How to Dye Knitting

We purchased the Rit™ Dye at a local supermarket (fig.1). Before tackling your first home dyeing project read the package information carefully and follow these safety precautions, click here for more.
The only other things we needed were: liquid laundry detergent, a big enamel pot, a stove and a washer and dryer. We met at Norah’s new apartment to perform the experiment. Cirilia, our new designer, offered to document the process. So with her trusty point and shoot camera we proceeded to follow the very wordy instructions on the package.

Oops! We forgot the salt.

Well, time was of the essence, so we proceeded without the salt even though the directions specified “for best results add a cup of salt.” Stirring carefully with a wooden spoon, we dissolved the blue dye (fig.2) in a small pan with some hot water and laundry soap. Then we carefully poured the small pot of the dissolved dyestuffs into a larger pot (fig.3) with 3 gallons of hot water. We placed Veetee on a plastic hanger and dipped it (fig.4), hem first, into the steaming pot of blue. We submerged only the bottom half and then rinsed it in the sink. We returned it to the dye pot and dipped the entire sweater quickly. Then we rinsed it again in the sink (fig.5 & 7) and then washed and dried it by machine. The result (fig.8) was as stonewashed ombre effect that was reminiscent of a well worn, well loved t-shirt from the 70’s.

Now it was time to dye Youtee purple. Not wanting to waste the blue dye that was already in the pot, we dissolved a box of purple and added it to the mixture. We got a vibrant bluish purple (burple). This time we reread the instructions and found that we forgot to rinse the sweater in hot water before dying it so we did that with Youtee. We got a much more vivid result the second time because of the additional box of dye and the pre-rinsing.

Well, we certainly learned a lot about dying our yarns. I’m looking forward to more experimenting with our yarn in hanks. By adding and removing color one could create ones own color effects and make each individual skein unique. This is a thrilling prospect, and I can’t wait to get started. I hope that I have inspired all of you to give dying a try. I am over my fear of dying because it’s so much fun and it really is very easy. If you’re tired of wearing the same sweater but can’t bear to part with it after pouring so much love and time into knitting it, you can try to resurrect your well worn hand knit in the dye pot. If the fibers are washable and appropriate for the dyes you are using, you can transform your hand knits into new and exciting pieces.

Gather your friends for a dye party—the more hands on deck, the better. Good luck, be brave and don’t forget the salt!

M

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

• Pots, utensils, sponges, etc. used for dyes and dyeing should not be used again for food.
• Wear rubber gloves when handling dyes
• Wear an apron or old clothes so you don’t ruin your good ones
• Always wear a dust mask when mixing dye powders
• If dyeing in your kitchen, remove all cooking utensils and foodstuffs from your work area.
• Cover counter space and floor with newspapers or drop-cloth to avoid dye stains
• Do not work near a fan or air conditioning which will blow powder into the air.
• After dyeing, always wipe up the area with a moist paper towel to pick up any remaining dye powder.

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