Nicole Frost

Posted on: SuperwashNovember 19, 2024

Microtonal Speckles on Clara Featuring a Two Stage Dye Approach

Featuring: Knomad Clara (100% Superwash Merino in a worsted weight)

Our Goal: To take 3 primary colors and apply them in 2 different dye approaches to create a subtle, low variegation but still richly nuanced fall color story?

Abstract: What happens if we first dye the yarn for a solid shade background, then speckle in the dye powders mixed together afterward?. Will the dyes strike in their component parts (i.e. pink/yellow/blue) or will they combine to create this moody grey toned purple?

For those with time to read the finer details, let’s dive in!

YOU WILL NEED

-4 skeins of Clara
-Heat protectant gloves
-Shower Rings
-Respirator
-Double Burner Induction Cooktop
-Acid-Reactive Dye from Pro Chem Sabraset in Magenta, Sun Yellow and Royal Blue
-4” deep stainless steel restaurant tray
-Citric Acid
-Gram Scale
-ML measuring cup
-Synthrapol textile detergent

Attach plastic shower rings to the yarn. Fill a 4” deep tray with 4000 ML of warm water and 1 tsp of Synthrapol. Lay in skeins and let them soak for a few hours.

Since we’re using 4 skeins of Clara, and each skein weighs 50 grams, the following calculation is how we arrive at the correct amount for this weight of fiber:

• 50 grams a skein x 4 skeins =200 grams of Clara yarn
• 200 grams Clara x .005 Magenta = 1 gram 
• 200 grams Clara x .0015 Sun Yellow = 0.3 gram
• 200 grams Clara x .0045 Royal Blue = 0.9 gram

Now, you decant the powders into another container and shake it vigorously to combine them. The yellow dye has a different consistency and will leave tiny yellow globules – this is totally fine and actually helps create some of the microtonality we’re looking for.

 BEFORE                                                                         AFTER

We have a total weight of 2.2 grams of powder dye mixture. We’re going to take half of that weight (1.1 grams) and dissolve it in 4000 ML of water and 1 tsp of citric acid. This will create our background color. Reserve the other half of the dye powder for a later step where we speckle it in.

Transfer the skeins into the dye bath and bring up to 210 degrees (just under a boil, we do not want the water bubbling) for 22 minutes or until your bath has cleared completely but is still at temperature.

Once your dye bath has fully exhausted from the first application, but is still at temperature, speckle in the reserved dye mixture equally over the whole pan. I like to make sure my skeins aren’t overlapping or tangled up so that each skein has an equal diffusion of color and speckle technique. This is a high water speckle application, really more “marbling” than speckling as we want the dye powders to drift down through the water and adhere to the yarn in a more diffused watercolor effect than a crisp speckle. This allows the colors to flow into each other when knitting them up instead of bright or dark spots of color that create a higher contrast. This technique is all about subtlety.

SMALL AMOUNTS OF POWDER DYE RUBBED BETWEEN FINGERS 8” OVER THE POT          SPECKLE LIGHTLY IN SEVERAL PASSES FOR EVEN COVERAGE 

Now we let the dye sit at 210 for another 12 minutes, or until all speckles have fixed in place and the dye bath is clear. Do not agitate the yarn at all after speckling, just let the powder drift down where it wants to. Let it cool to room temperature, rinse in cool water and hang out to dry.

Now let’s admire our handiwork! The swatch on the floss bobbin was immersion dyed from liquid mixed stock, laid against our dual technique process for comparison.

The dual process yarn has slightly more “light and dark” color values and the pink pulls through more brightly than the single process. Let’s take a close look at those speckles!

 CLOSE                                                                          EVEN CLOSER

We have successfully created our own dye powder color and achieved a forced broken effect! Dye companies aren’t doing anything different than we just did when they mill a “new” color. They’re just mixing existing colors together, and we can do that too!

If you have a favorite solid shade or semi solid tonal colorway you’ve created from 2 or more dye powders, consider playing with staging your dye application in 2 parts for just a little bit more color movement throughout your project. It’s so fun to see the colors drift down and bloom over the yarn! Can’t wait to see what you come up with, please do tag Knomad yarn with your creations so we can follow along on your journey!

Until next time, 

Nic Frost