STEAMING YOUR SILK

Steaming your silk in a pasta pot. One piece of silk is recommended per pot. If the silk is too tightly wrapped in newsprint, steam may not get to the core to set the silk dyes.
Sandwich your silk piece with 4-6 layers of
blank, clean newsprint or some other uncoated
absorbent paper. Kraft paper may be too dense
for the steam to penetrate. If your colors
are not too dark, or if you didn't use was or corn
syrup, you may need on 3 sheets.
Place 2-3 sheets on top of the silk piece and 2-3
sheets underneath the silk piece.
Any excess dye will be absorbed by the
newsprint. The silk cannot touch itself or the
dye will transfer.
Loosely roll your newsprint and silk layers
on the diagonal. This makes it easier for
 the next step. 

When you have completely rolled the
newsprint and silk layers, you may want to put
a tiny piece of tape to secure the end. Be careful with the tape. Sometimes the glue on the tape  gets on the silk.

Start from one end and loosely
roll up the "tube" of newsprint
and silk layers.

Make sure there is a hole in the
center and the roll is loosely rolled
so steam can reach all parts of the
newsprint and silk layers.

Secure the end with a small piece of
tape. You now have a
"cinnamon roll" package.

Take a sheet of newsprint and wrap the entire
"cinnamon roll" package andadd a small piece
of tape to secure the end. This last piece of newsprint
is vital. 

Get some inexpensive thin aluminum
foil. Not the heavy kind. Steam will
penetrate the foil if it is thin.

Place the aluminum foil on
bottom and wrap loosely.

Now we need to add an "umbrella" to the top of the
"cinnamon roll" package.
Loosely wrap another piece of foil on
the top part of the "package."
The aluminum foil protects the newsprint
and silk layers from any water drips.


This aluminum foil wrapped package
will be placed on a rack to suspend
it in the pot. Boiling water
should never touch any part of
the package.

Marbles are placed in the pot and about
a inch or more of water is added.
The water cannot be near the aluminum foil
wrapped package. Boiling water
should not be able to " jump up" and touch
the package.
The steamer basket is placed into the
pot. Water should not come up into
the steamer basket.
The rack with the package is centered
into the pot. No part of the aluminum foil
package should touch any part of the pot -
sides, steamer basket bottom, or lid.




A glass domed lid comes in handy so
you can see if any drips are landing
directly onto the package.
If your lid has a steam vent hole in it, plug
it up with a piece of foil or cork.
Place this pot on the stove or hot plate and bring
to a boil and steam for 2-3 hours depending
on the instructions for your particular
acid dye.
If your pot's lid or basket is loose and
a lot of steam is coming out, put a layer
of aluminum foil to "seal" the seams.