Friday, November 19, 2010

The trouble with red!

I love red, and I love the way the pattern shows up with the high contrast!  However there is a huge problem with red yarns, and that is excessive bleeding.
These are color catchers, and I use them when I wash new pieces that I know will be bleeding color.  Here are the catchers after wash 2 thru 5.

I emailed Carol and she suggested adding vinegar to the water to stop the color loss.  I am afraid that it only bound the color tighter to the natural.  So while this blanket is a no go, I learned a ton about it's construction and how it held up under a gazillion washes. 




I learned that I need to join new yarn at the selvedges where it will be more securely woven in, and that it would be good to wash on a gentle cycle for a frequently washed item like a Baby Blanket.

I am still winding warp so I won't bore you with pictures.  I am also still running, though I won't be posting miles anymore, in fact I am considering a 5 mile race next week, haven't decided yet.

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

4 comments:

Bonnie said...

That is too bad about the red. I love red also. It does pose a problem. A learning experience. Maybe red on red but the pattern would not show up as much. Wind those warps. Fun. Fun.

LA said...

I wonder if the poly/cotton carpet warp runs as much as the 100% cotton???? Maybe that would be something worth trying. They are so pretty!!!!!

roxie said...

So what happens to the red blanket now? Could you overdye with something like yellow to get dark and light orange? Would it make sense to pre-wash the yarn in the skein before you weave with it?

Tina J said...

Roxie, I hadn't thought about overdyeing! I will be taking it with me as an example this weekend with the color card, so that I can take orders. Carol had mentioned prewashing the red with vinegar, I am just concerned about the shrinkage. I wonder if how much it would effect the finished product. I do believe I will try it on this next warp though, it will be a good lesson, I do love red!