have you ever dyed wool in a ball?

[Ruth]

I'm toying with trying this as I have some natural wool in quite loose balls and I think it might work if I cook it on the hob, what do you think? I also wondered how you get consistent colourways when painting more than one hank at a time? And what do you think is the best way of cooking handpainted hanks? I only have a tiny microwave so I can't really nuke any amount of wool.

Waiting with baited breath for replies :x

[RufusBeans]

Hi,
I am not sure if you want consistant color or not, but color would not be consistant if you did this. the strands to the outside will get more saturated.

However I have heard of people who inject color into balls using a syringe, then steam it. This gives them a incinsistant pattern of color repeats.

good luck!

[cozystitches]

I've done it. I had some really fugly yarn. I had dyed, then over dyed, and there were some greenypurply yuck in there, as well as some blues. Didn't like it..didn't know what I was going to do w/it. So, I mixed up a dyepot of wiltons, and dumped the whole center pull skein (about 4 oz) in. I flipped it a few times, tried to get some to go inside using a turkey baster. The outside 1/2" or so is a VERY dark blue, the inner, much lighter. But I like it. :) I'll post pictures of the bags I made using it once I"m done. :)

If you want consistancy, do not dye in the balls (or skeins). Unwind them into hanks and dye that way if you want consistancy. I don't care for consistancy..if I want a constant color, I'll buy the color.. :) :)

Hugs,
tammy

[CraftyMommaOf2]

I did this and it was pretty uniform all the way through. I did give it a little squeeze in between nuking sessions.

[Quinlonsma]

I use little square plastic dishes for microwavoing and I stack them with the fifferent colors