Mad Science today!

Sunday.  Today I am experimenting with gel food colors.  So far, not too impressed...but I haven't yet put the wool in so we'll see how it goes.  The water has to be heated before the gel dissolves adequately then there is the cooling process in order to dip in the wool; no felting!  My first experiment is to over-dye commercially dyed 100% Merino; I have 2 balls, let's see what happens.  These are to be a teal color.  The second ball is waiting for its soaking while I work on the sock wool.  I'm hoping for a Fire Opal color today *rubbing hands together and cackling like a mad scientist*...

I've used the entire tube of gel red, hmmm even with a small amt of water I am not getting the "fire" I want.  Off to my pals at Ravelry and was given a brilliant idea from Sylv aka BettyBoo, who suggested a red wine.  Ha!  perfection!  I've just added nearly a full bottle of Merlot and a touch more yellow gel and voila, I have a beautiful red...now to add the wool...well if the wool absorbs the color the way my fingers have, I may have a lovely shade of color.

Here's where I am at in the process so far, the color in the photo is much lighter than the red orange I've created.  Maybe it's the light from the over head on the stove...
~And now it simmers...

And here is the end result ...true, I am not completely satisfied with the results, and I have learned I won't be using the gel colors again.  I'm going  back to Kool-Aid (~: at least for the time being.  So all is not lost, I am calling this color Fall has Arrived and it does look beautiful alongside the October Salmon, maybe something utilizing both colors together, or I will look for some Fire Opal colored beads and make a beautiful wimple.

And surprise, surprise! The commercially dyed wool actually took the color brilliantly...I call this one Evergreen Surprise.  

The photo doesn't really show the true depth of the color, but it is deeper and much more beautiful!

~Ah the possibilites...