Indigo Dyeing Part Deux

So, in my last post I described Tamara's workshop using a one time dye bath with kit.

Now that I had some idea of what I was doing, my friend J and I undertook an indigo dyeing project using a more chemically-based method for a dyepot that would be reusable

Note the disinterested cat...not a bad thing.

We used Jacquard Products Indigo Tie Dye Kit as we had at the workshop only this time we used the included reducing agent.  Here's J stirring the pot

After introducing the pre moistened fiber, you have to move it around carefully so as to not add oxygen to the dye bath until you're ready to remove it

The fiber comes out of the dyepot green and you watch it turn blue as the indigo oxidizes (combines with oxygen in the room air). Here's a before and after of some handspun cormo from Jupiter Moon Farm

The plies of  my two ply chunky did not take up the dye evenly so there's a subtle barber pole effect

J is planning to cut up some TARN (that is, tee shirt yarn) and dyed some tee shirts  (when I looked up tarn it turns out that "tarn" also means a mountain pool...appropriate that she was dyeing it blue)

In Wales my friend L purchased some laceweight BFL and silk from Bluefaced Yarn Shop  for me to dye for her.  This turned out the best, because the silk took the dye so well and it is lovely and shiny.  Yes, I did get it back into a skein but the takeaway was...tie up those skeins with several extra ties before dyeing!

We pretty much exhausted the dye pot but will do this again!

And finally, here is a video on how to cut a tee shirt into tarn