Dying cotton ~ so what CAN you use?

General Knitting
1

I bought a huge ball of kitchen cotton for really cheap at the grocery store, and some Kool-Aid. I KNEW that I had read something somewhere about dying cotton with Kool-Aid, but didn’t look it up until I got home. So I read you can’t dye cotton with Kool-Aid, I thought “I’ll prove them wrong” :rollseyes: :lol: . I got a lovely colour out of it, but it was not colourfast, now I have a dishcloth that is white that used to be variagated pink. Oh well, so I tried.

Now I’d like to know specifically what do you use to dye cotton? I think I read something about needing an acid base dye. Is this true? Are there things commonly found in your average store that can be used for cotton?

2

Hmm… :thinking: I don’t know, but I’m surprised koolaid wouldn’t work. That stuff stains kids clothing just fine! :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:

3

:shock: No kidding…u can’t get koolaid out of ANYTHING!!!

4

I bet if you would of put it in the dryer after you dyed it would of set it in .BUT I don’tknow how you would do that.Just trying to help

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5

What about something like Rit Dye?

6

Jacquard makes a dye for cotton called Procion MX dye. i have some but haven’t tried it yet. cause i thought it was for wool…which it prolly is but it didn’t say so i haven’t tried it on my wool yet.

7

I’m thinking something about soaking it in vinegar to st the color???

I think there’s an article about dying with koolaid on knitty…

8

HERE IT IS

9

Yep, but not with cotton. No amount of vinegar or vast quantities of kool-aid will do the trick, believe me I’ve tried!!!

10

For plant fibers you need to use fiber reactive dyes, IIRC…

11

the yarn co-op on yahoo is having a co-op on those dyes now! :wink: