going for a blue green

As you may have guessed, my life is a bit mad.  But I have missed dyeing silk.  Part of it is I look at my clothes and think I could change that with dye.  Freshen it.  Make it something new.  I have to admit for my clothes I think a lot about black walnut.  A dark brown or black brown.  Or is that brown black.  I like forest tones.

I had a friend message me one night asking if it is true that you can make a blue or even turquoise with red cabbage if you add baking soda.  Yes because it is about changing the pH of the water.  I will tell you that I add too much baking soda the first time.

That is what you get when the water has a very base pH.

But I tried again.  Add some alum to help mordant the cloth.  Add one teaspoon of vinegar.  Add a small (like a tablespoon) of woad.

This is what looked like wet out of the dye bath.

This is how it looked after being machined wash.  I am thinking about picking up some of the aromatherapy laundry detergent I like which has a sea salt and see if it changes the colors when I wash it too.  But this is a silver.  A silver grey.  But I had the piece of silk sitting in the sun before I took pictures of it and it definitely has a blue cast.  I am thinking about what I can try next.  I do have a piece of silk sitting in a mint dye bath.  Currently, it is looking like swamp green.  Okay, really a grey green but it is October!

Koda Bear is helping with these experiments.  Which is pretty cool.  More experiments for me soon.  I do have a Hallows costume to make for this not so small bear.  I am going to make him help!