# Dyeing wool questions



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Hi,
Any experienced wool dyers out there? I have a few questions: Where do you get your dye? Have you ever used koolaid, or plants? Once the wool is dyed (usually I do more than one color to a pot) how do you spin so the colors are even in the yarn, or is that an issue? What are your experiences?


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I use cool-aid in an old crock pot to dye white wool. I card the colors separately on hand cards and alternate rolags to get the color pattern I want. I use muted colors and ply with a soft gray wool-spun to match-to get an even more muted yarn. By keeping up an alternating pattern with the rolags, I get a fairly consistant yarn in very soft pastel shades. (It takes LOTS of coolaid to get bright colors). 
For dying with coolaid, I heat the water on high, put in the coolaid and stir to distribute the color. Wet the wool and put it in the crockpot. Then, you just wait until the water is clear. Kids love this process because the water still smells like coolaid even though all the color is in the wool.
Because my sheep are colored, I don't dye much, but I enjoy the coolaid process
Good luck...
betty


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I've also used Kool-aid, but add vinagar. Any more I use fiber that I send to the mill and have it put in roving. Then dye it,useing a electric turkey cooker. There are many brands of dye, you can get some from Knit-picks. You can put in diffrent colors after the fiber is in the water then add the ready dye in areas, do not stir the water and the fiber will come out muli colored. If you want it solid ,mix the dye in the water first. Dyeing with natural dyes- they come out beautiful, but that is a more involved, as diffrent Mordants(what holds the dye on the wool) will give diffrent results.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Ross' Wife here,I use acid dyes form prochem and dharma trading. wool usually uses an acid like vinegar or citric acid in the water. Used properly the chemical dyes are safe. They are most dangerous in there powder form when they can be inhaled. So put on a mask. and with any dye other than food grade do not use the same pots you cook with. Kool aid is a nice fun one to wet your feet. it is a very expensive way to dye any quantity of wool. Natural dyes use a mordant that can be safe or highly toxic depending ones you use and the color you want. there is lots of information on line about differant ways to dye. crockpot, microwave, sun, stovetop. and others I am sure.
Hope that helps, Ann


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

athanks for the tips! So far, have just dyed with acid dyes from Dharma co- and they are nice, though bright, (still learning), so going to try Kool aid for the muted color look. 
Betty Modin, you said you alternated your colors on the rolags- are you using a drum carder, or hand carders? Right now, I have some drum carded brown overdyed with yellow, brown overdyed with orange, and brown overdyed with red waiting to be spun all in small batts, as my drum carder is a 4 inch one. should they be drum carded together, or can I just alternate at the wheel- I guess both methods will work- wondering what the normal proceedure is.
Thank you Mrs Ross for the reminder of a mask while mixing- it is just so easy to say, oh fooey, but we really should do that!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Kool-aid is not colorfast, just so you know.


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I handcard when I card dyed fibers for multi-color yarns. It's easier to get a rolag closer to the same size for me. It sounds like your drum carder is about the size of mine...so if you wanted to card a large quantity of fiber of each color, you could pull off long strips of each color as close to the same size as possible and spin them alternately to get a longer color swath than is possible with a rolag. I don't ply a multi-color single with another multi-color single because it's too busy -I can't match the colors in the ply. I use a neutral color to ply with- silver or gray softenes the colors, while white, a darker gray or black makes an entirely different looking yarn. I have also used a single in one of the colors in the mix to ply with to keep the yarn looking more uniform.
When I use coolaid, I always rinse the fiber in hot water before I dry it. I hadn't thought of using vinegar, but that should work as a mordant to help set the color too. Right? (or am I forgetting the classes on dying....?)
betty


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Thanks, Betty! That helps a lot.


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