Friday, December 11, 2009

Dye question plus a tip!

I want overdye some baby blue merino I got on sale. It is too pastel for a4A guidelines. I assume I should do it after the sweater is finished. But what kind of dye do you all recommend, and where can I buy it? Rit isn't very colorfast; I want something better. Thanks for some suggestions!

Also: a tip I saw for making button loops: Ponytail holders! They are strong, colorful, stretchy, and you can adjust their size with needle and thread when sewing them to the buttonband. Whaddya think?

4 comments:

cti said...

You are much better off dyeing the yarn in the skein, rather than after you have made the garment. I suggest you try Kool Aid dyeing! surprisingly, it makes bright and color fast dyes for animal fibers. There are several good tutorials on the web. Here are some:
http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtMagazine/za_669.htm
http://www.snowangels.com/sketchbook/?page_id=418
http://nobleknits.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-hand-dye-yarn-with-kool-aid-step.html

google about, and see what you find!

Ann said...

I concur with dyeing in the skein. If you are looking for deep colors that "aren't red," look at Wilton icing dyes. They work on the same principle as Kool-aid, but offer a wider range of color.

Tory said...

Thanks! Icing dye is a new one for me. I will look into it. All of the tutorials will be handy too.

pldrake said...

I've seen great examples of Kool Aid dyeing -- in particular when I went to visit a local yarn mill (local to the Pittsburgh area). Amazing, and so easy. I may do that with some yarns I have that are wool but may not be the right color for a of A.

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