applied to raw wool, refers to wool that is sheared from the sheep, scoured, 

 and then dyed. If the fibers are then divided among several different 

 colored dyebaths and mixed and carded together, the fine colored fibers 

 will be so thoroughly blended that yarn spun with them will appear solid- 

 colored from a distance. A close-up view will reveal subtle variations in 

 hue. Tweeds are often fiber-dyed or "dyed-in-the-wool." 



Many home dyers color yarns for weaving or knitting into solid-colored 

 textiles; however, yarn dyeing can present other creative opportunities to 

 the imaginative colorist. For example, a textile can appear solid-colored, 

 yet inay actually be a blend of two tones alternating in the warp and 

 weft, or two colored strands knitted or woven as one. Another way of 

 achieving this effect is by combining one color in the warp with another 

 color in the weft. These treatments add depth to a "solid" hue. Other more 

 traditional uses of yarn-dyed materials are in checks, plaids, stripes, or 

 irregular patterns. Some optical tricks are played by placing controlled 

 amounts of contrasting hues adjacent to each other. Yarns can also be 

 tie-dyed and top-dyed to achieve patterns. 



Most piece-dyed cloths are dyed as solid colors. However, patterns can 

 be introduced into sheer fabrics by tie-dyeing them or by resist-dyeing 

 techniques such as batik. Since all of these specialized patterning techniques 

 require skills beyond the scope of this book, we recommend that you consult 

 Pellew's book (1913) for information on "Tied and Dyed Work" and 

 Krevetsky (1964) or Mijer (1920) for a detailed explanation of batik. 



Finally certain factors outside the dyestuffs and their union with cloth 

 affect the appearance of colored textiles. These include the effect of light 

 on colored materials and the effect that adjacent hues have on each other. 

 Texture, which has not been mentioned previously, greatly influences the 

 distribution of light on the surface of fabrics. Folding a fabric emphasizes 

 its textural qualities. For example, light playing on a sleek red satin causes 

 it to appear much lighter than a thick, rough tweed having the same red 

 hue. Drape the satin, and there will be a distinct difference in value between 

 the outermost and innermost parts of the folds. These effects can be ex- 

 ploited only when they are thoroughly understood. Thus the home dyer 

 who develops a sensitive eye, understanding of color, and an experimental 

 attitude will derive the greatest enjoyment from working with this 

 challenging color medium. 



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