click on the photo to enlarge and see a diagram explaining each yarn
I carded and spun this woolen yarn on a drop spindle during a particularly difficult time for me, as I often find spinning to be the most therapeutic thing I can do. I wanted the yarn itself to reflect what I was going through so I chose to dye it using cochineal, tiny insects found on cactus leaves. All this yarn was dyed in one dye bath, with several sessions over a period of one month. As the intensity of the color diminished, so did my grief.
My dye method was not very precise. I didn't have a measuring cup or a scale and my dye materials were from 1985. I decided to wing it and I placed a large handful of cochineal in a small pot and added cold water. Over medium heat, I brought it to just below boiling and strained the liquid into a large pot. I repeated this process several times until I had enough water to cover my yarn. I added the wet pre-mordanted, or un-mordanted yarn to the pot and simmered it for one and a half hours, occasionally stirring. I took it off the heat and let it cool for several hours. Then I rinsed the yarn until the water ran clear and I saved the liquid in the pot for future sessions. I did not add any cochineal to the original liquid as I wanted the color to lessen with each session. |