Spot Dye

Wool for the Stems in the Rug "Humble Beginnings"

The rug color plan calls for a spot dye (Cushing dyes) for the stems of the flowers.  Peggy Hannum's dyeing directions call for 1/8 t Bronze Green, 1/8 t Old Gold, 1/8 t Bronze, and 1/16 t Mahogany to be used in Dotti Ebi's Spot Method.  Each color is dissolved in a cup of hot water and 2 T of white vinegar.  Dotti Ebi's book is the paperback Scraps or Spots, 115 Formulas for Rug Hooking, 1979.  I used 1/2 yard of butterscotch colored wool soaked in warm water and Dawn dishwashing detergent. I placed wrinkled aluminum foil in the bottom of my dye pan and added the wool on top.  The wool was crumpled, not folded.  The dyes were applied by the tablespoon (T) in a designated pattern.
                                                             OXOXOX
                                                             XOXOXO
                                                             OXOXOX
                                                             XOXOXO
                                                             OXOXOX
                                                            ( p.24, Scraps or Spots)
The "O" was Bronze Green and the "X" was Old Gold.  The Bronze was applied wherever space was available and the Mahogany was used as an accent.  After the dyes were applied, I salted the material per directions (just used my regular salt shaker).  I added 5 cups of boiling water on the edges of the pan (not directly on the wool), and then the wool was pushed under the water to somewhat mute the colors.  I covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked it in a 275 degree oven for 1 hour.  I rinsed the wool in my machine (remember, I have a front loader so I'm not worried about felting the wool) and popped it in the dryer.  The photo at the top shows the result.
Now to hook the stems.