Poonies, day 2

[altivo]

Dyed cotton poonies
Originally uploaded by Altivo

These rather bedraggled looking cotton poonies (punis) were dyed last night by dipping them in solutions of Procion MX fiber reactive dye with sodium carbonate and salt. They are still just slightly damp as the photo is taken, but hopefully will be dry enough to spin by tomorrow. Colors were selected to fit blue sky or water, sunlight, white sand, and green for seaweed or foliage. I plan to spin a fine yarn from them and then make lace, either knit or crocheted.

(See yesterday's entry for a description of the dyeing process.)

Comments

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

they are lovely - really groovy

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Like I thought, very pretty! :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

They'll do for a first attempt. I just tried spinning one and it still works, in spite of having been wet and washed and squeezed dry. Cotton doesn't felt up the way wool does.

This is a "proof of concept" and I'll be trying it again with different, more intense colors.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I should have taken photos while the dyeing was going on. The bundles looked rather like sea anemones or brightly colored octopi depending on their positioning.

They were a bit disarrayed by the process but still seem to spin up successfully.

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I like the color scheme, but I'm curious as to your inspiration...

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, very pastel. *pokes them to see if they squish*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, it's summer, y'know. And the easiest way to think of harmonious color schemes is to look at nature, so I was just thinking of a beach, like the sand dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan, or something like the east coast of Florida.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

No squish. They are dry and floofy now.