Can things smell better???

[Lume di Luna]

Ok, don't laugh. I answered another "craigslist" ad and came home with yet another 100 pounds of merino wool. (Hey, it was free....)

anyhoooo....

My dyeing projects are about to enter a whole new level. While the Jacquard acid dyes don't smell as bad as say... indigo and pee, it isn't exactly channel # 5.

Since I am going to have my MIL over the next few weeks (a born and bred city gal from NYC) I was wondering if it would be harmful to place a drop or 2 (no more!) of essential oils to the dyepot. Maybe a lavender. Just something to take the edge off of "eau de sheep"

Has anyone tried this? I tried googling this subject and came up with topics like "Dude, how can I get my weed to taste like vanilla?" Not what I nheed to know!

Kimberly

[MTRuth]

Kimberly, I haven't tried this as I have lots of allergies and have to be careful with scents. But I know someone was writing about adding lavender scent to their wool. Did you try the search function here?

[Lume di Luna]

That may have been me. I made my own combing oil a ways back using lavender, cedar and other essential oils. My goal was to have a light oil to work with while combing it (San Diego's lack of humidity is brutal) while having oils that promote insect activity.

I made a brief search but didn't come up with anything about adding oil to the dyepot. Oh well. I have lots of wool to experiment with. I think I will add a few drops and see what happens. After all, you can still dye wool with a tiny bit of lanolin on it.

I am hoping a couple drops of oil will make the dyeing process a bit less "fragrant" since I have to do it in the kitchen, and it is a tiny house.

I'll post results

[Shepherdess]

I think the oil my interfere with the dye. what you could do is simmer a small pot of water with the oil in it at the same time you are dyeing. i have an electric potpourri simmering pot that i put water and oil into when i want a nice scent.

Ann

[Lume di Luna]

At this point, I am curiuous enough to try it, since I have a couple hundred pounds of wool lying around. The "oils" I want to try to use are actually distilled plant essences of high quality. I think if I added actual "oil" it could coat the fibers and hinder the dyeing process. But, the essential oils would be the same oils that would be found in the plants that could be used for natural dyeing. That is the theory at least.

Oh well. I am home sick with a cold so it is something low key to do...

[Shepherdess]

oil is oil. You don't use distilled oil to dye. but if you don't use much it may make no differance. Let us know how it gos.
hope youare feeling better,
Ann