Why Wool?
Wool has been a part of society for millennia. Between its warmth, durability, and natural properties, it is no wonder that this animal fiber is the most common one in the world. After forming a relationship with sheep around 8 thousand years ago, farmers all around the planet are today raising one billion sheep collectively, the majority of which are in China. In the United States, sheep farms are primarily focused on meat production, with little thought given to the fiber of the animal. It is the small-scale sheep farms that focus on selling the wool, showing up with their products to local farmers’ markets and other online marketplaces. When sourcing wool and yarn for a project, it is important to support these local small farmers that put their love and care into these fiber products.
Wool is a great fiber for beginner dyers. Animal fibers like wool, silk, and alpaca are more successful at taking in and holding onto dyes when compared to plant fibers, and can often be dyed without a mordant. However, animal fibers can also be very delicate and need to be processed more gently than plant fibers. It is recommended to use cold or low-temperature dyeing techniques in order to maintain the quality of the fibers. With wool, specifically, it can shrink and felt if exposed to extremely hot temperatures, so allowing for temperature changes to occur naturally instead of shocking the fibers is an important step in the process.
Washing the Wool
After the sheep shearing over spring break, I sorted through the leftover scraps of wool from the fleeces and chose a good collection of white, gray, and brown colors that I could start off experimenting with dyeing. I thought that a test of dyeing wool before jumping into full pieces would be a good way to ease into the world of natural dyeing. Plus, I had already worked with wool in the past so it felt like a safe place for me to start.
The first step in any dyeing project is to wash and scour whatever fiber you will be working with. That way, no dirt, dust, or grease that could potentially disrupt the color and quality results of the dye remain hidden within the fibers. To wash fibers, they can be put straight through the washing machine or can be hand washed if they are too delicate for a machine washing (like mine). Next, to scour fibers, put them into a non-reactive pot with enough water for the fibers to move around freely. Add an ecological soap, around the same amount you would use for laundry, and bring the water to a gentle simmer (if using plant fibers, bring the water to a boil). Let the fibers simmer for an hour with occasional stirring, before turning off the heat to cool. Dump out the dirty water and replace with clean water to rinse the fibers. This scouring process may need to be repeated a few times until the water runs clear, meaning all dirt and debris has been washed away. Fibers can be used right away in their wet state, or they can be hang dried and stored in sealed bags or boxes until use.
This process took a lot more time and patience than I had expected. The amount of wool I had to scour was a lot more than could fit into my one pot, so I had to repeat the process over multiple nights with multiple batches of wool. My kitchen felt too cramped to work in, and I definitely felt the constraints of living in a shared college apartment compared to having the outdoor workspace back on my farm at home. It was frustrating at times, especially when figuring out where to dry the wool with a curious kitten wanting to attack it, but I figured it out and got it all done in the end.
Thrift Store Find
As part of my project, I wanted to find different materials to experiment with dyeing, so thrift store exploring has been a highlight for me. I found this beautiful lace curtain at the local Olympia Goodwill and am just ecstatic to get it dyed. I have not decided on a color yet, but a nice brown-ish orange color created by using onion skins as a dye might give it a nice “aged” look which I am considering. The one downside to this piece is that it does not have a tag displaying the fibers it is made out of, but just from feel, it seems like a synthetic material to me. I will have to do some extra research to learn about dyeing synthetic fibers, and will most definitely be using a mordant in the process.