Mixed-Up Monday: Taupe

  Taupe is a fun neutral to work with because it has so many variations.   I sometimes like to add it to bright variegated colorways (like the current club color, Seed Pods)  just to tone down and give more depth and contrast to vibrant colors.

Seed Pods

What you'll need:

gloves

wool: fiber or yarn

acid: citric or vinegar

acid dyes: brown, black, yellow, magenta, turquoise, blue (dye stock tutorial here)

dye pot: stainless steel or crock pot

measuring spoons

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

Gather wool and soak in room temp tap water until fully saturated.  I always keep mine wrapped in nylon net while rinsing and soaking. 

Add a few inches of water (enough that it will cover the amount of wool you're using) to a dye pot.

Add 1/2 tsp of citric acid or 2 tsp vinegar to the water.

First, add 1 tsp (5 ml) of brown dye stock to the pot.

Then add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Black dye stock.

I'm now adding 1 oz of damp wool to the pot.  

Turn heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.  The water will be clear when done.

Let cool.

Prepare some rinse baths ( one with a few drops of textile detergent or Blue Dawn, the other just plain tap water).  

Hang or dry flat.

A nice basic taupe color to work with. :)

Variations:

I added 1/4 tsp of Yellow dye stock to this pot to get a warmer taupe.

Here I added 1/2 tsp Blue dye to warm it up toward brown.

Add just 1/8 tsp of Magenta for a softer feminine taupe color.

Adding 1/8 tsp of Turquoise dye stock will cool it down toward gray.

I can't pick a favorite.  I love them all!

xo

Next on Mixed Up Monday (6/15): apricot   terra-cotta

Mixed-Up Monday: Gray

I love gray.  Gray can be warm or cool,  from the palest silver to dark charcoal.   Today we're just playing with a mid-tone gray but you can experiment with the depth of shade and get lots of beautiful results.  

On a side note:  Gray vs. Grey.   "Gray" is the American spelling of the color while "grey" is the British spelling.   Various attempts have been made in the past to establish different colors for gray and grey.  Grey can mean a more delicate or lighter color than gray.   Others have gone further by defining gray as having a warmer undertone than grey.  

What you'll need:

Gloves

Wool: fiber or yarn

Acid:  citric or vinegar

Dye Solutions: black, brown, yellow, magenta, turquoise, and blue

Dye pot: stainless steel or crockpot

I'm using 1 oz bundles of mixed breed wool combed top here.

Soak the wool in some room temp tap water.

Fill the dye pot with a few inches of water.   Add in 1/2 tsp of citric acid or 2 tsp of vinegar.

Add 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of black dye stock solution.

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

Turn heat to low and put on lid.  

Let this heat for about 20 minutes and then check to see if all the dye has exhausted.  

I use a white spoon to check if the water is clear.  Looking good!

Let this cool completely.  

Prepare your water baths, one with a few drops of textile detergent (or Blue Dawn), and another bath with just plain water.  

Drop you freshly dyed wool in first bath for a few minutes, then end with the final plain bath.

Squeeze out excess water and hang dry.

A pretty and neutral gray. :)

Variations:

Add 1/4 tsp of turquoise to cool it down with a teal undertone.

Add 1/4 tsp of blue dye stock to bring it closer to slate gray.

Add 1/4 tsp yellow and it turns to mossy green.

Adding 1/4 tsp magenta dye stock will turn it to oyster gray.

Add 1/4 tsp brown dye to get taupe.

Which one is your favorite?

Have fun and keep on dyeing!

XO

Next on Mixed-Up Monday (2/2): Cobalt Blue