Tundra
July 2nd, 2010, 12:21 PM
Have you ever wanted to try dyeing some wool but weren't sure how, or concerned it would be too expensive? Well fear not, anyone can do it and you can do it with the simplest of all kitchen colorants... Food coloring!
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4699.jpg
So now that you feel a bit more confidant, we'll get straight to the technique. No need to second guess yourself, just dive right in! But be warned, this is not something to get into if you are the impatient type. It does take a while to complete, but once done you'll be hooked! Dyeing fibers is a very addictive hobby ;)
Ok, now that I have warned you about how addictive this can be, grab the following things and get ready to become bitten by the dye bug!
Wool, yarn, or other animal fiber
Glass Pyrex microwave safe pan
Rubber or Latex gloves
Food coloring (in liquid drop form)
2 Old bath towels
Measuring cup
Tablespoon
White vinegar
Microwave
Dawn Liquid Detergent (or wool wash)
For this method it has to be an animal fiber you are dyeing or the color will not take.
Regardless if the wool being used is roving, yarn, or locks, you need to first soak it in a vinegar and water solution. This primes the wool for the color and helps it completely penetrate the fiber. I use 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water.
First, spread your wool out as much as possible in a microwave safe pan (I use pyrex as it is the most durable in extreme heat and I can see through it to make sure my dye is being take up by my fiber on the bottom) and pour the water and vinegar solution gently over your wool. Make sure to have the water level just above your wool. You don't want too much or too little water, so having it just above your wool is where the level should be. Once the water solution is in with the wool, put on some rubber or latex gloves and gently push the fiber down into the solution to help it suck up as much of it as possible, then leave it all soak for about 15-20 minutes. Now is a good time to have a cup of coffee or tea :)
After your brief pause and caffeine fix, go back to your wool and check it. If the water is almost all soaked up by the fiber, but not completely, then it is good to go! If there is still a lot of water then you didn't listen to what I had said before and added too much. No big deal. Just pour it out until you have about 1cm of the water left on the bottom of the pan. You'll need that little bit of water in there to help steam the wool in the microwave.
Now choose your colors! You can do all your wool one color, or a combination of colors. Just remember that the colors will blend together at the edges of each color transition, so if you choose a primary color of, let's say blue, you'll want to perhaps compliment that color with a red so that when the edges blend they make purple and not a muddy brown color, which can happen if one forgets about colors blending on the wool as the dye spreads out. Yes, even I made that mistake a few times when beginning to dye wools. There were a few choice words used a few times when I had messed up a whole skein of yarn or a whole batch of roving. And then I wonder where my 3 year old hears certain things... Ha!
Ok, back to business! Once your colors are chosen, add a few drops in the area you want to color with your first color. Then take your second color and repeat on the area you want that color to be... If you are doing your wool all one color you can add drops randomly all over the wool. I suggest going a drop at a time at first to see how your color progresses. You can always add more, but you can't take any away once you've added it. You can take that as words of wisdom or just words from someone who has messed up enough wool to know what she's talking about.
Once the drops of color are applied, put on your gloves again (I know you had taken them off by now) and gently press down on the colored areas to spread out the dye. PLEASE! GO SLOWLY! Too much pressure and speed will felt your wool! And remember to wash off your gloves when transitioning from one color to the next or you'll get odd color transfers. Again, sound advice from one who knows of what she speaks. Keep gently pushing the color down into the wool.
Check and see how well the fiber is soaking up the color by lifting up the pan gently and looking at the bottom. This is why I really suggest a glass pyrex pan so you can see the bottom of your fiber easily and without disturbing it. Once you see the color beginning to show on the bottom you can let your wool sit for about 30-45 minutes. More coffee or tea? Perhaps a quick nap? Or if you are me, you'll be plotting your next dye project out while waiting.
After your second pause, check your wool. If the dye has migrated to the bottom of the wool it is good to go! If not, let it sit a bit longer.
Now you are ready to take your pan and pop it in the microwave. "Cook" it for 3 minutes (on the regular setting). After 3 minutes check to make sure your wool is not overheating or burning. You'll know it is if you see some brown spots. If it is, you'll need to add a bit of water to the wool. About 1cm in the bottom of the pan will do.
