morning my roving went right back into a bowl of water with a little vinegar to soak. This is painted roving, so when the time came to dye, I laid it out so that all of the olive-gone-bad sections were together. I needed to warm up those greys so I attacked them with a yellow-orange. I could see that it was helping to bring in some of the green I had wanted in the first place. I also worked some of the overdye color into the pink to add some sunset tones. I knew the roving would be nothing like my initial concept, but it could still be pretty.

So remember, there's no reason you can't go back to the drawing board. Dye jobs gone wrong can be rescued. You may have to be a little flexible and roll with the changes. Who knows? You might find yourself with an unexpected and even more interesting outcome.

My Preferred Way of Dyeing Soy Silk Roving

When I first started dyeing soy silk, I used a stove top method. Now, my new preferred way to dye this roving is by painting it. This way, the roving is less agitated during the process, and I think it's easier on the dyer too!



I like to dye 4 ounces of roving at a time. I have 4.1 ounces on my scale so this is just about perfect. Then I place my roving in a bowl of water to soak. Make sure your roving is nice and loose and free of twists. To the water I add a splash of distilled white vinegar, somewhere between 1/8 to 1/4 a cup. I give the roving a jiggle with my hand to mix in the vinegar and make sure the water fully saturates the fiber. Now I walk away and let it soak for at least 30 minutes.

This is a great time to get your dye ready. There are lots of different formulas for dye stock and colors. I talk a little about mine in How to Dye Wool Roving. Today however, I happen to be using Lanscapes Dyes which comes in a powder form. I know from experience that I need about 7 grams of powder to achieve the color I'm going for. Whether you are working with a liquid dye stock or a powder dye, the total amount of water we'll be adding is 4 cups. In a 4 cup measure, I have first added my powder, then, about 3 and 3/4 cups warm water. After stirring to fully dissolve my dye powder, I add about another 1/4 cup of white vinegar. I mix again. Now I have the concentration of color I want in a 4 cup mixture of dye, water and vinegar.

*Note: This is more vinegar than I use with wool. I have found that it really helps the soy silk to have a little more vinegar in the mix. This is even true with the Landscapes Dyes which are formulated so that they need less acid.



Okay, now it's time to have some fun. To paint my soy silk, I use a 9x13 inch clear Pyrex dish and a good pair of gloves. A lot of people actually paint their roving with brushes or sponges. In the case of soy silk, I like to get right in there with my hands. Yes, that's right, we'll be finger painting!

Now it's time to remove your roving from the bowl where it has been soaking in water and vinegar for at least 30 minutes. Squeeze out all of the excess water. Then lay the roving out in the Pyrex dish in a zig zag pattern. Once again, be sure to work out any twists. If your fiber is twisted, It makes it more difficult for the dye to reach the inner core of the roving.


(Click on pictures to view larger images)

After you have your roving all lined up in your dish, pour your dye mixture over the roving. Then put on your gloves and start to gently work the dye into the roving.



In the picture on the left, I have picked up a piece of the soy silk and pulled it apart to see if the dye has worked through the entire roving. When soy silk roving gets wet, the fibers like to cling together. You can see that the center of the roving still has some light areas where the dye has not reached. One of the reasons I like to use Pyrex is because I can pick up the dish and see through the bottom. This is another way I can check on my roving.

I basically just use my fingers to work the color into the fiber. I even gather the rows of soy and turn them over so I can get to both sides. When I'm satisfied that the dye has evenly penetrated all of the soy silk, I cover the dish with plastic wrap.



Now it's time to heat set the color. I want to heat the soy silk and not cook it, so I use a knife to cut a few vents into the plastic wrap. Then I put my dish in the microwave. My microwave is fairly typical. It has a rotating glass dish in the bottom. Since my Pyrex dish is a rectangle and is too large to turn in circles, I set it with one end on the rotating plate and the other side hanging over the edge. This helps to prevent a lot of excess movement.

My cooking time is 2 minutes, then open the door and turn the dish around so that the other end is toward the center. (I do this so that the heat is more even.) Then 2 more minutes and turn again. I repeat this until my soy silk has had 8 minutes total in the microwave. If you are worried about your color, you can check your roving after 4 minutes. Just be sure to wear those gloves to protect your hands from the dye and the heat!



Take your dish out and set it to cool. You can see the steam clouding the plastic wrap. If we take a peek through one of the vents, you can see that the water is clear and the fiber now holds all of the color. If your water isn't clear, you can give it a couple more minutes. If that doesn't do the trick, you may have more dye than you need in your dye mixture. Don't worry, you can rinse it out after the roving has cooled.

*Note: This is a longer heating process than I use for wool. You have to be much more cautious about wool felting. For wool, I do 2 minutes, turn, 2 minutes, turn, 1 minute, turn, 1 minute. Remember that all microwaves can vary in temperature.



After your soy silk has cooled, rinse it out. The water should run clear when you are done. Squeeze out the excess moisture and then lay your roving out to dry. I live in the southwest, so I lay my fiber on a towel in the sun. It will be dry in no time. You could also hang it over your shower.


If you look at the picture of the fiber laying out on the blue towel, you can see how nice and intact the roving is. It has not lost any of its integrity. It's ready to be divided and drafted by a spinner, or perhaps teased and needle felted.

Well, you've just seen me paint one of my favorite colors of soy silk at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. This shade, Grass Green, was developed for one of my customers. Now you can have fun developing your own colors!