Successes and Failures

Does this look familiar?  It should because the right side was a piece of wool purchased years ago (what was I thinking)?  It was on a recent blog post the results of this unsuccessful 'marrying' of wool happened.  

Since this rug hooker never surrenders to ugly wool today decided come hell or HOT water I'd remedy the situation to make it hookable.

The piece in the pot today was the one on the left and only semi acceptable so chose it as the victim.  Eventually the other piece of wool will be a target, but not today.

When I dye wool if there is some formula left I'll save the remainder of the dye in a small jar.  I keep it in the garage so it could go thru two seasons and the recipe could crystalize.  Of course it will make changes to the chemistry of the dye and results even after water is added but I went for it anyway.

In one jar which crystalized was a recipe called "Old Christmas Red". Sorry, but cannot remember which dye book it came from.  So added hot water and put it in the pot with the wool.  Some of the color did absorb but it was murkey (as one would expect after crystalizing). 

Did I submit?  Hell no....a more recent collection of left over dye was my favorite Olde Patina recipe from the Beautiful Wool dye book by Fredericksburg Rugs.

Above are the results and it really doesn't show the delicious old dirty color which I like putting in my antique adaptations.

Some of this wool WILL be hooked into the Magdalena Goat that I'm presently hooking and can't wait to get back to hooking on it.  

An addition to the post:.....  Jennie asked me how many times a piece of wool could be over dyed before it would felt.

My reply to her was that I do NOT boil my wool (I get it very hot and close to boil) nor do I take hot wool and rince in cold water shocking the wool.  Also, don't aggitate the wool in the washer.  Those three factors would be how you could end up with felted wool.

Ever see those pretty 'boiled wool' jackets?  How do you think they got that way?

Saundra