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ruthee_fiberfreak
New Pal
USA
17 Posts |
 Posted - 12/28/2006 : 10:30:50 AM
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I hope to dye skeins of hand-painted yarn and I am attempting to pick out a pot for my needs.
In _Dyeing to Knit_, the author suggest the purchase and/or use of a 20 gallon pot. This sounds absolutely ginormous to me....not to mention completely unmanageable.
Does anyone use a pot this big? Is this overkill for the average at home hobby-dyer?
http://saoirse4me.blogspot.com/ |
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sanity101
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2006 : 11:06:52 AM
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A large pot would allow larger dyelots of multiple skeins. 20 gallons seems like it could almost produce retail-level dyelots.
I have no idea whether a 5 gallon pot is better than a 1 gallon or even a half gallon for that matter, assuming you're only doing lots of one or two skeins, but am interested to know if there is one.
-C |
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yarnmama
Seriously Hooked
880 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2006 : 9:30:25 PM
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If you are kettle dyeing you need a pot large enough to accomodate the 25:1 (on average) of water to fiber. So for example 500g of yarn (just over a pound) you multiply the 500 by 25 and get 12.500 liters of water. A 22 qt. (NOT GALLON) pot is about right to hold this with room to spare for the displacement that the yarn will cause when added and leaves room at the top so you don't get boil overs.
Catherine Harrison
owner of Knitting Notions:Kettle Dyed yarns, Hardwood yarn swifts and more
http://www.knittingnotionsonline.com |
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yarnmama
Seriously Hooked
880 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2006 : 9:32:26 PM
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I have a 100 qt. pot that I can get 4-5 pounds of yarn in but it has to be used on a outside cooker with a propane tank. There is no way a pot this size will even fit on my stove. 
Catherine Harrison
owner of Knitting Notions:Kettle Dyed yarns, Hardwood yarn swifts and more
http://www.knittingnotionsonline.com |
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ruthee_fiberfreak
New Pal
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 10:01:00 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yarnmama
I have a 100 qt. pot that I can get 4-5 pounds of yarn in but it has to be used on a outside cooker with a propane tank. There is no way a pot this size will even fit on my stove.
That was our (baby daddy and me) -- that a 20 gallon pot would be too big for a "home" stove and not have even heat.
How unwieldly is the pot you use outside? Hard to drain?
Out of curiousity....do you remember how much you paid for your 100 quart pot? |
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ruthee_fiberfreak
New Pal
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 10:05:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yarnmama
If you are kettle dyeing
-SNIP-
I am having a hard time deciding what techinique I want to start with first - be it kettle dyeing, hand painting or just dyeing fiber a solid colour.
With kettle dyeing, do I understand this correctly....? The dye is poured on the fiber at the surface and basically sinks down, dyeing the fibers below as well?
Also, I appreciate your calculation help! |
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yarnmama
Seriously Hooked
880 Posts |
Posted - 12/29/2006 : 8:02:08 PM
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I got the pot from here http://www.kitchenfantasy.com/shopping_cart/stockpots.html (scroll down to the bottom) Fair warning, it's very pricey but a necessity for my business. I would not have gotten this for my personal yarn dyeing only.
I use both techniques, depending on the effect I am going for. I sometimes add the dye to the water and then add the fiber. Other times I add the color to the fiber directly and then add the fiber to the water in the pot. There are also times when I add the colors and wrap the fiber and steam it. It depends on whether or not you want to keep the colors distinct.
I use a siphon hose to drain the water from the pot after it cools some.
Catherine Harrison
owner of Knitting Notions:Kettle Dyed yarns, Hardwood yarn swifts and more
http://www.knittingnotionsonline.com |
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KCShaw
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
393 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 10:02:40 PM
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| Inside I use a stainless turkey roaster with a domed lid, its good size for me, I use two burners on the stove because it is oval. I can do about 1.5 lbs of wool. Any larger i go outdoors. |
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yarnmama
Seriously Hooked
880 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2007 : 6:23:07 PM
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I have been doing some hand painted dyeing recently and I can get 3 lbs. in one batch in my 100 qt. pot using the steam racks my husband made me. I can get three layers high in one load. It works great!
Catherine Harrison
owner of Knitting Notions:Kettle Dyed yarns, Hardwood yarn swifts and more
http://www.knittingnotionsonline.com |
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