Assigned Pooling Dyed Yarns with Acid Dyes
a Dharma featured tutorial
Create your own bright and unique yarns and rovings with this easy technique. Add to the creativity when you knit or crochet with it by varying the stitch pattern used so the bright colors POP for extra dimension and flare!
Some Knitting Pattern Links for project inspirations:
Shopping list:
- Dharma Acid Dyes and Jacquard Acid Dyes. We used #DAD 406 Fluorescent Fuchsia and 446 Silver Grey, #AD 645 Blacklight Blue and 640 Flo. Yellow
- Dyeable Wool Yarn or Roving. We used Revenge of Wanda
- Citric Acid or Vinegar
- Plastic Wrap
- Foam Brushes or Squeeze Bottles
- Spoons and cups for mixing
- Nitrile gloves
- Dharma Dyers Detergent
- Eucalan Wool Wash (optional)
- Cotton Twine
- Optional Salad Spinner or Spin Dryer (great when drying multiple skeins at once)
- Funnel
- Measuring Spoons or Scale depending on how you measure your dye for repeatable results
- Bucket or dish tub
- Reusable Zip Ties
Let's get started!
Using the cotton twine, tie your skein loosely in a few more places; you want at least 4 ties around the skein to help keep it organized and untangled.
Fill the bucket or dish tub with warm tap water, a drop or two of Dharma Dyers Detergent and Citric Acid/Vinegar. Use 1 TBS of Citric Acid per quart of water or if you are using vinegar use 50/50 water to vinegar in the soak as vinegar is more dilute. (Ex: 1 cup water to 1 cup Vinegar) Lower the skein into the water with one of the ties and gently push it down under the water with the large spoon. Let it soak for at least 1 hour, but overnight is ideal, especially for finer fibers like alpaca and silk. You want the fibers to be completely soaked.
Use the salad spinner or the dryer to spin out excess soak water until the yarn is just damp to the touch.
Cover your workspace with plastic wrap; be sure to overlap a couple pieces as you are going to wrap the yarn in it and you do not want dye to leak out. Lay out the yarn on the plastic wrap.
Mix your dyes with hot tap water, making sure they are fully dissolved, and pour them into the squeeze bottles. Snip the tip of the bottles so the dye flows out easily but not too fast. Pro-tip: test this with water if you are using a new bottle before using it to dye.
Wait! How Much Dye Do I Use?: The amount of dye depends on how dark you want your colors. The yarn we used comes in an approximately 100 gram skein. Normally we would want to use 1.5% weight of goods for a solid color, about 1.5 grams of dye total. Since we are using four colors, we want to divide that up between the colors. The main color will be about 70-80% of the yarn, so we will need ~1.2 grams of that and barely ~0.1 grams of the three POP colors.
Start applying the dye. Using a foam brush or squeeze bottles, apply the first color to different areas of the yarn. Only use about half the dye and then go on to the next color.
Once you have coated one side of the skein, carefully flip the skein over and apply the same colors in the same pattern on the back of the skein. Check to make sure the dye is getting into the center of the skein. You can gently push the yarn around a bit to help the dye penetrate. Be gentle, as you do not want to felt your fiber.
Fold the plastic wrap over your yarn/roving lengthwise then fold in the ends. If you can, fold the skein in a couple times to make a packet that will fit in your pot for steaming.
If you're steaming, put a couple inches of water and the steamer basket in the pot. Make sure the steamer is going to hold the yarn/roving out of the water. Heat it up to a simmer on high and then turn the heat down. You do not want it to boil away too quickly but you need plenty of steam.
Place the yarn onto the steaming basket in the steamer and put on the lid. Let it steam for about 45-60 min. You can steam multiple skeins at once, as many as your steamer will hold without stacking them.
For setting in the microwave, heat on HIGH for 2 minute bursts, allowing the bundle to rest a few minutes in between, do at least 3 bursts to fully heat the yarn through. Allow to rest until cooled.
Let the yarn cool a bit before you unwrap it and let it cool further before rinsing. You do not want to shock the yarn by rinsing it too soon. Once it is about room temperature, soak it in cool water with a bit of Dharma Dyers Detergent. Do a couple rinse soaks with just plain water. In the last soak you can use some Eucalan Wool Wash to smooth the yarn and make it soft again.
Spin the water out one last time to help the yarn dry faster. Once it is dry you can wind it into a ball and make the project of your dreams. Dye up some more skeins and arrange them in a nice basket in your craft room for inspiration!
