We would like to share with you photos of our "Socks To Dye For!" Hand Dye Workshop hosted by Rosa Tarle at Village Yarns last night. We really have a great time at this store and invite you to join us for interesting and informative classes that happen year round.
Village Yarns retails these fabulous hand dyeing kits from Louet which contain three skeins of their Gems Sock Yarn in a natural colour and three jars of dye powder. These kits are available in five colourways including Red, Brown, Blue, Green and Purple.
To help demystify the process we structured this workshop where Rosa Tarle, having already dyed and knit a pair of socks using a kit, would lead the class through the steps. These workshops are always a blast and this one was no exception.
Rosa began the workshop providing an overview of the process and taking participants through the instructions that come with the kit.
Water baths were prepared and the Louet Gems sock yarn that comes with the kits was soaked for a required amount of time before dyeing.
Rosa explained the various dyeing methods used to achieve different colour combinations. Using her own hand dyed sample students were able to see how colour depth and saturation is achieved, in addition to seeing the variations one achieves allowing colous to bleed into one another.
Then it was plastic gloves on and down to the dyeing. As the Hand Dyeing Kits come in five colourways, Rosa divided the participants into colour teams - first up were the Reds.
The Hand Dye Kits come with three dyes in various intensities in powder form which are mixed with water and then using squeeze bottles, the dye is applied directly to the natural skeins. Various methods abound for dyeing and this group decided on working bands of colours to get shorter colour repeats.
Connie working her magic with the "Red" colourway kit. Note the various colourweights one can achieve from just one kit. Pretty awesome!
Village Yarns teacher Rosa Tarle.
Rosa and Dawn.
Here is a great shot showing the before and after stages as the dye is applied.
Gloria and her Grand Daughter Taylor, both fibre enthusiasts.
Once students are happy with the colour saturation the skeins are wrapped in plastic and the colour is set by heating in a microwave oven. Susan with her fresh from the oven skeins.
Susan's dyed yarn after heat setting, just before it is hung to dry. Careful! It's hot!!!
After the skeins are heat set, they are unwrapped and hung to allow them to cool and dry. Results of the Red team dyeing.
Connie and Gloria with their gorgeous skeins.
Once the Reds were finished the Blues stepped up to the table.
Dawn - alchemist in action!
Dawn's gorgeous Blues.
Connie and Gloria.
Gloria worked in a different direction with her colours incorporating more yellow, green and resulting teals.
Rosa shows Taylor how to wrap the skeins in plastic so that it overlaps, seperating the individual skeins.
Taylor's skeins just after heat setting. This is a fabulous workshop for persons of any age. Adult supervision is required but kids just love working with the colours and learing about this facinating process. Encourage creativity!
All participants thoroughly enjoyed Rosa's presentation and were thrilled with the resulting skeins.
Rosa was thrilled to see Connie's Hand Dyed Skeins come to Village Yarns today all dried and ready for winding into cakes. Look at those colours! Stunning.
Our Lady of Swift Transformation. Rosa places Connie's skeins, one at a time, onto the swift which holds the yarn in place so it can then be wound into a ball or "cake" for knitting.
Voila! Sock yarn ready to knit!
Participants of another sock class held at the same time were so enamoured of the process and results that Village Yarns will be hosting another "Socks To Dye For" Workshop based on customer requests.
Contact Village Yarns via email villageyarns@sympatico.ca or by phone 416-232-2361 and ask to be put on our class wish list. Let us know your preference for days of the week. This is a 2 hour workshop; 7-9pm. We will advise you of the date. You can pay for this workshop and materials kit using a Credit Card over the phone. The Louet Hand Dyeing Kit must be purchased at Village Yarns.
We will update you with the other colours as customers bring them into the store and the completed socks as well.
Happy Knitting.
Village Yarns, Toronto.
www.villageyarns.com
