Stasia's Place Of Grace

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

 

Dyeing Info?

From a post I made on the Spindlers list:

I have a question for anyone familiar with OneShot/Country Classics dyes (I got mine from ProChemical.)

I want to use these to paint roving, as opposed to immersion dyeing the roving. I can't find any good instructions for the amount of painting dye to mix up based on the weight of goods to be dyed. All the instructions are for immersion dyeing - so many grams of dye per a big pot of water.

I'm confused because a) I stink at math and b) I want to use more than one color (say three), and then varying shades of those colors (so maybe nine shades total). I know that I will need to dilute the concentrations of the original colors to make the other tones... but how much should I start with for, say, 8 or 12 oz. of (dry) fiber?

I'm also confused as to the dye stock percentage to use for painting. For immersion dyeing, it's a 1% solution... is it the same for painting, or should I go stronger?

The reason for all these questions is that I don't think these dyes can be stored as stock for longer than two weeks and I therefore want to mix as little as possible, and exhaust as much as possible, to be "environmentally responsible". If you read this blog last summer, you know that we just had a new septic system installed, and I am SO not putting anything down there that might ruin it! (I just don't think that dumping dye down the drain is good for the Earth, in any application.)

I've looked in several of my books on dyeing and haven't found really good guidelines for amounts to mix up relating to the amount of fiber to be painted. Lots of painting instructions... just no weight to dye ratios. If you have any resources to share with me, I would really appreciate it! I also wrote to ProChem to ask them for any suggestions, and if I hear back, I'll post here.

If I can figure this out in time, I'd love to join the current Spindlers dyed 4 oz. ready-to-spin fiber exchange. All this spinning of dyed Wensleydale has me wanting to dye my own. Sigh. Yet another distraction, as my spindles litter the living room. I even have the Lendrum upright raring to go (I forget - does it need to be oiled? Anyone? Bueller?)

What's to become of my unfinished knitted baby sweaters? And I have yet to start my seedlings... sometimes I really wish I had only one hobby. Just when I re-learn how to do one (like weaving once or twice annually!) I have to go read up on another. I really should just focus on one thing - but where's the fun in that?

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Special Appeal

The href="http://www.northwoodswildlifecenter.com/" target="_blank">Northwoods Wildlife Center of Minocqua, Wisconsin has issued a special appeal for support. They are hosting a "surreality" contest where in you can "vote" for (sponsor) the "winner" (your favorite). Click the pic to enlarge it so that you can read their poem - it's cute. Then give freely if you are so inclined. They do fantastic work.

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This t-shirt cracked me up:

It reads, "It's all fun and games until someone laughs their butt off." Love it!

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Philosophical Musings

Today I am thinking that...

Those who cannot state their opinions in a way that doesn't insult another are not very confident of their opinions. I think they must not have very much faith in the validity of their beliefs.

Those who don't get the facts before asserting themselves don't want the facts - they just have a need to be heard.

Those who create dissention and unrest do so because of an unfulfilled need for personal power or because of low self-esteem.

Those who want to express themselves at all costs, and are unwilling to listen to, or be respectful of, the opinions of another - and those who find the need to misrepresent the views of another to make their own positions appear stronger - do so because they like to argue for the sake of arguing, not because they care about betterment of their lives or those of others.

Those who criticize creations do so because of a fear that they can't create themselves.

There are those who would rather be against something - anything - negatively than be for something else in a positive manner.

Those who vociferate ferociously about their rights often don't care much about the rights of others. Sometimes they care more about the right itself than actually exercising the right, and they'd rather argue about the right than do anything constructive with it. There also is often a difference between one's rights and what may be the right thing to do in a particular situation.

Intelligent people can discuss ideas and agree to disagree without making personal attacks. Intelligent people strive first to understand another's views, then feel free to express their own, seeking common ground.

Those who do not seek common ground seek to... what? Why wouldn't one want to seek common ground? To that, I have no answer. I want to work on peace within myself, my family, my friends, the world. Those who desire conflict for the sake of conflict generate their own karma, as do we all.

My life is too short to be sucked dry by negativity. Because of my limitations, I value the positive in life so much more. I have learned that I control how negativity affects me - I can choose to walk away from it. For that life lesson, I am truly grateful. It has made all the difference.

Have a positive day!

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