# Dyeing- indigo



## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

Spent the day with an indigo vat. Lots of fun! Used the Jacquard kit that Knit Picks sells. Vat is in the garage waiting g to dye some more. I'm happy!


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## maureenb (Apr 1, 2011)

Wish I could come over and throw my yarn in your vat..lovely shade of blue!


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

LOL Maureen Go you would love Colorado especially now with winter coming. The yarn is very pretty I love Blue and green together. You did good.


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

It was great. The later exhaust vat will give lighter blues which will excite me just as much. Most of the stuff I dyed today was over dyed or some naturals. The experimentation was a success.


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

That is so gorgeous


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

Lovely shades! :sm24:


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

I posted a article on indigo dyeing.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Lovely, a line full of blue poetry!


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Wow....just beautiful. I so would have loved to watch your process. Gorgeous!


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

Cdambro said:


> Wow....just beautiful. I so would have loved to watch your process. Gorgeous!


Chortle! Very sloppy. My hands, face and jeans are all blue. Interestingly, the Jacquard kits did not really bloom until oxygen was introduced. Then they really took off. The color I was getting after 2# was as intense as the first. Some of the other vats were giving lighter blues. There were two who measured and PH tested and angsted over the whole thing and were jealous of the two of us using kits.

The only light one was previously yellow. It was mystery fiber and dye. Navaho ply, so I probably did it but not sure. It could have been alpaca from a quilt bat I inherited.

I also did a bunch of Henry's Attic samples that I had been given. That was fun to see what the different fibers would do.


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## Goodshepfarm (Jul 20, 2014)

Ohhhh. Jealous. Indigo dyeing is on my bucket list!!! Happy for you.


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## ilmacheryl (Feb 3, 2013)

I dyed some spinning fiber with indigo. My fingers turned blue while I was spinning. After washing the yarn, my fingers turned blue while I was knitting. It all washed off, but thought you should be warned.


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## Spooly (Oct 22, 2011)

Those are some beautiful shades of blue.


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## spins2knit (Jul 29, 2013)

ilmacheryl said:


> I dyed some spinning fiber with indigo. My fingers turned blue while I was spinning. After washing the yarn, my fingers turned blue while I was knitting. It all washed off, but thought you should be warned.


Indigo tends to crock. It must be rinsed and rinsed. Because the blues are so wonderful I wear them with pride. Also have dedicated knitting needles for dyed Yarns that crock.

Crock
verb (used without object)
4.
(of cloth) to give off excess surface dye when rubbed


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## Conchalea (Dec 30, 2013)

spins2knit said:


> Chortle! Very sloppy. My hands, face and jeans are all blue. Interestingly, the Jacquard kits did not really bloom until oxygen was introduced. Then they really took off. The color I was getting after 2# was as intense as the first. Some of the other vats were giving lighter blues.


I've read that oxygen is essential to causing indigo dyes to really turn blue. It's been a long time since I researched this, but I had some chemistry kids dye different material swatches using indigo, & my info said the original method was to place items in the bath for a prescribed time, remove so air could interact, then replace in the dye bath. This process was repeated many times. The more repeats, the deeper the blue. 
I love your collection of blue yarns!


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## not enough yarn (May 29, 2012)

Very pretty shades.


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