Question about dying

[Cynamar]

You all have made me want to dye something real bad! If I buy natural superwash sock yarn will the nylon in the wool dye well, too? I want to be sure that the synthetic fiber will look okay.

[Karina]

I have just bought five skeins of trekking undyed sock yarn. I was told that you could use the Kool Aid dying on that yarn. I haven’t tried it yet so can’t tell you for sure how it will work. Kool Aid is a bit hard to come by in the UK.
Have read that you can use food colours that you use for cake making. sort of like a gel consistency which i do have in my kitchen.

I think I will cut off a couple of yards and do a test run on that first to see how it works.

[Cynamar]

Thanks! Tell me how it works for you. I think it’s probably fine but I want to make sure. Kool-Aid is quite prevalent here and you can’t avoid it in the stores during the summer. If you ever can’t find it just holler. I can send you some. Wal-Mart has cake decorating icing colors so that’s easy, too, and they come in a huge variety of colors. In fact, I have a ton of them somewhere.

[katknit]

Karina,
You can dye with just about any sugarless powdered drink mix, Easter egg dyes, unsweetened Jello, or food coloring. Here’s a link to a photo of some wool that I dyed with our leftover egg dye this spring:
http://danceswithwool.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/dyeing-with-easter-egg-coloring-tablets/

[Cynamar]

The nylon will soak up the dye, too? That’s my concern.

[ABMama]

That would be my concern too. I know protein fibers like wool will take up Kool aid and Wilton’s but I don’t know about synthetic!

[Karina]

From what I have read the synthetic is so evenly spread in the wool that you will hardly notice the difference unless I guess you look for it. That is why I will test it first to see what effect it has on the wool and if I like it. I’m sure if there is anything wrong it will most likely be due to my inexperience.

Katknit that yarn is gorgeous would love to see what it looks like when knit up.

[jeanius80]

here is a pic of some nylon wool blend sock yarn i dyed:

and this

Nylon fibers will dye using any acid dye (kool aid or ‘professional’ jacquard dyes ect…)

@http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/nylon.shtml

Nylon is a synthetic fiber, but its unique chemistry means that it can be dyed, easily and well, using the same acid dyes that are commonly used on wool and other animal fibers. A typical recipe calls for dissolving dye and salt in enough water to cover the material and allow it to move freely in the pot, adding the material, heat it to a simmer for ten minutes, add vinegar and simmer another ten minutes, then allow to cool gradually and rinse out. Microwaving or steaming might be used as an alternative form of heat application, if the dye is painted onto vinegar-water-soaked material, as in the case of tie-dyeing nylon.

Hope this helps!

[Karina]

jeanius80 - That is beautiful, just love that blue. I did not know you had to use salt and vinegar. did you use a food dye to get those colours. What dye and technique did you use.

[jeanius80]

i used jacquard acid dyes. Both yarns were pre-soaked in a mild vinegar water bath. I don’t use salt when i dye. That would probably help in areas with hard water though.