PREDICTABLE COLOR from DYEING USING LANASET DYES (For Protein Fibers)

ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito PREDICTABLE COLOR FROM DYEING USING LANASET DYES (for protein fibers)

This is a long class, like a college quarter, for the serious and committed student. The class begins Thurs. 20 Jan and runs to 7 April , that is 12 weeks. You need to plan at least one dyeing session per week plus your study and prep work. This is a BIG commitment. You will also need some supplies before the class begins: the Munsell Student Kit, a digital balance and calibrating weight, all 12 manufactured colors of Lanaset dye and at least a hundred 5g sample ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito skeins (all the same exact fiber) and some measuring equipment; this could be a major investment if you do not have this equipment .

The Webex session will be for 1 hour each week; 9-10 PM EST or 6-7PM PST. We will discuss the progress or problems we have been having and I will give the assignment for the following week. We will also use Google Documents to share pictures and documents. I will also set up a forum on Weavolution for discussion. You will get the most of this class if you feel comfortable downloading documents, uploading pictures of your work and participating in on-line discussions.

You should finish with a working dye studio where you can reliably dye with Lanaset dyes, trouble shoot dyeing problems, a better understanding of color and some words to talk about it, better understanding of how to achieve a specific color in your dyeing.

This class is available for 5 serious, committed students. The fee for the 12 weeks is $300.

Equipment required before the class begins:  The New Munsell Student Color Set (2nd Edition)  Digital Balance  Dye Pot for Sample Dyeing  100ml volumetric flask  pH Test Strips, narrow range 4-7  Wash Bottle  Lanaset dyes and auxiliaries  2 lbs, or more of the yarn you plan to dye

Details follow and this is not an through list but covers the things you can not improvise.

The New Munsell Student Color Set (2nd Edition) Available from : . amazon.com . fairchild books Most of the benefit comes from working with the chips. I suggest using a repositionable adhesive such as Post-it or ReMount both by 3M, or Studio Tac. this will allow you to change your mind (color chip position) for a little while. ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito Digital Balance capacity: 200g or greater readability: 0.1g (no greater) tare function calibration weight Digital Balance or scale is to weigh fiber and dye powder. This may be the biggest investment in equipment for dyeing so it spend some time to get one that will work for you. We need a robust, easy to use scale that gives us enough information to do accurate dyeings. Balances have two important limitations : capacity (how much they can weigh- a bit of weed or a cow), and readability (does it take a kilogram or a mg to make the balance change its reading). Both effect the price. I have found Acculab top loading balances to be good value for dyers, the price range of the useful ones is $100 -$205. Here is a link to a table of Acculab balances. So you should have a good idea of the maximum amount you will dye at one time. This will probably be limited by the largest pot you have. The largest pot I have is 60L and with the thin silk cloth that I usually dye max. is about 600 g, with silk or wool yarn I can go to 1000g. So for these circumstances I would pick model VIC-1502 with a capacity of 1500g and a readability of 0.1g. The balance should have a tare function and a way to calibrate the balance. These are not available at your corner store but they are readily available on the Internet. You do not want a balance that has readability to 0.01g or less, they are so sensitive that an air current will change the weight.

Since this is the most important piece of equipment, buy the best you can afford.

When your balance arrives check that you know how to adjust the zero and calibrate your balance. Do you have a calibration weight, it is often 200g? I you are using a balance you already have please check the zero and make sure it calibrates. In the study group people lost a month of work when their balances wouldn’t calibrate and had to be replaced.

Dye Pot for Sample Dyeing

Life is easier in the dye studio if you can dye more than one sample at a time. A canner with pint glass canning jars, a thermometer and burner are readily ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito available and well used solution.

Some people don’t want to baby sit the pot and look for a thermo-regulated set up. Here is an electric skillet fitted with a temperature controller. Other people have used steam tables or constant temperature baths. ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito

Measuring Equipment

100ml volumetric flasks, one or more. Used to make accurate stock solutions.

pH Test Strips, narrow range 4-7 Each Lanaset needs to have the pH adjusted to 4.5-5.5. Suggest(EF12530C).

A Wash Bottle This is my favorite tool and it costs just $3. I get it from my local plastics company.

Dyes 2 oz. each Lanaset: 1. Sun Yellow 2. Yellow Gold 3. Red 4. Scarlet 5. magenta 6. Royal Blue 7. Turquoise* 8. Green 9. Navy 10.Violet* ENTWINEMENTS Karren K. Brito 11.Rust Brown 12.Dark Brown 13.Black * 14.Polar Red (not a Lanaset)

You will need sodium sulfate (Glauber’s Salt), sodium acetate and either acetic acid or vinegar and Albegal SET for the dye baths.

Just general things you will need:  Something to measure accurate larger volumes, 500-1000mL ,of water--, graduated cylinders or metric measuring cups.  measure smaller volumes, small graduated cylinders (not accurate under 10mL) and pipets (graduated or Mohr's), down to 1mL graduated. I don't like syringes, but if you already have them and you can use them accurately... You can also use your balance .  Jars to store stock solutions. Pouring spouts are nice and waste less.