Turning corn into fiber starts with the yellow kernel of corn which is put through a simple process to make a plant sugar. The sugars are fermented in a process similar to making yogurt. Following a purification process the yellow corn is transformed into small, opaque, and white "pellets" which is taken to a textile mill to be spun into Ingeo fiber.
I see advertisements in fiber catalogs and websites for dyed Ingeo TOP, is this what your Ingeo is?
NO! We work with a USA textile mill to obtain our Ingeo fiber BEFORE it is processed into combed top. Our Ingeo fiber has crimp, a 3 inch staple length and provides more versatility for the fiber artist.
What can I do with this fiber?
So glad you asked! Check our growing photo gallery page for inspiration and send us a photo of your project. If we publish it here we will send you a FREE colored Ingeo batt for your next project.
What form of Ingeo should I buy...loose fiber, white or colored batts....?
If you are a spinner....... then decide how much preparation you want to do with the fiber. If you want to spin with Ingeo the moment the box arrives then you may want to purchase the wool/Ingeo blend as its ready to spin If you want to spin 100% Ingeo then order the ingeo batts or roving sampler. A batt of Ingeo is alot of fiber even though it only weighs about an ounce - remember it is VERY lightweight. The colored batts have about 99% of the crimps blended in which is what makes the fiber so lofty. If you order white batts to spin then order the extra carded ones and they will be very smooth when they arrive. If you have your own drum carder, want to "play" with some crimps or want to dye your own then select either the white batts (which have been carded several times) or the loose fiber. Spin it alone with a very loose twist for a very lofty yarn or with lots of twist for a very strong cord like feel. Blend it with any of the other fibers (wool, silk, mohair, etc) for a beautiful soft yarn.
Ingeo is antipilling, hypoallergenic, and odorless.
If you are a felter, surface embellisher, art quilt designer....Ingeo itself doesn't felt but watch what happens when you blend it with wool and then felt it! As the wool draws up and felts it "pulls up" the ingeo and makes a great textured "pebbly" look. Check out the photo gallery. Order colored or white batts, rovings, the cup of crimp or loose fiber and let your imagination take over!
The Ingeo fiber dyes to brilliant colors. If you layer it on top of wool and then put another cobweb thin layer of wool on top and then felt it, the brilliant Ingeo colors really shine through - see the photo in the gallery.
If you love to surface embellish.... protect your iron with a teflon sheet or use parchment paper and provide a quick burst of heat and you can actually "melt" the ingeo fiber which looks really cool!
If you are a knitter ... Don't feel left out! Ingeo yarn is coming soon!!!!
I've read that Ingeo is very hard to dye at home. How did you find a way to dye it and is it complicated?
I love to experiment with fiber and that is how we discovered easy ways to dye Ingeo. Ingeo is a unique fiber with unique dyeing needs. It's easy to dye at home with the correct dye and the results are brilliant, vibrant colors. Wool, silk, and other protein fibers require an acid dye. Ingeo does not. In fact, acid dyes have little effect on Ingeo and will result in a very pale color, and sometimes no color at all. Using our dyes and following our easy instructions will result in dynamic and bold results. Our kit is complete with three different packets of dye and easy instructions to dye Ingeo on the stove, in the crock-pot or in the microwave.
Fields of Fiber
Your source for Ingeo