Ice Dyeing

Ice in Dye Pot

I was reading about using ice when dyeing on several sites on the Internet, and I wanted to try it.  I soaked my wool in a little Dawn and some white vinegar (this soaked overnight - only because I couldn't get back to the project).  I didn't have a rack to use in my pan (as recommended on some sites), so I used Heavy Duty Reynold's Aluminum Foil, scrunching it up to raise the wool off the bottom. I placed the wool in the pan (1/2 yard, randomly crumpled), covered it generously with ice cubes, and added the dry dye. As you can see in the above photo, I liberally sprinkled dye (ProChem Key Lime, Grape Juice, Purple, and Seabreeze) on the top of the ice.  I let the ice melt which took most of the day.  I then covered the pan with aluminum foil and placed it in the oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. After the oven, I rinsed the wool by hand, placed it in the washer for a good rinse, and tossed it in the dryer. And here's the result:

The wool design reminds me of a garden.  It might be a good background for some flowers?  or maybe a flowered field?  The results were a surprise as I had no idea when I started what I'd get.  I'll try this again. I'd like to get or make a rack to hold the wool up higher in the pan, and I'll try some different color combinations.