Tannin and Ice

I recently gave a presentation on Sustainability to a New England guild. Their guild had a challenge of “zero waste” and it goes hand-in-hand with sustainability. Sustainabilism advocates less stuff through sharing, recycling, and reusing. It promotes the use of harmless natural fibers over synthetic ones.

Examine the fibers in your stash and think about the fibers we use in our weaving. Plant based sustainable fibers might include Tencel, Bamboo, Recycled Cottons, and Linens to name a few. I currently dye and weave with a lot of Tencel and had a lot of fun creating a workshop mini-kit as an introduction to a new zoom workshop I now refer to as “Tannin and Ice” with Deflected Doubleweave. Day one began with ice dyeing and one the fibers I sent to them in their mini-kit was an 80% silk 20% linen blend as I knew this yarn would create a different value when used with ice dyed tencel or cotton. Next we reviewed the dyed warps together by combining the chained warps in what I call the “Twist test.” Some participant examples are shown below (L to R, Top to Bottom): Cari Kessler, Mary McConnell, Wan Ping, Maureen Wilson, Maryellen Stearns, Sumiko Tray, Diana Wauthle, Barbara Martin, Ann Redmond. Many of them choose to include one of the dyes in their mini-kit I created which was an introductory offer. Many received Plum Port (Dharma Trading Company) and Pine Barrens (Happy Cat Tie Dye).

Next step included creating and using a tannin bath of Black Tea. Pomegranate and Quebracho Sumac were also demonstrated at 20% Weight of Fiber (WOF). I have had pleasing results from following the tannin bath with a two minute Ferrous Sulphate bath - 1% to 1.5% WOF at low temperatures 38-39 degrees Celsius. It’s important to note that the Ferrous Sulphate improves colorfastness and can also shift some tannins to a new color. The previously ice dyed warps will become darker and can assists in creating tone in our weaving. The photos below were taken from the workshop demonstrations: (L to R, T to B)

Quebraco Sumac Tannin 20% WOF over fabric and Ice Dyed Yarn with Plum Port, Sweet Pea, Rust Monster (light)

Preparing Samples: Black Tea, Skein Ice Dyed with Scarlet Begonia, Orchid, various snow dyed fabric samples

Warp in a 20% WOF Pomegranate Bath

Preparing Ferrous Sulphate Bath 1.5% WOF note: initial green color which changes to rust brown

Close-up of Tencel after Quebracho Sumac Tannin Bath and Ferrous Sulphate

Washing out Tencel and Silk Linen Yarns after Ice Dye Demonstration

Yarn after Ferrous Sulphate Bath (same yarn showed in pomegranate bath)

Ice Dyed Fabric and Silk Linen Yarns after Pomegranate Bath

Prepping Poegranate Bath 20% WOF

The next portion of the workshop focused on ways to use the newly dyed warps together in a 4 shaft deflected doubleweave draft. Some of my yarns I selected for an 8 shaft deflected doubleweave draft and I had a few leftovers. In order to use them up I mixed them in the draft as a casserole style. My yarns that I used in the draft had been overdyed from three different sessions of tannin dyeing: pomegranate, quebracho sumac, and black tea. I also chose and selected a warp I ice dyed at 3:1 ratio or 3 parts soda ash:1 part dye powder. I refer to this as “full strength.”

Photos:

My resulting casserole style warp

A portion of the 4 shaft threading draft using two different blocks

Mary McConnell’s warp

Jean Crawford’s warp

Maureen Wilson’s warp

Sampling is the best way to understand the play of colors and how they will interact with each other in the different blocks. When teaching deflected doubleweave I often have participants do a hue and value study using five different yarns at a time. It can be helpful to assist the participant in choosing two weft colors to begin with in graphic deflected doubleweave designs. This process can be repeated as the warps change in value and color as you weave. It is also needed in the draft when thinking of what the weft yarn is doing: marking weft floats on the face or back of the cloth or plain weave. Plain weave blocks tend to mute or blend the colors whereas the floats are going to show much of the true color. In this warp I chose to begin sampling with plain weave. I love the natural effect of selecting lighter colors with pops of bold colors as accents using different sustainable fibers of natural tussah silk, Tencel, linen blends, and alpacas.

Day 3 of the workshop begins with a value and hue color study or city. Activity: Take 5 to 7 weft yarns and line them up from darkest to lightest and weave plain weave introducing them as weft from dark to light or vice versa. Different Deflected Doubleweave samples follow based on discussion of weft choices from plain weave.

Deflected Doubleweave Sample by Maureen Wilson

Plain Weave Color Study by Mary McConnell

Sample by Barbara Martin

Weft Samples by NatalieWoven

Sample by Wan Ping

After finishing up samples of various fibers, I washed in hot water with SOAK wash for study of deflection, color, and texture for 30 minutes. Excess water is squeezed out and then sample is rolled up in a dry towel to remove excess water to study. I picked up some ISAGER Alpaca 1 100% Alpaca while traveling. One of my favorite color Alpaca weft yarns was Gingerbread. It is clasped with a dusty coral and also Dan Doh Silk + on the back of the cloth.

Of course there are so many variations one can weave with this deflected doubleweave draft. In December, I went on a textile tour with Battenkill Fibers and I was often finding myself drawn to the red roof, colorful houses. This weave was reimagined into a plain weave deflected doubleweave variation. Subtle, but purposeful scallops at the selvedge were created by shuttle manipulation where small pockets formed against the outer selvedge block. The small plain weave blocks in between the textured warp floats reminded me of the windows. My Photo: Nuremberg, Germany

I decided to weave this same variation with all Alpaca weft yarns also! To join me in a zoom workshop or see the progress of workshop participants, I hope you’ll join my “Deflected Doubleweave and More NatalieWoven” (workshop group). The group is a private group so there are a few membership questions.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1390388321304045/?ref=share_group_link