Immersion dying already painted yarn?

#1

I’m not going to get into gory details, but I had a lovely handpainted sock yarn that I… mistreated, and in order to use it, I decided to re-hank it, soak it, etc. For one thing, I’m having trouble getting the kink to relax, but the other, the bleeding in each soak (3 or 4 attempts to relax it, each with vinegar and Soak wash) really left it sort of drab looking.

Since I can’t really use the yarn for its intended purpose now anyway, was thinking of just grabbing some Kool-Aid at the store in a color already contained in the hank and immersion dyeing it, but I’m wondering if that’s just going to make like a brown mish mosh color or will the dye only pick up where the fiber is no longer saturated? Is this just a bad idea? :slight_smile:

Thanks a bunch!

#2

Sean, It will depend on what color your sock is now and which color you choose to dye it with. (red+green = brown, purple+yellow=brown, orange+blue=brown) <–okay that’s pretty simple, but you get the idea.

Make sure you get enough kool-aid to make a real strong dye.

You can get a more variegated color dying the yarn when it is dry (or part dry, part damp & part saturated with water)

If the original hand painted yarn bled that badly, then the dye in it wasn’t set very well or it wasn’t rinsed very well (i.e. bad dye job)

#3

Thanks so much, Cyndi!

I am quite certain what I experienced with the yarn was my fault, not the yarn, and due to its “mistreatment,” which did involve extreme heat and sometimes moisture at times, among other things.

I did try it last night for the heck of it and used 3 grape Kool-Aid packets in the pot and I am thrilled with the results!!! And the dye is now colorfast after it was completed, evidenced by the post-dye washing.

Thanks again!

#4

Sean, a good dye job should hold up to heat and moisture. I dyed some of my hand spun yarn and knitted into socks for my DH to use in his Civil War reenactments. They have seen all kinds of abuse, especially heat & moisture.

Then again, I may just be jaded from buying too many hand painted rovings where the dye was not set properly