What do you do when its 90 degrees?

What do you do when its 90 degrees for the first time this year? Dye roving! I have a swap project coming up that I needed to get some roving ready for. The theme of the swap is Why I have Pride in my Country. So I decided to dye 8 ounces of Corridale that I picked up today at my local fiber store. If you have never painted roving I will talk you through it. This method will also work for yarn as well. As far as dyes go you can use Kool-aid, Easter egg dye, Wilton cake dye, or you can use acid dyes that can be found on web sites or catalogs. I suggest you start with a cheaper dye like Kool-aid. I dissolve the powder or paste in warm water before I begin to paint. I usually make a batch in a 32 ounce plastic bottle. I like to use Snapple bottles, because they have a large mouth.
Step 1: Soak your roving or yarn in warm water and about 1/4cup of white vinegar for about 30 minutes. Then lay the roving out in a top of new paper that has plastic wrap on top. Hint buy the best plastic wrap that you can find.


Step 2: Using a sponge pain brush place the dye in whatever pattern you chose. I chose to put navy blue on one end and a deep red on the other end, leaving the middle white.
Step 3: Tightly wrap the the roving in plastic wrap, making sure that there is no way that air can escape. I then place the log shaped bundle in a plastic dish, and then cook it in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes. You want to see that most of the dye has been absorbed into the roving.

Step 4: I let the roving cool. This can take several hours. For me this is the hardest part. I hate to wait.
Step 5: After the roving has cooled I then rinse the roving in cool water and place the roving in my washer at turn it on the final spin to remove as much water as I can. Then I hang it outside to dry.


My plan for this roving is to make a 2 ply and add a strand of glitter to the final plying process. I will let you know how it turns out.