Dyeing is Life

Yesterday:




Today:



I love to dye. I especially like to dye yarn. This is two bombyx bricks, soon to be joined by 3 others, to become a silk shirt. I thought the Roosevelt dime was a nice touch. If it becomes a Reagan dime, I may have to stop using dimes. And nickels are so heavy.

These were dyed with Lanaset dyes: mostly magenta, violet and mustard. The warps chains are painted, and there are two skeins dyed a solid color. The remainder of the warp chains will be a combination of solid colors.

My dye work space is less than ideal. I dye outside, on a covered back porch. It is connected to the laundry room by a door: the table, scale and steamer are outside, the sink and shelves of dye are inside. The door swings the wrong way: when it is open, the sink is behind it. I am constantly opening and closing the door, but when I am in the Dye Trance state, I hardly notice it.

I have had better workspaces, but that did not necessarily mean I did better work in them. It's just a matter of getting in and doing the work, no matter what the surroundings. When that trance state happens, I'm not looking around anyway: I am happily mesmerized by the colors.