hi. I know this experiment is quite old. but I have some comments.... I have found that adding salt (6-9T/2c water) to the dye bath in addition to the acid (I use citric) helps loads of the issues you are seeing. in addition - don't be afraid of the MX dyes ... they will not stain much unless you have an alkaline environment...(of course don't wear any clothing marked "not for dyeing" - aprons also help, and they will not stain your counter top - washing machine top etc. Also usually the "bleed' rinse is done by hand - exactly as you do with your acid dyes not in the wash - as you will not likely have a 'full' load of the same color. I have been using these on wool (I have a stash - so want to use them up...) you will see some variation in color - as you would on silk or rayon (compared to cotton) with MX dyes... just like you see with the acid dyes on different fibers.
Thank you so much, Janet! I know I'll get over this block once I try playing with them some more - I had a similar block of nerves before first trying acid dyes.
I have done some dyeing of T-shirts in various techniques with fiber reactive dyes. I have done both cotton and bamboo T-shirts, and it is a big difference! Bamboo (or rayon/viscose) gives an absolutely wonderful result! Deep colors and an almost glossy surface. Cotton is very dull in comparison. Like really dull. Not so deep colors and a matte surface. So if you want to try some T-shirt dyeing, try to find a T-shirt in bamboo, rayon or viscose for the most spectacular results. I did some simple shibori dyeing on 3-4 bamboo T-shirts, and they became totally smashing! But remember that such fibers have a lower wet strength than cotton, so they must be handled a little more careful when wet.
When I rinse my cotton dyed with fiber reactive dyes, run the yarn through the rinse water and spin using my NinaSoft spin dryer between rinses. It helps get the extra dye out faster, from my experience. You might consider giving that a try.
I can't remember what you did in previous fiber-reactive dye videos, but I'm interested to see a comparison between 100% wool (superwash so you're not so concerned about felting) and a wool blend with these dyes. It might just be that you enjoy working with these dyes more on a different base, and I know you have many to choose from!
Hey Rebecca! How's s your cabin fever levels these days? Ok now, when you add the vinegar with the yarn is in the pot, would it use and affect the top layers of the yarn more than the bottom? Would the vinegar get used up by the time you pull all of the yarn out of the pot?
Did you read my mind?? I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now as I want to dye a colour that by coincidence I have in fibre reactive dyes and not acid dyes, but I couldn’t find any good info. Thank you!
Hiiii! What’s your pot made of? Aluminum? I tried last night and my silk has some lighter parts. Is there something I could do to avoid that? Loveeee all your videos
My pot is stainless steel. Here is a blog post on the tools that I personally use: www.chemknits.com/2019/07/the-best-tools-equipment-for-dyeing.html I haven't dyed 100% silk much (I've dyed some silk scarves and I'm actually about to dye some silk yarn today!) Generally - for more even color coverage start with cool water (lots of water to the volume of your fiber) and no acid. Let the fiber soak in the pot for a while with the dye (but also presoak the fiber for 24 hours before hand). Then add some acid, soak cool for a while, then slowly heat up. This should help for more even color coverage.
ChemKnits Tutorials Thank you so much for answering! I’ll be waiting to watch your silk yarn video ❤️ I’m currently using white vinegar instead of acid. Can I do the same thing you said but with vinegar?
Just curious, why would you use acid instead of soda ash? It is interesting that you had zero dye in the water. I used the reverse technique with cotton and it was a total fail. The acid prevented the fiber reactive dyes from binding to the yarn. I over dyed using soda ash and my results were amazing.
Maybe I was mistaken when I did this? I don't remember, to be honest. I know a lot of dyers use Fiber reactive dyes just like I use acid dyes so I think I was trying to go for that.
Thanks! I recently ordered some Knitpicks cotton yarns and Dharma fiber reactive dyes in primary colors. If using cotton, would you still use vinegar or salt instead?
