Further discussions in the Online Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers helped to establish that one reason these yarns are so faded is probably that when I dyed the yarn it didn't take up the dye as well as it might, due to the amount of grease remaining in the wool. I bought the wool in washed and combed state, but another time shall give it an extra wash with a wool detergent before dyeing. I think a telling indicator of this problem is the colour of the madder dyed yarn on the left side of the card. When I dyed superwashed merino wool with madder I obtained a much stronger shade of red.
Ah, must point out here, the left hand side of the card as shown below (up to where I have drawn a line) had been covered over to stop sunlight getting to the yarn. The right hand side was exposed to full sunlight, and the card was taped to a window that can get direct sun (when it's not wet and cloudy) for two months. For this photograph I have tucked a piece of white paper between the yarns and the card because the piece of cardboard was badly sun damaged and turned yellow.
If you are slightly confused by my labels then please note that there are three strands of yarn dyed with weld and two dyed with onion skins, one strand for each of the other dyes.
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