Eco Dyeing - Avocado - Tin Can

While traveling around the internet looking 

at some eco dye blogs; I had found a couple 

eco dyeing fabric around a veggie can

using various methods.

So I thought that I would try one.

I had used the skin and the pit of an

avocado in a pot (stainless steel) and

covered with (tap) water. Heated for

about 2 hours and left overnight.

No modifier was added to the dye bath.

The cotton fabric that I used was 

treated with alum.

I have to say again that I'm not an

expert; I'm just playing and learning

along the way.

And I forgot to take photos of the can

once it was wrapped.

   I placed the fabric over the can

and placed yellow onions skins around.

I then wrapped Bamboo crochet yarn all

around the can -  tightly. (it's all that I had to wrap)

The can was placed into the avocado dye

bath and heated (not boiled) for about

2 hours and left it for a few hours 

coming back and turning it. 

When I unwrapped it I found it had 

a blackish ring in the middle. 

 The center ring is the only part

that was exposed to the can; the onion

skins covered the rest. 

We call them tin cans but when I googled

to see what our veggie cans are made 

of I found this:

http://www.keenforgreen.com/recycle/are_vegetable_cans_recyclable 

"Veggie cans are made from steel (though

often referred to as "tin cans" because 

there is a very thin coating of aluminum on 

the inside). "

Don't have the link to this:

"  "Tin" cans are actually made out of steel with tin plating. The tin is there to stop the food from reacting with the can itself
 (Steel cans with compromised tin platings can rust, leading to iron oxide contaminating the food, which makes it taste awful; this is
 why dented/bent cans are usually on discount, due to their shortened shelf-life)."

Now the reason I looked this up was

because of my next experiment with 

the can

This is a new veggie can that I had

just opened a couple of days before -

it's not old. 

There are no onion skins just one leaf

that I laid on the fabric and folded 

over and then wrapped around the can

- wrapped the yarn around all the way

around the can and fabric  and tied. 

You can see the yarn marks on this one.

You can see the vague print of the leaf.

But look at all of the blackish color

lines and marks - from the can itself.

Interesting... no?  I know very little

chemistry so I can't technically explain

it. 

 Although I don't like the way this piece

came out - I thought it was a failure but

then quickly thought - it's an experiment

and that I learned something from therefore

it's not a failure.

 I tried to get a close up and the 

black spots also have some deep purple

colors. Lots of little things going on

in there.

I'm thinking that I'm going to try

this method again.

I also have more avocado fabric to show

but I'll do that during the week.