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Information on how to do the following: washing grease
fleece, washing skeins of yarn & knitwear, wool dying, solar dying, natural dyes
& mordants, koolaid dying,
using Cushing's acid & direct dyes.
WASHING
SKEINS OF YARNS
We recommend washing skeins before use to:
 | remove any excess dye
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| remove carding and spinning oil
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| give a softer hand [feel] to yarn
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| give a more accurate stitch gauge
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SIMPLE WASHING INSTRUCTIONS:
Fill washer or dishpan with cool water and a squirt of dish soap.
Shut washer off!
Tie skeins in four places loosely. Skeins usually come with 1-2
ties already in place.
Place open skeins in water and soak for a half-hour.
Set machine to final spin [gentle] and turn on machine. This will
spin out excess water and greatly reduce drying time.
Repeat process to rinse out soap. Be sure to remove skeins
before filling washer. Skip the rinse if using a no-rinse wool wash soap.
If washing in a dishpan, skeins will contain more water when
removed. Squeeze out water gently after removing from the water.
Remove skeins and hang to dry.
NOTES:
| Never agitate wool or let water run
directly on wool. Do not shock the wool with drastic temperature changes.
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| If you use a wool washing soap such as Meadows Wool Wash or
Euculan, you do not need to rinse the soap out.
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| The above directions can be used to wash wool garments
also. If there are light and dark colors in the garment, be sure to wash in cool
water to avoid colors bleeding. If garment very soiled, use warm water.
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WASHING GREASE FLEECE
| Fill washer with water as hot as your hands can tolerate. Add 2 cups of
inexpensive laundry soap that does not contain bleach. Be sure soap is dissolved before
adding wool. Shut off machine! |
| Add 1 1/2-2 lbs. of grease fleece. Let soak 1 hour. |
| Advance setting to final spin cycle and turn machine on. Allow to
spin out excess water. |
| Remove fleece. Fill machine with same temperature water. Add 1 cup
of soap and return fleece to washer. Be sure machine is off! |
| Allow to soak for one hour. Spin out as before. If fleece needs another
washing, repeat procedure. |
| If fleece will be dyed later, a rinse is not necessary.
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| To give the fleece a final rinse, repeat washing instructions but omit
the soap. |
| Put fleece on a sweater rack to dry or hang in mesh bags inside or
outside in the summer. |
USING CUSHING'S ACID DYES
General Directions
1. The
fiber to be dyed should be pre-washed in a mild detergent such as dishwashing liquid. Wool
should soak at least 20 minutes.
2.
A dye
solution is prepared by measuring the dry powder and dissolving it in
boiling
water.
One
3. Prepare the
dye bath in a pot by putting in enough water to cover fiber. Use an enamel or stainless
steel pot. Add the dye solution and stir well. Add the wet fiber to the dye
pot. Heat to a high simmer but never
boil (at least 165 F). Use a candy thermometer to monitor
temperature.
4. Simmer wool
30 minutes after the temperature reaches 165-175 degrees.
Shut off stove and allow the wool to cool.
Rinse wool in water of the same temperature.
5. Next,
carefully lift wool out of pot and into another pot or sink. Wool may be rinsed in the
sink or washer. To use washer, fill with water the same temperature as the wool. Add the
wool and soak for about 15 minutes. Be sure the washer is OFF!
Now, advance
washer cycle to final spin cycle and spin out water.
6. Dry
wool on a sweater rack or hang in a mesh bag.
MATERIALS LIST
| Dye Pots (one to dye with & one for
water/wool transfer if needed) |
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Jar to dissolve dye in |
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Large spoon to lift wool with |
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Glass or stirring rod to stir dye with |
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Fiber or Yarn |
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Dye |
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Rubber gloves & apron (wear old clothes) |
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Face dust mask |
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Dish soap |
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Candy thermometer
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SOLAR DYEING
Easy to do with your choice of dyes.
Materials:
| Large glass jars with tops. Ask a local
restaurant for their throw-aways! |
| Dye Material Cushings, Koolaid, Natural or whatever. |
| White Vinegar |
| Measuring Cup |
| Yarn, fleece or roving to dye. Will only work with
animal fibers. |
| Boiling water |
| Plastic bags |
| Oven Mitts |
| Old clothes, rubber gloves, face mask, safety glasses as
usual. |
- Get all your equipment together.
- Pre-soak any wool yarn, fiber or roving to be dyed.
- Dilute the dye [powder] or, if using natural dyes,
prepare the extract.
- Fill the jar 1/3 with boiling water and 1/2 cup vinegar.
- Dye liquid may be added at this point or poured over the
top of the fiber for a graduated color.
- Put fiber/ yarn in the jar. Pack firmly. If
you wish to create "resist" areas on yarn or roving, wrap area with plastic.
