dyeing with walnut leaves and husks ~ corriedale

Materials:

• 8 ounces corriedale wool top (purchased from here); divided into (four) two-ounce strands
• 6 quart slow cooker
• leaves from approximately 32 twigs of a black walnut tree
• husks from the nuts (I used 26)
• old pillowcase for straining liquid (essential to remove all particles of husks and leaves)
• large plastic container, strainer, large plastic spoon
• this website for reference (walnut, and this thread as well on ravelry)

(Picking up from my last post...)

While the husks were soaking for several days in the large plastic container, I decided to experiment by dyeing with just the leaves.

I stripped the leaves from (32) twigs, covered them with water in the crockpot and simmered them overnight (about 12 hours.)  In the morning, I strained out the leaves (through a pillowcase), returned the dye to the crockpot along with 2 ounces of corriedale and simmered it on low for three hours.  (The steeped leaves were tossed into my main plastic container along with the soaking husks.)

I gently lifted out the roving and rinsed it in cold water until the water was clear (about three rinses), careful not to agitate the wool.  Then I hung it up to dry ... the two lightest braids on the left were from this initial dyeing.  This picture was taken in the early morning with natural sunlight:

The middle two skeins were from the the same crockpot liquid as above, but I dyed them twice for a deeper tone.  This picture was taken with natural light in the shade:

At this point the liquid was much reduced, so I added some strained, dark brown liquid from the container of soaking husks/leaves and simmered two more ounces of corriedale.  My last two batches produced a very similar deep brown.  (A little bit of walnut dye goes a long way!  I have so much left over!)

I divided each of the two ounce skeins in half because I've decided to spin a 2-ply yarn of each of the three colors.  This morning we went back to the park for more leaves so I can try a light/medium/dark with some polwarth top ... the leaves are simmering in the corckpot in the garage as I write.