Teach Yourself VISUALLY Hand-Dyeing

by Barbara Parry

As the DIY trend continues, crafters are taking their skills to the next level and are looking for "what's next." Hand-dyeing is on the rise--giving crafters the freedom to create their own unique yarns and fibers to spin wholly original projects. This photo-intensive book covers everything from dyeing with Kool-Aid to more involved processes like working with acid dyes and hand-painting. Concealed wiro binding allows the book to lay flat--perfect for undertaking projects with wet or dye-covered hands. Barbara Parry (Shelburne, MA) is the founder and creative vision behind Foxfire Fiber & Designs. She produces her own yarn line from the wool of the sheep she raises on her farm in the Berkshire foothills, which is home to 70 sheep, two llamas, and two goats. The wool she produces is prized by knitters and handspinners and has won numerous awards. Barbara chronicles life on her farm in her blog "Sheep Notes from a Shelburne Shepherd" (www.sheepgal.typepad.com).

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Knitting

224 pages, Spiral-bound

First published June 20, 2011

Reviews

[Vampfiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best dyeing books I've read. Lots of information about different ways to dye. Love the visual step by step!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost didn't read this book because I figured from the title it'd be a super basic beginner's book. Boy was I wrong.

This book is definitely written for the serious dyer (professional or amateur), with plenty of well-written technical information on how dyeing works and how to create reproducible colorways if you so desire. If you're just wanting something casual and are a bit intimidated by the idea of dyeing, I think you'll be much happier with Gail Callahan's Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Techniques. If you want a compact, easy to read source of 90% of the information you'll ever need about dyeing yarn, and you're not afraid of a bit of really basic math, Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing is the book for you.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has some very detailed chapters on setting up a space for prepping, mixing and dyeing. I'm not currently at the stage where I will need all this information, but I am keeping it on my list of references that I can use if/when I am ready to get serious about replicating my dyeing results. For non-dyers, there is a chapter at the end that assists in the best use of varigated/hand-dyed fibers for spinners and yarns for knitting /crocheting.
This is an instructional reference and I will be using it again in the future.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title was a bit more technical than I expected. It really is for someone who has time, space and money to really dedicate to becoming an advanced hobbiest or self-employed hand dyer. I personally had wanted some thing a bit less intensive, something a bit more of a "getting your toes wet in the world of hand-dying" vein.

[Annmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Teach Yourself Visually" books, while not as aesthetically appealing as a lot of the other how-to books I own, are reliably solid sources. This one is no exception. It's a great place to start for learning about dyeing.