Mixed Up Monday: Periwinkle

The color periwinkle gets its name from the color of blossoms produced by the plant called Periwinkle, or myrtle, Vinca minor.  It is a mix of lavender and pale blue.

What you'll need:

gloves

wool: fiber or yarn

acid: citric or vinegar

acid dyes: turquoise and magenta.  Brown, black, and yellow are optional.  (link for mixing dye                            stocks can be found here)

dye pot: stainless steel or crock pot

measuring spoons

I'll be using 1 oz bundles of mixed breed wool combed top for each dye pot.  

Gather your wool and soak in some room temp tap water until saturated.

Add 1/2 tsp citric acid, or 2 tsp vinegar, to a dye pot filled with a few inches of water.  

Add 1 tsp, 5 ml, of Turquoise dye stock to the pot.

Next, add 1/2 tsp of Magenta dye stock.  Give it a stir.

Add the damp wool making sure it is completely submerged.

Cover and turn heat to low.

Simmer for 20 minutes.  Water should be clear when done.

Let cool.

Prepare water baths, one with a couple drops of textile detergent or Blue Dawn, and one bath of plain tap water.  Soak wool in each one for a few minutes. 

Hang dry.

A pretty shade of periwinkle. :)

1 tsp Turquoise dye stock

1/2 tsp Magenta dye stock

Variations:

Adding 1/4 tsp of Yellow dye stock will tone it down while keeping a pastel shade.

Here I added 1/4 tsp of Brown dye stock to darken and warm it up a bit.

Adding 1/4 tsp of Black dye stock will darken and bring out more cool undertones.

Have fun and keep on dyeing!

xo

Mixed Up Mondays will be back soon!  

Mixed-Up Monday: Sky Blue

  Sky blue is the coolest of colors.  The color of sky and the sea and often associated with open spaces, freedom, and inspiration.

What you'll need:

gloves

wool:  fiber or yarn

acid: citric or vinegar

acid dyes:  blue, turquoise, yellow, red, black (post on mixing dye stock solutions)

dye pot: stainless steel or crock pot

measuring spoons

I'll be dyeing up 1 oz bundles of mixed breed wool combed top. 

Gather your fiber and soak in some room temp water until saturated.  

Add a few inches of water to your dye pot, enough to completely submerge your fiber.  

Add about 1/2 tsp citric or 2 tsp vinegar for 1 oz of fiber.

Add 2 tsp of blue dye stock solution.  

Add the fiber making sure it is completely submerged.

Cover pot and turn heat to low.  Let this simmer for 20 minutes making sure dye has fully exhausted.

Let cool.

Rinsing:  

Prepare 2 water baths, one with a few drops of textile detergent, and one with plain room temp water.

Dunk and soak in baths for a few minutes ending with plain water bath.

Hand or dry flat.

A beautiful sky blue.  Perfect for spring!

Variations:

Add 1/2 tsp of turquoise dye stock to get an ocean sky.

Adding 1/4 tsp of yellow dye stock brings it toward teal.

A little red, 1/4 tsp, and it's on the verge of periwinkle.

Adding 1/2 tsp of black dye stock for a stormy sky.

Sky blue is a great base color to play around with.  Just a touch of another color(or 2!) will change it up and you can get some really beautiful surprises.

Have fun in the sunny sky!

XO

Next on Mixed-Up Monday (3/30): Grassy Greens

Mixed-Up Monday: Cobalt Blue

  We're seeing the color cobalt here at my house quite often.  I have my favorite cobalt blue glass pieces on display in the widow sill and curio.  I'm also constantly picking up cobalt blue plastic toys thanks to my son's obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog.   He has about every action figure made...and I've probably stepped on every one.  Those spikes can hurt!

What you'll need:

gloves

wool: fiber or yarn

acid: citric or vinegar

dye solutions: blue, turquoise, magenta, yellow, brown, and black

dye pot: stainless steel or crockpot

  I'll be using 1 oz bundles of mixed breed wool combed top.

Gather up your wool and soak in some room temp tap water until saturated.

Fill the dye pot with a few inches of water (enough to cover your wool/yarn)

Add 1/2 tsp citric acid or 2 tsp vinegar.

Add 1 TB (15 ml) of Turquoise dye solution.

Next, add 2 TB (30 ml) of Blue dye solution.

Then add 1 tsp (5 ml) of Magenta dye solution.

Gently squeeze out excess water from wool and add to pot.

Cover and turn heat to low.

Let this simmer for about 30 minutes.  Water will be almost clear when done.

Let cool completely.

Prepare at least 2 water baths.  One with a touch of textile detergent or Blue Dawn.  The other with plain water.  Gently soak dyed wool in baths ending with the plain water.

Hang dry.

A saturated and vibrant cobalt blue!

Variations:

Add some extra Magenta (1 TB) to get a deeper cobalt color.

Adding 1 tsp of Black dye stock darkens the color.

Here I added 1 TB of brown.  It darkens and warms it up.

Adding 1 tsp of Yellow stock will bring it closer to teal.

Have fun with blue!  

My son approves and now cobalt is officially called "Sonic Blue" here. :)

xo

Next on Mixed-Up Monday (2/16):  reader request!