Adventures in Dyeing

I have experimented with dyeing fibre or yarn three times so far.  I can't really say any of it has been a success.  Attempt two and three were an attempt to rescue some Merino roving that failed to take on colour in a mixed berry dye bath.  The yarn I dyed was pretty awful, but the roving was even worse, an awful bluey, browny pink colour.  To be positive I invented aroma yarn as even after rinsing it smells very Tutti frutti.

Here you can see why it needed help.  I used Alum as a mordant, and raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries for dye.  I really should have made more jam, as that turns out a beautiful colour. The rovings had loitered in the shed for a few months in disgrace and I did not want to waste them.  So I ventured on a learning curve with food colouring as the fibre was already treated with mordant. 
I used my very old slow pot and 'cooked' the wool on medium for about six hours with the colouring added.  Then I let it cool in the pot.  No stirring because I did not want to make felt.

Not a subtle result.  If I can spin it fine enough it may make a pair of socks, or it could make hats for children to wear when you take them to busy places and do not want to lose them.  A woolly hat like this would be great on a crowded beach for example, when it helps if your child sticks out like a sore thumb.  To achieve this beauty I used whatever red and yellow food colouring I had left in the cupboard.  I also had very orange hands the next day.

This is the other marvel.  I used whatever black food colouring that was left in the cupboard.  Blended with the orange I think it could be used to make an anti theft hat, scarf and glove set.  No one would ever steal garments made from this stuff.  To evaluate this little experiment I can conclude I will no longer use berries or food colouring to dye yarn.  I will be patient and wait for the 'Birmingham Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing Guild's' planned 'Dyeing Picnic' in the summer and I hope for more attractive results then.