I am the one who did the snow dyed fabric and posted it on my blog.
Here are some answers to your questions:
I buy all of my dye, soda ash, synthrapol and other supplies from Dharma.
Make sure you read all of their instructions before you ever order anything. I use the directions for tub dyeing fabric, which can be found here:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/tub_dye/
You can easily do yardage this way. The pieces I dyed were approx 24"x108". I used plastic storage containers. You can do smaller pieces of fabric in margarine tubs or some other plastic container.
If you dont have snow, try crushed ice. I dont have an ice maker, or I would have already tried that method.
Feel free to ask more questions if something isnt clear. I am not an expert at dyeing fabric, just enjoy playing.
Gayle