Knitting Tips: Spinning and Dyeing

1. Cotton Dyeing
2. Bleaching Yarn?

Margaret Pittman 2/8/03

I work with fiber reactive dyes and you are right that it is a different process. I tell folks that it's like washing turnip greens; those from the South will understand this completely <bg> meaning a lot and through several baths. This is fugitive dye and in no way affects the end color *if* the right proportions of salt and soda ash to fiber and water is used. And, it can look somewhat darker initially. If anything, a properly dyed cellulose fiber becomes prettier when it is completely free of fugitive dye as the color is brighter and more "alive." And, it will eventually stop running. Sometimes it takes 4 or 5 times of washing even after the dyer has washed it several times. My biggest advice is when you knit your item, wash until clear, preferably with Synthrapol available at Dharma Trading Company or ProChem Dye Co. Then block it. If you block it before the water is clear, the dye will bleed back onto other colors. If you have done this, it is not too late to wash it again until clear and then block. You may want to add a good grade fabric softener to replace the hand that dyes and detergents remove. Either Milsoft from Dharma or one off the shelf at the grocery but double the strength. Don't use fabric sheets; they will leave grease spots on your beautiful knitted item.

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Joan Schrouder 3/20/03

I have some (pale pink-beige Brown Sheep Naturespun 100% wool) yarn that I'd really like to be white or white-ish? Can I bleach it? With what? Chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, hydrogen peroxide?

Chlorine will dissolve wool, so that's out. (but remember that when you need to find out if a mystery yarn is wool!) You could try H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), although you may be familiar with what peroxide can do to hair. You also might experiment with overdyeing the wool yarn "as is". Often a pre-existing color can give a very rich result.

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