# dyeing sheep



## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

Hello. I have a somewhat strange question. I want to dye one of my ewes for fair and haven't decided how I am going to do it. So I wanted your input (since you all are so smart and so great at figuring things out :grin. 

Mimi (the ewe) has volunteered (although she doesn't know yet) to be a part of my decorations at the local county fair, ie she's getting her hair dyed. But I haven't figured out how to do it. 

I originally thought that the local fiber arts people and I would do it at fair but getting her soaked with water is going to be a problem (no washing of sheep at the fair) and she needs to be dry for showing which either means she misses kids day or she gets dyed at home. So home it is I think. 

Next problem is the design. What kind of design should she wear? plaid? spots? something else? (please note that any design she has needs to hide under her coat so it can be hidden so no neck and legs design) 

I was thinking of using Kool-Aid and have tested it and it doesn't run in the fleece if you use syringes. So can I use vinegar to set this so when I shear her the week after fair it will still be there? or should I just hope that it comes out in the wash (so to speak) so I have a totally white fleece. Will I need to wash her after dyeing? will that make a muddy mess on her? 

And the biggest question of all is will this even work at all?

I am going to have fun :banana:, poor mimi will forgive me. maybe. lol


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

You definitely don't want to wash her after you dye her if you use food coloring. It doesn't last very long, so do it right before the fair if possible! I loved the rainbow sheep pics that were floating around online. 

Are you going to shear her for fair? What I would do is wash her before the fair and use a pretty good soap (like dish soap) to get the grease out. Then mix the food coloring with water/vinegar mix (just like you'd do to dye eggs). Then spray or brush on the fleece, and let her dry. 

It usually fades out in a week or two. 

Good luck, and we want pictures!!


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Wait..you can't wash sheep at the fair?? That's a new one for me. Food dye after a good wash was is my suggestion as well. :run: Mimi :run:!!!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I guess I am just cruel and demented, lol.
I am picturing someone with a paintball gun.....


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

I can't wait to see pictures of this LAC!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well since it doesn't wash out of yarn I'm not sure it will wash out of her fleece. Assuming her fleece is clean and somewhat free of grease the dye should stick, granted she won't be soaked in it... I would mix the Kool Aid and make it as saturated as you can and paint or squirt it on her. Are you going to take it down to her skin? After it dries maybe give her a vinegar rinse, maybe not. 

I think polka dots would be nice. They have neon food dyes you can get to get really bright colors.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

In the 13 years I've shown sheep I have never washed sheep at the fair. It has always been the day before and they get blanketed. But we were working with 60 days growth on the market lambs and now I'm showing Romney with 6 months growth..... She'll take forever to dry. 

She will be washed with Orvis paste to clean the wool and take some of the lanolin out (what happens if it take all of it out will it harm her?). And then dyed. I came across this photo. What do you think? I'm doing this for the kids more than anything. 

I've not decided what I prefer on how deep the dye should go. Kool aide shouldn't bother her skin, especially if she's shorn right after fair is done...... but it would take soooooooo much dye to dye her...... I don't know what to do, this is such an experiment.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

My mom dyed her little dog with Kool-Aid/food dye, and my sister used Kool-Aid on her poodle. They both faded pretty quickly, so that's why I say do it as close to fair as possible, and it'll likely fade. 

I'd say try to make sort of a thin paste to rub into the wool maybe? If you're not wanting to saturate the wool. 

Here's a pic of my sister's poodle, and my mom's dog we died with leftover easter egg dye. I can't find a pic of her when the dye had dried, though!


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

Or how about these? This is getting too much fun. :gaptooth:


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

I love those sheep!!!


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

If you use Kool aid she will have a fruity scent  Imagine what the rest of your flock is going to think.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

My mom used Kool Aide to make her favorite bathrobe pink again. It worked pretty well, except that the next time she washed it she had our pink bath towels in the batch and one of my white shirts was hiding in the midst of the bath towels. 

That shirt is still pink and it's been washed more times that I care to count. 

I suppose different fibers would take it differently...


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

They dye sheep for the sheep to shawl contest, don't they? Dunno what kind of dye they use, though. Otherwise, isn't there spray on hair colors now a days?


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Pet Paint colored spray

http://www.amazon.com/BeWild-PetPai...upplies_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YEAGKN511PVZ8B4WMBN

Who would have thunk???


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## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

I would think the temporary hair color sprays would make designs easier. They are temporary also and wash out pretty easily.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/398076054534243235/

The sheep in the link above are very vibrantly colored. Supposedly a shepard in Scotland dyes his sheep that are near the highway to amuse the motorists. If you started out with a washed white sheep, you'd perhaps be able to get some really bright colors. 

Do you want the color to wash out afterwards? Or does it matter? The temp hair dye might have really bright colors. I wonder if they are similar to the Pet Paints?


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Manic Panic dye is pet safe.


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