After initially being very pleased with the results I got using Calsolene Oil on a sky blue piece of silk, I went ahead and used it in a dye bath for a turquoise scarf I made for a customer. I have NEVER had a problem with turquoise. It always comes out bright, vivid and uniform. But not this time. When I
rinsed it out, I saw that it had several - more than a few - light spots, almost white. No way could I send that to a customer. So I made another this morning, this time without calsolene, without salt, and just did it the way I always did. Whew! Perfect. I even soaked the original one with the spots in vinegar again, and redyed it in the same dye bath. Even that one came out perfect this time! Whaaat?
I only used 1 1/2 tsp of calsolene in a gallon and a half of water, so I don't think that was too much, but maybe it was. Next time maybe I will start with 1/2 tsp in a gallon of water. Maybe it allowed the dye to just flow off the silk. Who knows?
That's what is fun and challenging about silk and dye - it's really such a chemical reaction, you never know for sure what you are going to get. I should be very pleased that I can get the consistency that I do.