Flagging tape or cut up
plastic bags will work.
*
a RESIST AREA is where the dye can't get to. It will remain
the original color.
- Pour dye over top and fill to top with boiling water.
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Place lid on.
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Using your oven mitts, put jars outside in a location
where the sun will shine on it most of the day.
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At the end of the day, your fiber is ready.
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Rinse in same temperature water and hang to dry.
If you use koolaid dyes, the water will be clear when the dye has been absorbed
into the wool.
KOOLAID DYEING FOR NATURAL FIBERS
Materials:
| Enamel, glass or stainless steel pot or glass jars if doing solar
dyeing [see above] |
| Sugar Free Koolaid [ don't use sweetened, cost more!] 4-6 pkgs to 4
oz. wool |
| Boiling Water |
| Measuring Cup |
| Fiber/yarn/roving to be dyed |
| White Vinegar |
| Old clothes, rubber gloves, face mask, safety glasses etc. |
NOTES: Most colors will require 6 packages
of Koolaid to 4 oz. of fiber. Dark colors may only take 4 or 5. This is not an
exact formula! You may ad resist areas to the fiber by wrapping the area tightly in
plastic or with rubber bands.
PROCEDURE:
- Pre-soak fiber in very warm/ almost hot water for at least 20
minutes before dyeing. You can add a small squirt of dish soap also. This will act
as a dispersant for the dye and help it adhere to the fiber better.
- Fill your dye pot with very warm water.
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Dilute the koolaid in a measuring cup with boiling hot water. Add to the dye
bath.
- Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the dye bath. Stir well.
- Add your yarn/fiber/ roving to the pot.
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Now, raise the dye bath temperature to 165-180°F degrees.
Check temperature with a glass candy thermometer. You can tie a string to the end
and tie the other end to the pot handle. Now, just leave the thermometer on top of
the yarn or fiber. Be sure you don't boil the
wool!
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When the temperature reaches 160-180°F, continue to simmer for 30
minutes. Check temperature. Stir occasionally to get a more even color. If you want
an uneven color [lighter at the top/darker at the bottom], then
don't stir the pot.
Do not agitate
the wool too much or it will felt.
- When heating cycle is finished, turn off the pot. Let sit
until cool, or at least cool enough to take yarn out.
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Now, fiber needs to be rinsed in water that is the same
temperature as the fiber to prevent felting. I use my washing machine. You may
want to use a
utility sink, tub or another pot. I fill the washer with water,
SHUT OFF THE MACHINE, then add the fiber and
let soak 10 minutes. Now, advance machine to the final spin cycle, and spin out
water. This will get rid of excess dye. Hang to dry.
Natural Dyes
| Alkanet Root |
Alkanna Tinctoria |
Gives colors from bluish gray to soft burgundy. |
| Annato Seed |
Bixa Orellana |
Gives an orange. Good dye for cotton. |
| Brazilwood Dust |
Caesalpania Echinata |
Gives reds. Before using the dust, expose it to the air and
sprinkle with water & alcohol. |
| Cochineal |
Dactylopius Coccus |
This little bug will give the most color when ground into a fine
powder. Gives dark burgundy to bright red, soft lilac and pink colors. |
| Cutch Extract |
Acacia Catechu |
Very easy to use. It remains fast even on cottons & silks.
It is good for combinations and produces brown tones if used by itself. |
| Natural Indigo |
Indigo Tinctoria |
Comes in hard chunks or blocks. Does not disolve in water.
Use a recepie and reducing agent. Blue colors from dark to light. More complex to
use. |
| Natural Indigo Solution |
Saxony Blue |
Very easy to use. Produces a bright blue. All of the dye will be
absorbed into the fiber. Not a good dye for cotton or other vegetable fibers. |
| Logwood Concentrate |
Hematoxylon
Campechianum |
Colors from magenta's, browns, purples and pink. Must use a
mordant. Concentrated powder gives more bluish colors. Dyes cotton well. |
| Madderroot |
Rubia
Tinctorum |
Is available as a root or as dust. Colors range from red to
red-brown and oranges. Dyes cotton well. |
| Osage Orange Dust |
Maclura
Pomifer |
Also available in 2 colors: bright yellow & gold. |
| Red Sandalwood |
Pterocarpus |
Great for blending. Produces nice browns, good shades for doll
hair. |
MORDANTS [chemicals used to augment natural
dyes]
* WOF is weight of fiber
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Alum |
Aluminum Potassium
Sulfate |
Most widely used mordant. Do not use more than 10% [WOF/weight
of fiber] on animal
fibers and 20% on cottons. |
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Copper |
Copper
Sulfate |
Used to bring out the greens in dyes. Often used as an after [post]
mordant. No more than 2% WOF used. |
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Chrome |
Potassium
Dichromate |
Extremely Toxic. Do not inhale. Be sure to
wear gloves & mask when using. No more than 3% WOF used. Dispose of as chemical waste.
