A Video for Dyeing Light Colours and a Lesson for you from The Welcome Mat

Enjoy making a range of wonderfully light colours for your wool.

Every Sunday on The Welcome Mat we have a regular segment called New Skills Monday.This is just one of the amazing things available on the Welcome Mat every week. The latest new skill was this video and accompanying lesson below, we all hope you can use this for your own dyeing work.

Dyeing Snow or Light Colours

This is a terrific way to start to dye. 

If you haven't dyed before this is fast, fun and easy.

If you have dyed before, try making some really fun snow.

If you like this press the like button!

If you have something to add please do so.

If you are happy and you know it clap your hands.

Materials and equipment

1/2 yd or 1/4 yd ( would be done in an 9 x13 " pan) wool

hot water and surfactant like Jet dry or shampoo or synthropol in a sink

1 flat pan as in a roasting pan or buffet pan ( that's what I used)  or for 1/4 yd a cake pan ( 9 x13")

measuring cups

acid as in citric or vinegar ( add vinegar to the dye formulas) 

oven

boiling water

measuring utensils

Possible Dye Colours  to use

I like to either make warm , cool or neutral snow which contain both warm and cool and I believe I never make it the same way with the same colours twice.

Like flesh all colours can go into snow.

You need to consider the snow you will be depicting.

Maple sugar bush snow with some melt and dirt showing, use some browns with the dull grey and violet.

January freeze? Look to use lots of cool colours, like violets, blues and greens.

Is the sun shining on your snow? I say using orange and violet, blue and well just like what we made in this video. It is fun to make really warm snow with caramel and maple sugar and a little golden pear with teal, these are all pro chem colours, they make great old fashioned snow.

Sunset? 

This is the time you can use a little red violet in your other colours of snow.

Method

Wet your wool in the hot water and surfactant.

Crinkle your wool wool up into the pan fairly evenly

Sprinkle citric acid over your wool.

Mix up each colour you will use in it's own cup, using 1/4 cup of boiling water and filling it up to one cup with cool water.* 

Pour over each colour in an winding S pattern - just give 'er, he who hesitates is lost!

Don't jostle or start riffling through the mountains and valleys of wool, white spots are good in snow!

Pop it in the oven, cook for 25 minutes at 350˚F

Rinse well, dry as you wish, cut 'er up and get hooking!

* If you are dyeing over 1/4 yd of wool using this much dye might make your snow rather dark for snow.  Try using a 1/4 of a toothpick, dampened in the same manner as the chop stick.