Archive for October, 2009

Kettle Dyeing is a very easy and quick way to dye your yarn or fiber.  Basically you just pour some dye on your yarn, and let it cook for 20 minutes!

I have a video of the actual dyeing part at the end of this tutorial.  But please read the tutorial first so you know what supplies you’ll need, and for some important tips. **The part 2 video is on it’s way, it’s uploading right now**

**Please note that I am no expert at kettle dyeing. This is the method I am using right now, and is pretty much the basic form of instruction you’ll find for kettle dyeing. Please note that the pots I list, are only good for fiber amounts up to about 6-7 oz (in the roaster). In a stove top pot, I can only dye about 4 oz, and for the oven & crock pot I think you would only get a max of 3.5-4 oz as well.**

First thing you will need, is, of course, your supplies.  Your kettle – which can be a glass baking dish for using the oven to heat set, or a crock pot, or a stove top pot.  You want your pot to be enamel, glass, or stainless steel.  Don’t use aluminum, as it can have a chemical reaction with the acid and change the colors of your dyes!  I use a roasting oven.  I like the oven b/c it’s short and wide, so you can get more coverage.

Next you will need your dyes.  You can use food coloring or a drink powder mix like kool aid, or you can buy professional acid dyes.  Please keep in mind that if you use pro acid dyes, you can never use any of your dye equipment for food use again.  You can however, use them for food if you use the food coloring or drink powder as your dye.  I like to use acid dyes.

You will also need your acid – you can use vinegar (white or apple) or you can use citric acid, which is my favorite.  Citric acid has no smell and you use alot less of it.  For vinegar you will use about 1-2 cups, and citric acid 1-2 tablespoons.

Now for your fiber – you want wool, silk or nylon for acid dyes.  You can use a blend as well, but know that if you use a blend of plant fiber, that content of the fiber will not take the dye.  This can result in a nice heathery color.

Other supplies you will need are your jars or bottles for mixing the dye, something to stir with like a bamboo skewer (100 for 1.00 at Wal-Mart), or a spoon.  I like to use a turkey baster to get the dye exactly where I want it, and don’t forget a fine particle dust mask to use while handling the dyes in powdered form.  You will also need water.  If you are not experienced with dyeing, you may want a candy or digital thermometer to tell you the temperature.

Soak your fiber or yarn in water and your acid – I do this directly in the pot I am using.  While that is soaking, mix your dyes.  Don’t forget your dust mask!  Add your powdered dye to your jars, then add about a cup of very hot water and mix it up.  Once the dye is completely dissolved, fill the rest of your jar with cold water.  If you leave some dye undissolved, you will get specks of highly concentrated color.  Sometimes they go where you don’t want them to – like bright pink on your yellow …. if you can’t get it all dissolved, you can try using a strainer, or fishing it out some way.  Usually a good fast stirring will do it.  Some dyes can take longer to dissolve and will require longer stirring.  Using glass Mason jars are really good for this, b/c you can easily lift up the jar and look at the bottom of the jar to see if there is any dye that’s settled at the bottom.

Alot of places online say to put just enough water to cover your yarn.  I don’t know about you, but in my mind this means having the slightest itty bit of water sitting on top of the yarn.  This is not something you necessarily want.  If there is too much water in the pot, your colors will all mix together and you can end up with muddy brown.  So what I do, is have just enough water for all the fiber/yarn to soak up.  You want it completely saturated though.  This is why we leave it to soak – and also squish it to get as much air out as you can.  You’ll know you have the right amount of water if no water is sitting on top of the fiber in any area, but if you squish down on your fiber it comes out, then absorbs right back again as soon as you let it go.  Just make sure it’s completely saturated!

So now the fun part!  Add your dyes to the fiber!  You can pour it in from your jar, squirt it with a bottle, or use your turkey baster.  You can pour in the dyes however you want to – make a design, do pie wedges, or just put it on randomly.  If you think you may want to repeat this colorway ever again, be sure to write everything down!  How much dye powder you used, where you poured in the dye, etc.  You’ll want to use your stirring instrument to lift the top layer so you can make sure your dye has penetrated to the bottom layers.  Don’t over-do this or you can felt your fiber!

Now you’ll turn on your heat.  On the stove you want the heat just below simmering – on my stove this is about the medium setting, or 5.  You’ll have to experiment with your stove to find the right temperature.  In the roaster oven, set it to 200.  For a crock pot, I’d go with the high setting. I can’t give you a recommendation for the oven, since I don’t use the oven for my heat source.  On the stove or in a roaster oven, you’ll let the heat get to 180-200 F, and then leave it alone for about 25 minutes.  In the crock pot, I’ve read you need about 2-3 hours.  Again, I don’t use this as my heat source so I can’t give you an accurate recommendation.  Don’t forget to cover your pot!  I also use a timer so that I don’t forget about it, which I have a tenancy to do.

Once it’s all cooked, take off the heat and the lid. You’ll know it’s done when the dye is exhausted – which means that the wool has absorbed all the dye and your water is colorless,  or almost clear. Some colors, like black, only need a little bit so some of it may be left behind even if the wool is completely dyed.   Let it cool down in the pot, and then rinse your fiber or yarn.  Wash it up, get the extra water out by rolling it up in a towel.  Hang it up to dry and viola!  Your very own kettle dyed beautiful fiber.

Now if you’re impatient, not that I am or anything, after the heat is off  let it cool down about 20 minutes.  Then I will dump the fiber and water from the pot into my wash tub, which will let it cool off even faster.  Once it’s cool enough to handle, I’ll fill my tub (or sink) with warm water (around the same temperature of the fiber) and add my wool wash.  Let it soak for another 20 minutes or so.  Instead of rolling the fiber in a towel, I like to put my fiber or yarn into mesh laundry bags, and spin it out in the washing machine.  Do not let any water enter your machine, and do not let it agitate or you will felt your fiber.  Make sure it’s only set to spin.  I’ve never had any trouble with felting doing this, but I’ve read accounts of it happening.  Now hang it up to dry and it’ll be dry in just a couple of hours