I've been dyeing for a long time--over a decade. I use acid wool dyes, sabraset and lanaset dyes from Earth Guild and PRO Chemical and Dye. They are the same dyes, they just have different trade names. And of course the colors are slightly different. For some reason, the last time I did a lot of dyeing, I decided that I was going to start using just one company, PRO Chemical and Dye. I guess I thought it would be easier and a little cheaper to source my dye from one place and I was using
Deb Menz's dye books and formulas for some of my experiments and she uses their dyes.
However, this led me right into this weekend's rookie mistake.
That beautiful blue yarn is made in part with Blue 2R, a dye made by Earth Guild. I have been using this lovely dye for a decade. I love it. Why would I abandon it?
I started dyeing the blues for the next tapestry late last week. As I began measuring the dyes for the first eight colors, I started to panic a little bit because the jar was almost empty. Searching through my two small boxes of dye powders, I realized there was no new jar.
No. New. Jar.
Then I remembered the aforementioned clearly delusional decision to stop using Earth Guild dyes.
I realized I had enough for the eight colors, and thought, oh great, I'm going to make it!
Only to remember that I had nine more blues to go for this piece and there was no way any other dye could be substituted.
And this was all I had left.
Thankfully Earth Guild was fast. Yesterday this little box was on my doorstep and I'm off to dye the rest of the blue.
In penance I promise to continue to use Earth Guild's Blue 2R for all eternity... or at least until another delusion steps in.
Thanks Earth Guild.
I love to spin, but I don't do a lot of dying. I find it expensive, and like you, I would like to use only one brand. I have a number of the Cushings acid dyes. I looked into this dye, and I seem to remember a huge variance in price between shades. I thought there were extra steps involved too. What makes this dye superior? How do you find an easy way to use it? I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to dye, except to wear protection and keep utensils separate. I never seem to get the exact shade I'm looking for.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used Cushings dyes at all, so don't know about that. As for the acid wool dyes (sabraset/lanaset), there is a big difference between shades in price. As there probably should be. Some chemicals cost more than others and I am glad they charge less for the cheaper ones (yellow) instead of charging me a ton for all of them! Purple is expensive... color of kings you know. Since I don't know the steps of the dyes you use, I can't comment on extra steps. Deb Menz has a nice video about dyeing with acid wool dyes called Dyeing in the Kitchen. While I wouldn't do this in my kitchen, she does show you exactly how to do it. She also talks about this dye in her Color in Spinning book. The acid dyes are only dangerous if you inhale them (as any particulate in your lungs is).
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