February 20th, 2007 at 15:52 pm » Comments (1)

So I have been housebound. And I couldn’t find my notes, so I did a search on the Internet and came up with a copy of something I first wrote in the Compuserve Craft forums years earlier and apparently later shared on the original/before yahoo weaving list
Didn’t eve need a trip through the way back machine

Proving yet again that nothing every goes away once ‘published’ on line.

More importantly, I needed a lazy way to get some colors “in between” those included in Clovers selection - I know I could have blended the fiber, but I did mention lazy right?

My plan is to try it in the coming weeks with Each of Brown Sheep & Kraemer’s PFD (Prepared For Dyeing) wool yarn & roving.

From WHEATCARR@delphi.com Sun May 28 17:59:48 1995
Subject: Kool Aid Info

Mohair positively inhales and reverberates with whatever color you use. Wool can be very nice, but slightly less intense. Silk worked but only with very strong solutions, maybe 2-3 pkgs per 1/2 oz. Cotton, flax, etc, do not take the color very well unless it is a kid communion outfit (stains ).

Although it does work, I have not been pleased with the results when I used already spun yarns, either my own or some commercially done.

My best color and nicest KA yarns results were accomplished by:

* Washing fibers in Ivory Laundry Liquid
* Blending white wool/mohair approximately 50-50

Drum carded fibers took the color much more evenly, although drum carding or combing of locks before spinning will easily blend shadings.

Plan 1/2 oz blend per package of KA. More KA if darker color preferred.

After blending the fibers, pre-soak in plain water (some like to add 1/2 c vinegar) for at least 10-15 minutes.

Dissolve 1 package of Kool Aid into 1.5 quarts of water. Add presoaked fiber. Microwave on high for approximately 6 minutes or until all color has been absorbed and the water is clear. (Berry Blue and one other will not go clear; the water gets a milky white color.) Remove, and dry.

My color chart for KA includes the three new colors recently found; I would be interested in hearing of others.

You may very well become obsessed with the processes (I did last year) to be described. BUT your house will smell very nice if somewhat fruity.

Thus far I have discovered the following color names:

Kool Aid flavor	Mohair color
Berry Blue ***	Robin’s egg blue
Black Cherry	Burgundy
Cherry	Christmas red
Grape	Purple
Great Bluedini	Green
Incrediberry	Pinky orange
Kickin’ Kiwi-Lime	Light chartreuse green
Lemonade	Pale, baby yellow
Lemon-Lime	Bright Christmas green
Man-O-Mango-Berry	Salmon pink
Oh Yeah-Orange Pineapple	Light golden yellow
Orange	Orange
Pina-Pineapple	Bright, golden yellow
Pink Swimingo	Coral pinks
PurpleSaurus Rex	Lighter purple
Raspberry	Darker purplish pinks Rockadile Red Fire engine red
Sharkleberry Fin	Pink
Strawberry	Light pinks
Tropical Punch	Deep reds

Just a last note of caution - DO NOT USE pre-sweetened KA or Jello - yes you get the colors and a yucky mess of nicely colored fibers. However, Korwyn Winde recently mentioned in the Textile Arts Forum of Delphi about using Jello both as a dye and warp sizing. I have not tried this.

If there are more, I would love to hear about it.

*** Berry Blue Kool Aid has been discontinued by the manufacturer, but is available in Jello.

Note added, April 8, 1998: As you can tell from the date, this information is several years old, and some of the color information is now obsolete.

Note added, got some started, and just had to mention, I had forgotten how good it makes your house smell

Now if the glacier in the driveway would just melt so I can get to the store, I could get more “dye” and see how the new colors work up.

If you’ve been experimenting, I’d love to hear your “results”.

February 11th, 2007 at 04:10 am » Comments (2)

One of the most commonly asked questions about Perle Cotton for use in Thread Crochet has to do with a size
“Cross-Reference”

Because Presencia threads are among my personal favorites I use them as the basis of my comparison/reference charts.

So many things can effect how a thread “measures” (Humidity, spinning, storage, how it is “put up”) that is next to Impossible - While not exact, since sizing differs between Perle & Crochet threads, the following is a “ROT-Rule Of Thumb”.

Wheat’s Crochet Thread X-Reference updated 2008-06-12
Finca Perle	Crochet	CYC Wt	Weave	Avg* YPP**	WPI Avg*	Tabby Avg*	Twill Avg*
P-3	5	No_3	3/2	1260	16	10-12	12-15
.		.	5/2	2000	25	15-20	18-24
P-5	10	No_0	8/2	3200	30	15-22	22-30
P-8	20	-	10/2	4100	35	18-25	24-36
P-12	30	-	-	5300
P-16	40/50	-		7000	.	.	.
		-	20/2	8000	68	30-40	36-48
P-20		-

* Avg = Average
** YPP = Yards Per Pound

Average Yards per pound is how many yards of thread you would get on a one-pound cone.
If you have a large project, buying coned yarns can be very economical.

Most balls of crochet cotton seem to have about 400-450 yds

So using an old J&P Coats pattern which called for J&P COATS Size 20: (GREEN LABEL) 24 balls of White or Ecru. which, according to a Trademark infringement case:
” which is wound on spools of 200- yard lengths, “

This project calls about 4800 yards of Size 20 thread. If you selected some commonly available size 20 thread at the best price I could fine “on-line” you would need at least 12 balls at $3.27 - add in one ball to be sure you have enough, and the shipping so call it $45.

Now if you bought 2# of one of my favorite 10/2 Mercerized Cottons from WEBS

Even the Varigated is only $18.95 per pound
so for $40 you not only have plenty for project, you save at least $5 and have extra for “something else.
and you would save even more if your total order of discountables (did I mention I have not very often not qualified for at least the 20% discount

In case you haven’t guessed, WEBS is a long time (been a customer for more than 30 years) favorite place to shop.

In fact, I have been know to drive 150 miles (each way) OUT of the way to visit them

They have a famous back room. Think Wholesale club like Sam’s or Costco, but all yarn “buys” - the first time I went there, they gave me a stupid market size shopping cart and pushed me thru the door, “See you in a few hours - we’ll holler when its close to closing time” Mind you this was at 10am and yes, I was there to be hollered at (although we did leave for lunch and come back for round two)

HTH

Wheat

P.S. I promise to add the WPI as soon as I find where I put that piece of paper

If you have different information, please share, there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to the materials and tools we all love to use.

February 6th, 2007 at 09:14 am » Comments (0)

Just a quick note to “officially” welcome one of my favorite Crochet Designer/Teachers and good friend Darla Fanton to the world of blogs I hope you will visit her soon and encourage her as she launches her Blog-A-Ventures.