Dyed in the Wool

Meg and I finally did it! 

We had been talking about it all spring and summer, maybe longer and we had collected up all the supplies needed to dye wool roving. 

We used Jaquard dyes, watched youtube videos and used a library book to try to figure out how to do it. 

I was exhausted the day we did it, there was so much to figure out. 

We had this soaking wet noodle of 4 oz. of wool fiber, trying to wrap it up in plastic wrap, with dye oozing out and mixing where we didn't want it to mix. Then trying to steam it in a water bath in the oven, unwrapping it when it was too hot to touch. 

We finally got it all stretched out in the sun to dry and I thought mine was too washed out. I had left too much water in it before I added dye. (you have to soak the fiber first) I still felt like that the next day, so I re-dyed the fiber. Meg was pretty sure I was going to felt it from all the handling and water baths, but I thought, well, than I will use the felted roving for another project. 

I am very happy to report however that it appears that I did not felt the fiber. 

Now, I have to wait for Meg to spin it up for me. Lucky I am that Meg has discovered a previously unknown talent for spinning--she is a whiz at it!!! She got a spinning wheel last fall and is a dab hand at spinning. I tried it and thought I had grown at least two more thumbs, I was so very clumsy. It is kind of like rubbing your tummy, patting your head and spinning at the same time.

Anyway.....

What will make I with this when it becomes yarn. 

OOOOOooooo I can hardly wait to see it!!