Can you dye Lion Brand Wool ease yarn? I knew synthetics dye up differently.
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=DarkOrchid]Yes, but only the wool will dye. It’s close to impossible to dye acrylic at home and far too chemically complicated for the casual dyer. 
But dying the wool will give a heathery look to the yarn.:cheering:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
So it would have a semi solid look to it then? Totally Cool!
(Politely butting in…) What makes a good dye? I’ve got some yarn I wouldn’t mind experimenting with!
boo- you can use any food coloring, but will need to use an acid (white vinegar) and heat to set the dyes (will only work for natural animal fibers i.e. ‘think hair’) You can also use any kool-aid/drink mix. they usually have lots of citric acid in them an don’t need vinegar to set them as dyes.
check out the kh creating yarns forum!
Synthetics take up dye very well generally, especially acrylics, but nothing that would be suitable to do in the kitchen. Industrial only, really.
Or check out the dyeing with kool-aid thread on Craftster.
That’s not true, you can use Ritz dyes on about any fiber. It’s just that you can’t use koolaid or food dyes on acrylic. Hancock fabrics also has some other dyes which should work.
[COLOR=DarkOrchid][SIZE=3][FONT=Comic Sans MS]You can not dye acrylic with Rit or any other OTC dye products. You can dye wool, cotton, silk and nylon along with some other synthetics with Rit and other easily obtainable and relatively safe chemicals.
As I said in my first post, it’s not a job for the casual dyer.
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From the Rit Dye webpage FAQ:
Q. What types of fabrics can I dye with RIT Dye?
A. RIT will dye most washable fabrics, including 100% cotton, linen, rayon, wool, and silk. It will also dye synthetics such as rayon, nylon, and acetate as well as fiber blends with at least 60% cotton or other dyeable fiber. (Blends will tint evenly but will not achieve full color.) There are fabrics, however, that will not accept dye, such as fabrics with 50% or more polyester, 100% acrylic, fiberglass, metallic fibers, fabrics with rubber backing or special finishes such as water-repellent fabrics with bleach damage or extensive staining, and fabrics that are washable only in cold water or labeled “dry clean only.”
I love dyeing silk with Wilton food dyes - however it’s not totally color fast IME, so the item would need to be a “wash separately or with like colors” or be prepared to color the rest of the load…and most of my silks fade over time (but the kids use them outside, too, I’m sure direct sun isn’t helping). You can dye wool just as easily as silk, as said above - HOT water and vinegar.
I did not know that about the Rit dyes. There may be some other fabric dyes that will work on acrylic though.
It sounds like fun!
boo1- Knitpicks has some good naked wool, I haven’t used it but i’ve heard good things