# I found my dyes!!!!



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I bought these probably 20 years ago. I have 6 packets of dyes (powder), Cushing"s Perfection Dyes to be exact. I have no clue how to use them, I've been told, you just add water and heat :shrug: I haven't read the directions. One pkg does one pound of fiber (dry weight) to full shade.

I have 1 package (1/3 oz) each of the following colors:
Turquoise
Copenhagen Blue
Rose Pink
Jade Green
Rose
Violet

Woo Hoo!!!! :sing:Now I get to chose the color/s for my DDIL's sweater. Should I dye before or after spinning? She likes pink, I figure I have 3 of the colors I can play with, mix?! Help me all you dye experts, GAM????


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

Well, you have a few choices. If you want more depth to your final color, dye before you spin, and either use several colors on several batches of wool then mingle when carded, or dye monotone, but as the dye bath exhausts on the successive batches of wool you'll get various paler shades and then you can mix those by carding. And, yes, you can mix your present colors together and get new colors.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Oh yay! Dyeing is so fun.

Which method to use is totally up to you!!!
Are you wanting a varying colorway, like the 'kettledyed'?
Segments of different colors like "handpainted"?
Colored locks spun into eachother for that "marled" look?

Since the wool is Shetland it MAY be easier to spin the yarn first, just because of the possible felting.
(especially on those cut ends, IME).
For me, I have a bit better control of the color saturation when I dye YARNS.
Its easier to fish them out of the pot when they are 'done'. 
Also, my yarn is always cleaner (than unworked locks) so it takes the dye more evenly.

But spinning dyed locks is also super fun......
And part of that is the way they take the color a bit unevenly.

You will just have to make up your own mind. :teehee:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh so many choices  I like the idea of dying the wool with different colors and blending them. So maybe the roses with the violet? This is a pretty open fleece. I'm thinking if I take #3 of the prime wool and dye it with three colors I might have an interesting yarn. Hmmmmmm!

Other color suggestions?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Spinning dyed locks also breaks up some of the monotony of prepping and spinning for a big project.


I can hardly wait to see what you come up with.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Marchwind said:


> !
> 
> Other color suggestions?


Welll......

You might as well just dye the whole fleece. :shrug:

You know you want to see all the colors. 
They dont *all* have to go in that sweater, but it is fun to make a whole day of it.

Before you start, sort through your 'ugly' yarn too.
Then you can just start throwing stuff in the pots as it occurs to you. :angel:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Alright, GAM that's a great idea! The fleece is a pale silver gray for the most part. It probably doesn't weight more than a couple of pounds.

Here's a question. I have large stainless steel stock pots, I do cook with them. Can I use them for dying? I'm thinking since they are stainless it would be alright, they are a good quality thick stainless. I don't have anything else I can dye in 


ETA: I don't have my combs, Callie has them. I was thinking of combing the fleece but I think I will have to card it instead.


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## IowaLez (Mar 6, 2006)

My Honey's family is in the metal business on the West Coast, the largest metal distributor west of the Mississippi. Huge company. He used to be the General Manager.

He says metal like stainless CANNOT absorb things like are in the dyes, it isn't physically possible. Just isn't.

I have been dyeing in our cooking pots for years, since he told me that, and he isn't concerned in the least, and he eats out of them too. And he knows so much about metals it's incredible.

You have to realize that the Safety Nazi's at publishing houses force dyeing authors to put in their books all kind of hazard warnings, for liability purposes, not because it's true.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Spinning dyed locks also breaks up some of the _*monotony!!!!???*_ of prepping and spinning for a big project.





Why, Young Lady !

You should have your mouth washed out with soap !


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Forerunner, how many whole huge white fleeces have you spun up again? :bored:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

OMG!!!

I simply _cannot wait_ ! :bouncy:


I carded a whole fleece at Cyndi's, and cried when it was done. 

(and I spun those batts (the three that I did spin :whistlin: ) faster than I carded them :thumb: )


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Boy, there sure is a lot of quiet lurking going on in the forum today. :huh:


Makes me nervous.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I'm still recovering from the past 4 weeks of non-stop, full-speed going.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Lezlie that is exactly as I have always believed it to be. Thank you for the confirmation. I used to make my soap in my cooking pots (stainless steel) with no problems.


