Here’s what I’ve been doing today. This is a pretty lousy photo but I dyed lots of wool today. I needed to dye some for my prize give away. That’s the blue green to the left. Then I needed some for Christmas gifts. I tried to dye some maroon to match Griz colors and I did a very poor job.
I had felted these coasters last week and now I dyed them green. I’ve been meaning to experiment with using thickened acid dyes for surface design and finally got around to doing that today.
I thickened the dye with sodium alginate. And then used a foam brush to put it on stamps…
and stencils.
Here’s one close up. This one is stenciled. This is before steaming.
Here they all are before steaming.
And after steaming and rinsing. It worked!! Now I’m going to do a little stitching on these. This was great fun and even though you can’t get a lot of detail on the felt, it still gives a good imprint if you use a chunky stamp or simple stencil without a lot of detail.
I had left over thickened green dye. So I did some leaf printing on an old wool blanket. Boy was that messy. I will do further work on this later. It’s steaming now. I still have leftover dye. I put it in the refrigerator. Remind me in 6 months to get it out and throw the science experiment away.
Here are some Wensleydale locks that I dyed as well. Some are blue/green and the others are the same green that I dyed the coasters with first.
Here’s a close up. They are drying. Now I have lots of dyed wool to hopefully get through all the Christmas gifts I am making. After Christmas, I always say “I’m not making all those Christmas gifts next year,” but somehow, I always find myself in November and December busy making gifts. Why is that?
Ruth Lane Art 
It's the same reason that today, while home sick, I placed a huge Dharma order of blanks so dye Christmas gifts. It's hope: for time to make them and for recipients that will love them. I usually get one or the other wrong every year! LOL!
I love the stencil idea. Must try that. Which dyes are you using? I'm besotted with nature eco dyes right now but do Have 5 tubs of gaywool dyes that I could use. They offer much brighter colours than I can get from seasonal fruits and plants right now. They mix together well too.
Very neat idea to use the dyes. I have been wanting to try spot dying with the white roving, but never thought to do stencils like that. Debbie
Totally briliant! Gonna try that too 😀
thanks for sharing!What a good idea..loveyvette
thanks for sharing!What a good idea..loveyvette
The colors are wonderful as are the designs!
I love everything in your post today. I love those leaf coasters ever so much!Happy gift makingCarolyn ♥LOVE STITCHING RED
Thanks to all of you that I can't reply to. Jasmine – I am using Jacquard Acid Dyes. I haven't done much eco dyeing but hope to try at some point.
I love your dyeing day. The colours are lovely. You say you steamed the coasters to help set the dyes could they have been microwaved? Why I ask is that i use acid dyes for dyeing silk fibres and i always do mine in the microwave and have great success with them.
Chris – I guess I should have been more clear. I did microwave the coasters, I usually do with small stuff. I steam the bigger pieces and the roving. I usually do my silk pieces in the microwave as well.
I like your ideas.