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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Calsolene Oil - Well, Maybe Not

After initially being very pleased with the results I got using Calsolene Oil on a sky blue piece of silk, I went ahead and used it in a dye bath for a turquoise scarf I made for a customer. I have NEVER had a problem with turquoise.  It always comes out bright, vivid and uniform.  But not this time.  When I
rinsed it out, I saw that it had several - more than a few - light spots, almost white.  No way could I send that to a customer.  So I made another this morning, this time without calsolene, without salt, and just did it the way I always did.  Whew!  Perfect.  I even soaked the original one with the spots in vinegar again, and redyed it in the same dye bath. Even that one came out perfect this time!  Whaaat?


I only used 1 1/2 tsp of calsolene in a gallon and a half of water, so I don't think that was too much, but maybe it was.  Next time maybe I will start with 1/2 tsp in a gallon of water.  Maybe it allowed the dye to just flow off the silk.  Who knows?


That's what is fun and challenging about silk and dye - it's really such a chemical reaction, you never know for sure what you are going to get.  I should be very pleased that I can get the consistency that I do.