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## FMO3 (Nov 22, 2009)

Perfection dyes, need a acid...I use citric acid...at about the rate of 2tablespoons per gallon of water. Some people I know use vinegar but, you have to use about a cup of vinegar per gallon of water to get the pH down around 4.5 to 5...yes, I am a nerd...I use pH paper when I dye...I steal it from work.

You need to get the temp up to about 180 or so, as most dyes will not work well below that temp. Hold temp about 30 minutes or so...I get to boiling, add some cold water, dump the wool into the pot, and turn off the heat. Let it sit over night or so.

Now, you can get MANY different shades of the same color by, heating the water and dye powder. Slowly just ease the wool into the pot...taking about a minute or so. At temp of about 180 or above, you will get dye strike once the wool has hit the water. This is cause shading of the same color, as you are having wool hit the dye stock at different depth of shade colors...meaning less dye for a pound of wool.

I prefer to dye in the fleece, because that way, I can blend colors, have deep dark colors and then lighter colors. But, all the same color. 

As far as dying in pots you use for cooking, it is not recommended for one reason. The heavy metals in some dyes. Now, as a chemist, do I dye with the same pot...nope, I bought a cheap stock pot for about $4 because it only had one handle. But, I have told people, if you are going to use something for dying and cooking...to use Stainless Steel, and wash it a couple of times before cooking in it again. And wash around the handles well.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Different colors of dye adhere to the wool at varying temps and pH levels too.
In order to get one of my yellow dyes to take I need very hot water.
I also learned recently that milkstone (being a protein) takes acid dyes very well.
I had an old discarded strainer I used to make cheese (until I got a bigger one).
After lifting the wool from a dyepot with it, the entire inside was dyed purple. :teehee:
"Greased Lightning" cleaner in the yellow spray bottle took that right off. LOL


But you dont need to have massive technical skill to dye.
The subtleties of it come to your awareness with practice.


The best thing to do is just START. Try it. 
The color wants to stick to the fiber, you will get perdy stuff.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I know I need to soak the fibers and have the wet (saturated) before putting them into the dye pot. Should I soak them in water with acid in it also? Do you recommend soaking over night? I think the directions said to soak it in a mild detergent solution first, I'm assuming that is to make sure it is really clean? Where can I get citric acid?

Thank you all for your advice. I'm excited to get started.


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## FMO3 (Nov 22, 2009)

At times I pre soak the wool and at times I don't. Dry fiber, will give you a different type of dye strike. As the tips most of the time get darker in color...this also has to do with the weathering of the tips and the scales being more removed. Also, with what I call dry dying, you get more color variations. But, if you want to pre soak, most say, in water with a little wetting agent...dish soap works fine (just a few drops). As this makes the fiber open up more at the cellular level and accept the dyes more even. Also for a more even dying, add a little salt to the mix. 

Citric acid most of the time can be found in the grocery store...spice aisle. I get mine at a feed store, but I buy 50 pounds at a time. Also, most have it in bulk food area...if the store has one of those. The reason I use citric acid over vinegar is it cost less for larger amounts of dying. But, if you are just going to dye say 10 pounds or less a year, then it might be that cost effective. 

Dye for Fun and Profit - Wild 'n' Woolly Farm This is an article wrote by a friend of mine...she dyes about 200 fleeces a year at home. Her colors are amazing, with the 35 to 37 micron wool she uses(mostly all coopworth). It goes into what is needed to get a true commercial dye job in the kitchen.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

FMO3, thanks for that great article.
I have done plenty of tie-dyeing w/ procion/ reactive dyes, but never tried it on wool before. because of the following directions thing. 

This article gives me more confidence to try it. 

Marchwind, you can just use vinegar for the acid. 
Here they sell Mrs. Wages brand citric acid in the canning aisle, next to the pickling lime. 
It comes in a little yellow canister. 
I buy mine in 5 pound lots from a cheesemaking supply. 

Good luck and have fun!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you, thank you! This is all great information. I'm not sure I'll be able to get to it this weekend. Mt niece is coming to town with e new baby somIm headed to Detroit to meet my new great nephew


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Dye Question for you all. I have wool in the dye pot. When you say exhaust do you mean the water or dye bath is fully clear or is slightly tinted? This stuff seems to have absorbed very quickly. The dye bath water is pale pink water not the opaque (?) color of a dye bath. Is this exhausted or should I leave it until it has absolutely no color at all?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

It should become completely clear if you leave it long enough.
However, if you are ready for it to be done, you CAN take it out with no ill effects.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you!


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