Recommend not using. |
| Iron |
Ferrous Sulfate |
Dulls colors. No more than 2% weight of fiber
used. |
| Glauber
Salt |
Sodium
Sulfate |
Used to level out the bath color. Used as a component of chemical
dyes also. |
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Spectralite |
Thiourea
Dioxide |
Used as a reducing agent for indigo. Used as a
substitute for
hydrosulfate or Hydrosulfuric acid. Spectralite is 6 times stronger than hydrosulfate. |
| Tara Powder |
Caesalpinia
Spinosa |
Is a natural tannin product. It is needed for darker colors when
dyeing cotton, linen & hemp. |
| Tartaric Acid |
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Needed for cochineal. Will expand the cochineal color range. |
| Tin |
Stannous
Chloride |
A pinch or exactly 1/2% or 1/2% of tin will give extra bright
colors on protein fibers. |
| Calcium Carbonate |
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Used with indigo powder for the saxony blue color. Can also be used
to lower the dye bath acidity. |
Using
Cushing's Direct Dyes for cotton, linen, reeds
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Accurately weigh fiber to be
dyes. Thoroughly wet fiber with hot water. |
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Prepare dye bath. Fill pot
with enough lukewarm water to cover material to be dyed. Add *dissolved dye.
Dissolve then add common table salt to dye bath. Use 4 ounces of salt to one
pound of material. |
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Stir material in dye bath
quite often. When dyeing reeds, turn over occasionally. |
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Raise the dye bath
temperature to a high simmer [180-190º F]. Continue to simmer for 20-30
minutes. |
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Remove from heat and let cool
for 20 minutes. |
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Rinse material until clear of
excess dye. The final rinse should contain a small amount of common table
salt and white vinegar to help set the dye. |
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CAUTION:
Do not use iron or galvanized containers for any dyeing! |
* Dissolve dye in boiling
water.
Kathy's Oven Dyed Yarn or Roving
Materials:
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Washed yarn or roving to be dyed
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Non-aluminum cookie sheets with edges to
hold fluid spills.
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Cookie racks, one for the bottom of each
cookie sheet
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Plastic wrap or oven roasting bags
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Glass measuring cup [2 cup or larger]
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Stirring rod [wood dowel, glass drink
mixing stick, straw etc!]. Used to mix the dissolving dye.
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White vinegar
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Rubber gloves and a disposable face mask
if working in a closed area.
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Wear old clothes!
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Large plastic bucket is useful for soaking
or transporting wool.
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Dish soap
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Measuring spoons
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Dye to use. Country Classic Dye, Gaywool
or Bush Blends, Cushing's Acid Dye all work well.
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Squirt bottles or containers wit lids to
hold the dissolved dye during application.
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Oven
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Record book to document your projects!
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Dye Procedure:
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Thoroughly wet yarn or roving before
dying. Fiber must be washed and not "in the grease." Soak at least 1 hour in
very warm water. The longer the soaking, the better! Add a squirt of dish soap
to the water.
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In a Pyrex type glass container, dissolve
dye using boiling water.
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Depending on the amount of fiber to be dyed,
start with 3 tsp. of dry dye to 1.5 cups of water. If using Cushing's acid dye,
use 1/3 of the package amount. Add 2 tbsp. of white vinegar.
Note: these amounts are very flexible and forgiving so experiment and have fun!
Use more dye for darker shades.
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Prepare the cookie sheets by placing the
racks in them.
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Take your fiber out of the water and
squeeze out well. If the wool contains too much water, you will end up with
brown mud on the bottom of you fiber.
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Place Yarn or roving on the cookie sheets.
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Now the fun part. Squeeze the dye onto the
fiber where you want it! You can completely cover every inch or leave un-dyed
areas between colors. Be sure to turn over the fiber to cover both sides. Do not
add so much dye that it runs into the cookie sheet. Squeeze the fiber as you go
to work it in a little.
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Cover the fiber with plastic wrap. I
usually attach the wrap to the underside of the racks. Seal it closed. An
alternate method would be to place the fiber on the plastic wrap, color, then
cover with plastic wrap and place to the racks.
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Place cookie sheets in pre-heated oven at
lowest setting or about 180-200 degrees F.
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If in doubt of oven temperature, check
with oven thermometer.
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Cook for 30 minutes. Shut off over and
allow fiber to cool.
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Rinse fiber with same temperature water as
the wool is. I use my washer. Just fill with water, shut off washer. Soak for
about 15 minutes. Now, turn washer to spin cycle, and spin out the water. The
goods will dry much more quickly. Hang to dry.
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Don't forget to record your dye session
for future reference!
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06/23/07 08:49
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