Dyeing Wool

[SCOMAN]

I recently bought some Italian wool thermal tops from Endicotts in Exeter. They're a natural colour and was considering dying them. I was just going to get some dylon dye but then my girlfriend suggested I use a more traditional dye and method. Any ideas on what I could use to dye them and a method of 'fixing' the dye? All suggestions appreciated.

 

[Graham_S]

send Toddy a PM.
If there is anyone on this site that knows about Dying stuff, it's her.

 

[Toddy]

It's funny how this topic comes up, I've got two pm's about it already So with that in mind.......conversation with Toddy and Scoman about dyeing wool.

My reply to Scoman.....

"Hello
Sounds good

Okay, firstly wool is hair, and it can be damaged. It can also be dyed .....with care if you don't want it to felt and shrink.

So, first rule....No Thermal Shock
That just means don't put hot wool into cold water or cold wool into hot water.
Raise the temperature slowly with the wool already in the water and there'll be no problems and your underwear won't give you a squeaky voice

Secondly, wool will only take a good dye if it's free from grease, conditioners or special finishes.
Please check the labels, and if need be, wash the woollens by hand ( just use plain shampoo, it's meant for hair and it'll be fine, I use cheap supermarket family stuff for washing raw fleece)

Third, what colour would you like ?
To make the wool receptive to the dyestuff you need to mordant it. Mordants are all more or less toxic, but with a little care are no bother. Stick to Alum, Iron or Copper and there's very little to go wrong. The mordant not only helps the wool take up the dye but it fixes it and adjusts the colour intensity too.

Presuming you're after bushcraft type colours.......
Alum will give pale shades of green or mushroom, copper will give more vivid greens, better rusts and quite dark plumy browns while iron will sadden (think Khaki) greens and browns and golds.

Lastly, if you don't want blotchy...might look camouflagey....maybe.....colours, you'll need a pot big enough to not only immerse the garments but to move them around in freely.

I'm very lazy about it but I do have a website
http://www.seamstimeless.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Have a look at the colours on the hoops of wools; these are all British natural dyes.

Let me know what colours you'd like to try and we'll take it from there.

Kind regards,
M "

 

[Toddy]

Originally Posted by SCOMAN

I think I'd like the blue, red or greens not exactly bushcrafty I know but what the hells up with a bit of colour. I've washed the tops in the washing machine(well washed out) using soap flakes. The tops were stored with mothballs but the smell at least seems to have gone in the wash. Thanks for the help, what area did you take the photo's, looks lovely.

Reply by Toddy
Hello again
Well that simplifies things no end 'cos red and blue are madder and indigo, and green is weld ( or any yellow from about 75% of British dyestuffs) and then indigo, and only the yellows *need* a mordant Lincoln Green was made by the overdyeing one colour on top of another like this.
Madder root is frequently the better of a mordant, but doesn't need it, and neither does indigo (woad is the native indigo and Lady's bedstraw is a good native red like madder)

Next step.....pick a colour, and let me know, and we'll go from there.

The photos were taken about five miles up the Clyde valley from me, at Brownlee. Very typical for this area, wide range of flora and fauna and lots of water :umbrella: