Swift, ball, swift, and dye a Rainbow

7/18/20  I am including the date because I will probably publish this post as I finish the shawl.
Tools: Swift, ball winder, scale
Materials: 200grams of fingering yarn, 3 packets of PAAS egg dye, string for ties, pint containers, water, vinegar, rubber gloves, microwave-safe dish.
Additional supplies: measuring cups, cookie sheet, microwave, cooling rack, sink, tablecloth, apron, towel.


TODAY, I tried to recreate a technique I used last summer to dye yarn in three colors.
I remembered, that technique proved quite troublesome to wind the hank of yarn into a ball.  Today, I couldn't get the hank to cooperate to start this dyeing project.  I tried plan A, then B, and settled on plan C to dye one hank of yarn in three colors. With  two hanks, I'll have 6 colors.

 Resource:SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS; Edited by Elaine Rowley, (1998) 2007, p72, Dye-Your-Own Socks by Traci Bunkers.
ChemKnits Tutorials
Swatching Different PAAS Easter Egg Dyeing Kits on Yarn (2020 SMSMS Night 1)

Here is the process:

I placed the bare yarn on a swift.
I wound the yarn into a cake, removed the cake from the winder, and placed it on a scale.

I rewound 33grams into a small cake, and gently moved that and the remaining yarn back to the swift.
I opened the swift to very a wide circumference, taped the first tail of yarn to the swift, and twirled the swift to re-skein the 33grams.  I tied that in 4 places.
I adjusted the swift circumference slightly smaller, and gently pushed that yarn down.
I placed the remaining yarn on a scale,  twirled the swift to re-skein the next 33grams, and tied those strands in 4 places.
Now, I twirled the swift to re-skein the final 33grams, and tied that in 4 places.

I had a second hank of yarn, and repeated the process.

I was ready to dye the yarn with 3 packets of PAAS egg dye tablets.

I presoak the yarn for 30 minutes in 4 cups water & 1/2 cup vinegar.
I fill 6 pint jars with 1cup water & 2Tbs vinegar. I sorted and added the dye tablets.
I carefully squeezed out the excess presoak solution, and placed the yarn in rainbow order in the jars.
I pour the remaining presoak solution to fill the jars.   I let this sit for 30 minutes.

I removed the yarn from the jars, and places the yarn in small plastic bags and a microwave-safe container.   I microwaved for 2 minutes, let it rest for 2 minutes.  Repeated this 4 more times.
I let the yarn cool for an hour.

I rinsed, washed with a little dish soap&water, and rinsed again.

I rolled the yarn in a towel, then placed it on a drying rack to dry!
  
7/20/20, updated for rewinding the yarn into two cakes.

I placed this hank on the swift with the blue ready to wind.  I snipped the ties around the blue and carefully started winding.


Then, I placed and adjusted the size of the swift, snipped those ties, and wound the green.

Finally, I placed and adjusted the swift for the yellow, snipped the ties, and finished winding the ball/cake.  I was very happy this process went well!

The orange, center red, and pink hank did not go as smoothly.  I solved that problem by taking the red & pink on and off the swift, getting an extra couple hands from my husband, and at one point releasing the ball winder from table to thread through the tangle. After doubting myself and the process, in the end it all worked out.

  The winding took less than an hour even with the frustration of the tangled red. The 400 yards of yarn was wound into two balls/cakes, and ready for knitting!

Please follow the link to Rainbow over Circle Creek Shawl!

Copyright 2020, Marilynn Blacketer. All rights reserved. 8-1-20

For support please contact: marilynnblacketer@gmail.com