Acid dyes may sound scary to beginners, who imagine that the dyes themselves are caustic strong acids. In fact, the dyes are non-caustic, are sometimes non-toxic, and are named for the mild acid (such as vinegar) used in the dyeing process, and for the types of bonds they form to the fiber. Acid dyes are used to dye animal or protein fibers such as wool, mohair, alpaca, cashmere and silk. ProChem, Jacquard and Dharma are common companies that sell these dyes, which are also sold at EarthGuild in downtown Asheville. We will prepare our fiber - which can be cloth, fleece, roving or yarn - by soaking in a vinegar bath, prepare the dye by dissolving powder in hot water, apply dye to the fiber and then let the magic happen. We will use a variety of application techniques including immersion dyeing, painting, and dip dyeing. After the fiber has steamed for at least 45 minutes, it will be allowed to cool gradually. During Day 2 of the class we will unwrap and unveil our dyed samples and admire the results, sharing successes and imagining how things might turn out differently on the next try.
Level: Beginning
Materials Fee: $15
Materials provided by instructor: citric acid and 3 colors of dye
Note - students signing up to take the class in person only need to bring their fiber - all other supplies are available in the Local Cloth studio. for shipping materials - student must sign up at least 5 days in advance.
Registration: Members $35, Non-members $45
Students should bring: wool cloth, fleece, roving or yarn to dye, thick plastic for covering table top, gloves, apron, saran wrap, stainless steel pot (not for food), stainless steel steamer, crockpot, measuring spoons, stir sticks, empty yogurt cups (or something similar) for mixing dyes.
Instructor: Judi Jetson
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