My First Yarn Dyeing Experience

A Potential New Obsession

I took a class at my LYS last Saturday afternoon. Jimmy Beans Wool is in Reno just a 45 minute ride up and over the Mt. Rose Highway from Lake Tahoe. To put that in perspective pretty much everything is on the other side of the mountains in either Reno or Carson City. It’s one of the parts of living in a tiny town in the mountains, it has its pros and cons.

The class was called “Solar Dyeing”. It sounded like fun and a nice way to meet other knitters. Jimmy Bean’s Also let us ‘shop the warehouse’ which is so incredible dangerous. I stocked up on Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, my go-to sport weight Merino. You’ll be seeing a lot of projects with it coming up.

Lots of different colors and ideas.

The dyeing concept was really straight forward and easy. They provided us with Satchel yarn by Mrs. Crosby Loves to Play, a fingering weight 100% superwash merino. We dyed the yarn in these large canning jars and put them out in the sun to set.

My color inspirations were set on my drive to Reno; blue lake, green pines and snow still o the peaks. I started on the bottom of the jar with some dark blue, added some light blue and yellow in the middle and topped the jar off with some aqua. I’m pleased with my first effort. I’d probably spend a little more time blending some of the dyes next time.

I haven’t decided what to do with it yet. I don’t normally actually use multi-color yarns since my designs are so much about texture. Maybe a Showy Garter project will play up the color changes. In the mean time I’m glad I tried something new. What about you? Have you tried dyeing yarn yet?

4 comments on “My First Yarn Dyeing Experience”

Gwen Settle
August 13, 2017

I love dyeing yarn. Did you use natural dyes? I’d love to know how to do solar dyeing.

Reply
- Laura Cunitz
  August 16, 2017
  
  Hi Gwen, No they didn’t use natural dyes here, but the instructor did tell us the same method could be used with Kool Aid. It was so easy, just dry dye, added at bottom, put in part of wet skein, add more/different dye, more skein … Then cover with almost boiling water. I’m sure it’s online somewhere. I have my yarn cake with me swatching as I visit my daughter in Boulder. Laura
  
  Reply
Maria Schmucker
August 13, 2017

Wow, that green-blue mix is stunning! This was the first go? Incredible. You over-achiever you. 😄

Reply
- Laura Cunitz
  August 16, 2017
  
  Hi Maria, Come visit your cousin! So glad you found the blog. 🙂
  
  Reply