Can I solar mordant (without dyestuff)?

I have a bunch of yarn I want to dye and I was thinking of modanting it today, but I haven’t time to stay near the stove.  Do you think it is possible to solar-mordant? All the instructions I can see on solar dyeing have the dye and mordant going in together.
Maybe my idea is crazy and that’s why there’s nothing in my books or google about it?

Are you up for experimenting with it?

Carla Burke wrote:Are you up for experimenting with it?

maybe.
maybe on non-handspun yarn.  
I don't know.  

You could go with a lighter color, that you could re-dye later, if you're not thrilled with the results, too.

I do this all the time. You can cold water soak for days to weeks in the mordant solution. Doing it ahead of the dye bath means that you can put skeins from different mordants in the same dye bath to get different colors from one pot. You can also do after-dye mordants to shift the color in a whole new direction, such as putting some of the dyestock into an iron pot or with rusty hardware along with some of the dyed yarn, leaving some "as is" after dyeing. Easy way to get 2-4 colors or more from one dyepot.

Larisa Walk wrote:I do this all the time. You can cold water soak for days to weeks in the mordant solution. Doing it ahead of the dye bath means that you can put skeins from different mordants in the same dye bath to get different colors from one pot. You can also do after-dye mordants to shift the color in a whole new direction, such as putting some of the dyestock into an iron pot or with rusty hardware along with some of the dyed yarn, leaving some "as is" after dyeing. Easy way to get 2-4 colors or more from one dyepot.

awesome!
I was going to use alum, but not sure the ratio of alum:fibre to use.  The books say anything from 4% to 40% alum to fibre.  I was thinking 10%?

I was going to use alum, but not sure the ratio of alum:fibre to use.  The books say anything from 4% to 40% alum to fibre.  I was thinking 10%?

My "recipe" is a ratio of:
1.75 oz. Wool
1/2 Tablespoon Alum
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Dissolve in enough water to cover wool. Add wetted wool and let sit for up to 4 weeks. A weight on the wool to keep it under the surface of the water is helpful, otherwise you risk getting mold on it. I have an old aluminum stockpot that I use for alum mordanting. Don't use any containers that will be later used for food.

This is great.   Each skein is between 40 and 50g.  The math  looks pretty easy.