Yarn!

I learned how to dye raw wool yesterday, and also how to dye yarn. It was similar to how I learned to dye fabric this year in school, but we used acid dyes, which need to stay hot for the duration of their dyeing.

We used a big pot, boiled water, added a cup of vinegar and half a bottle of turquoise dye, and then dyed about half a pound of raw wool and two small skeins we spun up. One skein was of alpaca, and one was of wool.

Here is the one I spun, of mostly alpaca, with a little bit of wool mixed in:


The alpaca didn't take the dye as well as the wool, but it was still a very nice color, and I'm excited that I can make colored yarns now! I'm looking forwards to being gifted my grandmother's antique spinning wheel, so that I can do it at home :) Next time my mom visits her, she is going to mail it back to me!

Here's a close-up of the turquoise alpaca (this is only my second time on the spinning wheel, so it's still a little lumpy, but getting better!!)

you can tell the little cutie alpaca was kind of a creamy white - some of the yarn is more yellow or green than other parts!