I've been experimenting with our undyed worsted loomstate wool gauze.
- Worsted wool is produced from high-quality very fine yarns woven into smooth, lightweight wool fabric.
- Loomstate wool describes wool that has been woven but not treated or finished in any way. It is generally a cream or off-white colour.
If you're interested, find more information about wool at The Woolmark Company.
My first experiment was to hand paint the wool with H Dupont Classique silk dyes and H Dupont Concentrated Thinner. I used the H Dupont Concentrated Thinner because I wanted to lighten my colours and because it helps spread the dye evenly on the wool. I love the muted colours it produced. I finished the scarf by simply fraying all edges.
For the second experiment I sewed a length of wool gauze into an infinity scarf, then dyed it in a dye bath of mixed Landscape dyes. It was luck that I ended up with a colour similar to the Pantone colour of the year Mocha Mousse Colour Palettes.
The downside is that I can't remember which colours I used! Probably a mix of a brown and grey.
Difference in texture
After steaming to fix the colours, the hand painted scarf texture remained flat and fairly smooth - similar to its raw state.
However, after simmering in the dye bath the infinity scarf developed a soft, spongy, crinkly texture that I really like. It's got a cosy, warm feeling around my neck - perfect for cold winter days.
