Mordanting

When I talk about natural dyeing most people ask if the colours are light fast and washable. The answer is yes if you use the right methods of dyeing and mordants. Mordants are the chemical fixers used to fix the dye to the fibre. Years ago I used to use Tin, Copper, Chrome and Iron until I realised how poisonous they are. Now days I use Alum, natural and harmless. This can restrict the colours that you get so I started making safe alternatives.

Soak copper piping in a solution of half vinegar and water for about  three weeks until it turns blue. This is a good mordant and you just need to top up the solution as you use it until it no longer turns blue then change the piping.

Treat rusty iron nails in the same way. Be careful as this can be a bit hard on the wool and make it brittle. Best used as a modifier.

Rhubarb leaves simmered for one hour then strained make a mordant and a yellow dye in there are own right. The root of the plant can be used in the same way. This is no hardship, I love Rhubarb.

Modifiers are used at the end of the dyeing process to alter the colours by making the solution either acid or alkaline. Citric Acid, Vinegar for acidic solutions and Washing Soda for alkaline are just a few that are available. It is best to use these sparingly as they can damage the fibre, but you don't need much to change the shades in the dye bath.

 I like to mordant a lot of wool  ready to dye at this time of the year because dye plants are coming thick and fast form now on and time is short. It is a way to make sure I am ready to use the ones I want before they disappear for another year. There are always some I miss, there are just not enough hours in the day to do all I want to do.

1st day introdution.

This is day one of this blog so here is a little bit about myself.

I live in a small village in lovely countryside, although we are only forty minutes from London(England). I have always been a country girl and gain lots of inspiration from the natural world. Hand spinning and dyeing are my great passions.I opened my Etsy shop a few months ago and would love to be able to earn a living from my work but have to work part time for the moment. It is over thirty years since I first learned to spin and have I found plenty of ways to pass on my skills. Teaching, taking workshops and giving talks to all sorts of groups. But there always seems to be new things to learn as I go along.

Other passions are my dogs, horses and rabbits. You will be hearing about these from time to time as they often are connected with my work, especially the rabbits. They are Angoras, and I love to spin angora it is hard to beat on softness. I hope you like the picture of my lovely Melody. How could you not!

Gardening is another hobby, I grow a lot of the plants that I dye with and will be explaining how to do this from time to time, as well as how to use them.

I'm afraid I am a multi project person. There are at least two or three things in my work box at any one time. There have been as many as five before now. I try to be a bit disciplined and get things finished. Remembering that I am trying to run a business is hard when I am enjoying myself so much. It never feels like work. All this means that I will have plenty of things to shear with you as I go along.

Please shear your projects with me, any comments, helpful hints, etc will be welcome. We can all learn from each other.

Bye for now, Gilly.