Dyeing Not Dying

In class this week, we learned/relearned how to dye fibers and yarn.  The requirement was to bring in some fiber or yarn to dye in class.  Margaret Tyler provided almost all of the equipment and all of the dyes pre-mixed.  In class the dyeing is done by microwave.


Steps to dye:
- soak your fiber/yarn in a vinegar solution (if you would like to have the dyes stay in place) or water (if you would like the dyes to move around)
- prepare your surface with newspaper/plastic
- lay down plastic wrap in a large enough piece to wrap up your fiber/yarn in a bundle
- apply your choice of dye(s) with a sponge/brush/syringe
- ensure that all the fiber is covered if you want a solid finish
- wrap up the fiber/yarn in a bundle (rectangular roll and roll like a cinnamon bun)
- heat either by the microwave (5 minutes - minute on/minute off/on/off/on and rest wrapping up in newspaper to allow slow dissipation of heat) or by steam in a pot (I steam about 30 minutes)
- rinse fiber/yarn when it has reach room temperature (hopefully all the dye exhausts and you are left with clear water)
- dry on a rack


**Any utensils used should be dedicated to the dye process and no longer used for food preparation - even the microwave.


I decided to dye up the 3 ounces of Cormo fiber from the October 2010 offering from the Fondle This! Club, the small skein of faux cashmere, a sample of the Romney discussed here, and a small skein of Bamboo/Rayon/Wool/Alpaca blended top.


I presoaked all of the offerings at home before I went to class and used the dyes in class for the fiber and the yarn.


The Cormo fiber pre-dye.

The Cormo fiber post-dye.  

I used a purple black, hot pink and bright yellow.  With such dark and vibrant colors - only a little bit of the yellow was left in the rinse bath.  There are still some white areas but will be nicely blended when spun.


The faux cashmere pre-dye.

The faux cashmere post-dye.  

I used the hot pink.  There were no problems with the nylon dyeing and no residual dye was in the rinse bath.


The Romney pre-dye.

The Romney post-dye.  

I used dark purple and dark green.  This was the most unsuccessful attempt as most of the dark colors ran in the rinse bath.  The ending result is mediocre.


The Bamboo/Rayon/Wool/Alpaca pre-dye.

The Bamboo/Rayon/Wool/Alpaca post-dye.  

I used a dark purple, blue and red.  It is still a bit splotchy but the colors adhered to the yarn even though bamboo and rayon take dye differently than wool and alpaca.


One of the other students in class wanted to experiment with dyeing sock yarn in self-striping color bands.  Here is a description of her process.

I wonder how easy this will be to replicate.  I can see another experiment in the making at home.