Now pop it back in for another 3 minutes and re-check as you did before. And then a final 3 more minutes will be enough to have set the color. That's a total of 9 minutes for those of us who can't count, or who may be having a brain fart, as I so often do! Getting older is not all rainbows and candy kissed you know. Many days I feel more like a zombie than anything else... But I digress...
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4449-1.jpg
Ok, so once the full 9 minutes are done get a towel and lay it on the counter. Then take the pan out CAREFULLY! It will be really hot! So oven mitts are a good idea. Dump the steaming wool onto one end of the towel. Taking that end, roll it up in the towel and push down on the rolled up towel to help soak-up any left over water out of the wool. Then un-roll and let the wool cool off.
Once the wool is cooled you can now rinse it. In a sink, or bucket, fill water just enough to submerge your wool. Now add 1 drop of Dawn liquid detergent, or any wool wash, to the water. Swish the detergent around slowly in the water trying to create the LEAST amount of bubbles possible. Gently add the wool to the wash and GENTLY push it around in the water. Have I said "gently" enough now? But I say it because if you move the wool around too much in the water and it will felt up. Once that's done, let it sit in the wash for 20 minutes. When you remove it, transfer it onto another towel and roll it up the same as before to get the excess water and soap out and prevent felting.
Once that's done you can now leave it out to dry! For locks I leave them on a cookie rack to dry out. Yarns and rovings always get hung up in my bathroom on plastic hangers, which my husband hates because he says he feels like he's in some sort of colourful jungle, and that he'll get tangled in the yarn vines! Ha!
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4755.jpg
After about 24-48 hours your wool will be dry and ready to use! Now is the time to pat yourself on the back and brag about it to all your friends. They probably won't get why this is such a great achievement, and may even look at you weird as you excitedly tell them you dyed your own wool, but who cares! I personally find odd people very interesting, so feel free to brag about it here if you need someone to understand the excitement you now feel :)
An article by Wooly Bumblebee (http://www.etsy.com/shop/WoolyBumblebee)
For top quality hand spun and hand dyed yarns, hand dyed wool roving, handmade clay buttons, knitted items, PDF tutorials, PDF patterns, and more, you'll find it here at the Wooly Bumblebee!
Feel free to ask her questions!
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4699.jpg
So now that you feel a bit more confidant, we'll get straight to the technique. No need to second guess yourself, just dive right in! But be warned, this is not something to get into if you are the impatient type. It does take a while to complete, but once done you'll be hooked! Dyeing fibers is a very addictive hobby ;)
Ok, now that I have warned you about how addictive this can be, grab the following things and get ready to become bitten by the dye bug!
Wool, yarn, or other animal fiber
Glass Pyrex microwave safe pan
Rubber or Latex gloves
Food coloring (in liquid drop form)
2 Old bath towels
Measuring cup
Tablespoon
White vinegar
Microwave
Dawn Liquid Detergent (or wool wash)
For this method it has to be an animal fiber you are dyeing or the color will not take.
Regardless if the wool being used is roving, yarn, or locks, you need to first soak it in a vinegar and water solution. This primes the wool for the color and helps it completely penetrate the fiber. I use 1 tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water.
First, spread your wool out as much as possible in a microwave safe pan (I use pyrex as it is the most durable in extreme heat and I can see through it to make sure my dye is being take up by my fiber on the bottom) and pour the water and vinegar solution gently over your wool. Make sure to have the water level just above your wool. You don't want too much or too little water, so having it just above your wool is where the level should be. Once the water solution is in with the wool, put on some rubber or latex gloves and gently push the fiber down into the solution to help it suck up as much of it as possible, then leave it all soak for about 15-20 minutes. Now is a good time to have a cup of coffee or tea :)
After your brief pause and caffeine fix, go back to your wool and check it. If the water is almost all soaked up by the fiber, but not completely, then it is good to go! If there is still a lot of water then you didn't listen to what I had said before and added too much. No big deal. Just pour it out until you have about 1cm of the water left on the bottom of the pan. You'll need that little bit of water in there to help steam the wool in the microwave.
Now choose your colors! You can do all your wool one color, or a combination of colors. Just remember that the colors will blend together at the edges of each color transition, so if you choose a primary color of, let's say blue, you'll want to perhaps compliment that color with a red so that when the edges blend they make purple and not a muddy brown color, which can happen if one forgets about colors blending on the wool as the dye spreads out. Yes, even I made that mistake a few times when beginning to dye wools. There were a few choice words used a few times when I had messed up a whole skein of yarn or a whole batch of roving. And then I wonder where my 3 year old hears certain things... Ha!
Ok, back to business! Once your colors are chosen, add a few drops in the area you want to color with your first color. Then take your second color and repeat on the area you want that color to be... If you are doing your wool all one color you can add drops randomly all over the wool. I suggest going a drop at a time at first to see how your color progresses. You can always add more, but you can't take any away once you've added it. You can take that as words of wisdom or just words from someone who has messed up enough wool to know what she's talking about.
Once the drops of color are applied, put on your gloves again (I know you had taken them off by now) and gently press down on the colored areas to spread out the dye. PLEASE! GO SLOWLY! Too much pressure and speed will felt your wool! And remember to wash off your gloves when transitioning from one color to the next or you'll get odd color transfers. Again, sound advice from one who knows of what she speaks. Keep gently pushing the color down into the wool.
Check and see how well the fiber is soaking up the color by lifting up the pan gently and looking at the bottom. This is why I really suggest a glass pyrex pan so you can see the bottom of your fiber easily and without disturbing it. Once you see the color beginning to show on the bottom you can let your wool sit for about 30-45 minutes. More coffee or tea? Perhaps a quick nap? Or if you are me, you'll be plotting your next dye project out while waiting.
After your second pause, check your wool. If the dye has migrated to the bottom of the wool it is good to go! If not, let it sit a bit longer.
Now you are ready to take your pan and pop it in the microwave. "Cook" it for 3 minutes (on the regular setting). After 3 minutes check to make sure your wool is not overheating or burning. You'll know it is if you see some brown spots. If it is, you'll need to add a bit of water to the wool. About 1cm in the bottom of the pan will do.
Now pop it back in for another 3 minutes and re-check as you did before. And then a final 3 more minutes will be enough to have set the color. That's a total of 9 minutes for those of us who can't count, or who may be having a brain fart, as I so often do! Getting older is not all rainbows and candy kissed you know. Many days I feel more like a zombie than anything else... But I digress...
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4449-1.jpg
Ok, so once the full 9 minutes are done get a towel and lay it on the counter. Then take the pan out CAREFULLY! It will be really hot! So oven mitts are a good idea. Dump the steaming wool onto one end of the towel. Taking that end, roll it up in the towel and push down on the rolled up towel to help soak-up any left over water out of the wool. Then un-roll and let the wool cool off.
Once the wool is cooled you can now rinse it. In a sink, or bucket, fill water just enough to submerge your wool. Now add 1 drop of Dawn liquid detergent, or any wool wash, to the water. Swish the detergent around slowly in the water trying to create the LEAST amount of bubbles possible. Gently add the wool to the wash and GENTLY push it around in the water. Have I said "gently" enough now? But I say it because if you move the wool around too much in the water and it will felt up. Once that's done, let it sit in the wash for 20 minutes. When you remove it, transfer it onto another towel and roll it up the same as before to get the excess water and soap out and prevent felting.
Once that's done you can now leave it out to dry! For locks I leave them on a cookie rack to dry out. Yarns and rovings always get hung up in my bathroom on plastic hangers, which my husband hates because he says he feels like he's in some sort of colourful jungle, and that he'll get tangled in the yarn vines! Ha!
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x189/hanna_emma/100_4755.jpg
After about 24-48 hours your wool will be dry and ready to use! Now is the time to pat yourself on the back and brag about it to all your friends. They probably won't get why this is such a great achievement, and may even look at you weird as you excitedly tell them you dyed your own wool, but who cares! I personally find odd people very interesting, so feel free to brag about it here if you need someone to understand the excitement you now feel :)
An article by Wooly Bumblebee (http://www.etsy.com/shop/WoolyBumblebee)
For top quality hand spun and hand dyed yarns, hand dyed wool roving, handmade clay buttons, knitted items, PDF tutorials, PDF patterns, and more, you'll find it here at the Wooly Bumblebee!
Feel free to ask her questions!