Welcome to Dye Tips.
Here I will offer tips using the Earthues dye extracts and raw dyestuffs as well as helpful hints for the natural dyeing process. I hope you find this useful and encouraging. Natural dyeing is ever-changing with limitless variables. Your work should be an individual one, from the colors you choose to the medium you work with, coupled with a healthy dose of inspiration, the courage to test new ideas plus some helpful guidlines!

Feel free to contact me if you have questions.Never be afraid to experiment, that is how we all learn and improve our knowledge! Nancy



Before you begin dyeing get organized
For just a few dollars you can gather all the items you need for your own dyeing enterprise. You do not want to use any pots, containers or utensils that are also used in your kitchen cooking! If you have a second hand store in your area, visit there and look for pots; stainless steel, enamel or other non-reactive materials. I like the canning pots as they are not too expensive and a good size. Just make sure there are no rust spots inside the pot as this will react with your dyeing causing color changes at the very least.

These are the items I would initially recommend you have on hand specifically for dyeing:

dye pot, at least 16 qt, stainless or enamel

thermometer that has a range or 50~200 degrees F

mid-weight rubber gloves that will protect your hands from hot water as well as
dye stain

measuring cups and spoons for dye measuring

scale ~ a food scale will do, found at kitchen stores that give gram and ounce readings; essential when measuring out your dyestuffs.

burner ~ a portable camp butane burner, electric hotplate or propane turkey-cooker (found in sporting goods stores such as www.cabelas.com

A source of water nearby from a faucet or garden hose; save your back lugging buckets of water to and fro!

Spoons, tongs, maybe a potholder, kitchen timer or watch for counting the dyeing time.

As you move forward in your dyeing experience you will discover what other items you need to make your dyeing experience pleasurable as well as organized and safe.



Mordanting ~ the most important step when dyeing with natural dyestuffs because it is the fixative that firmly attaches the dye to the fiber. We recommend only safe, non-toxic mordants such as potassium aluminum sulfate (alum sulfate for protein fibers), aluminum acetate (for cellulose fibers) and cream of tartar. Alum is refined from bauxite, the raw state of aluminum ore. During the refining process sulfuric acid and potassium are used to remove impurities. The resulting alum is granulated and white, in it's purest form. Cream of tartar is an acid, the sediment from fermented wine grapes. Use it to soften wool, brighten shades and it will change the color of some dyes such as cochineal, from a fushia to true red. It is seldom used with plant fibers.
Mordants such as chrome, tin and copper are not recommended as they are not safe for the dyer and the environment. The colors you will acheive using alum and cream of tartar will be just as vibrant without the risks associated with the heavy metal mordants.

To mordant protein fibers such as wool and silk soak your fibers for 30 minutes in hot water with your favorite soap, Orvus Paste works best, rinse and squeeze out excess water. Measure out the alum at 20% to weight of goods (WOG) to be dyed. I know this is contrary to the old percentages but you will get much richer colors using the alum sulfate at the 20% amount. Dissolve the alum sulfate in a little boiling water and add to dye pot. Cream of tartar is measured at 6% to WOG or 3TBS per pound of goods. Bear in mind that Cream of Tartar will alter the hues of some dyestuffs. I suggest until you are familiar with the properties of Cream of Tartar that you stick to using just the alum sulfate for your protein fibers. Both the alum and cream of tartar can be used in the same dye pot. Have enough warm (110 deg) water in the pot to cover the goods. Add the clean, wet goods to the dye pot and slowly bring the bath up to 200 degrees for wool / 180 for silk over 45 minutes, regularly rotating the goods while temperature rises. Hold at above temp for additional 45-60 min. Turn off heat, let fibers cool in the bath overnight, gently squeeze the excess water without rinsing. Keep mordanted goods wet for a MINIMUM OF 7 DAYS and up to a month before dyeing. This allows the scales of the fibers to open and accept the dye more readily. You may keep mordanted goods for more than a month if kept wet in a plastic bag and refrigerated, which prevents molding, until you are ready to dye.

Cellulose fibers, such as cotton, flax and linen have a different process using scour and alum acetate (5% on WOG).

Having your goods mordanted ahead of time allows for those moments of inspiration when you want to dive into your dyepot and pull out stunning colors!

Please make sure to let your fiber/cloth "rest" after mordanting for at least 7 days. You will be much happier with the results...brighter colors, better lightfastness, no crocking (coming off in your fingers as you spin or knit).



Ventilation
Please always practice safe dyeing practices and be sure to dye in a ventilated area. This past weekend I did indigo dyeing in a confined area and realized in short order that I needed to get the windows opened! Even with natural dyestuffs, proper ventilation is imperative.The best option is outside but if you need to be inside use fans or open windows if your space is limited. Likewise, do not lean over your dyepot and breath the vapors. Stand upwind or away a bit. Think safe, dye smart!



Tums
When dyeing with madder it is important to be sure to have hard water to get the deep red hues which madder gives. Hard water has lots of calcium carbonate in it but if your water is demineralized, such as municiple waters and those systems with water softeners can be, you need to add the calium carbonate to increase the hardness. Tums (antacid tablets, available at your pharmacy) are an easy way to do this. And after testing generic antacids, Rolaids and Tums, we have found Tums is the most effective, hands down.

Simply crush and then dissolve in hot water 1 Tum (500mg) per gallon of dye bath water. Add the dissolved Tums to the dyebath along with the madder and proceed with the dyeing process.

If you find the color is not deep enough and you have correctly measured your madder to your weight of goods to be dyed, just add more Tums. The extra strength Tums (750 mg) also work well.

Those of you with well water may want to do a water test to see what your hardness rating is. On our farm our water has a a hardness of 4.5; on a scale of 1 being soft and 10 being hard.



Hide Glue
Hide glue is a wonderful product which I recommend for both regular immersion dyeing as well as for indigo dyeing to keep your fibers soft during the dye process. An indigo vat is very alkali requiring a pH of 10.8-11.2 to yield the beautiful blues. As a result, the high pH is harsh on fiber. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dissolved hide glue per pound of fiber dyed, to the dyebath before you add your fibers. To dissolve hide glue, first soak the dried hide glue (it looks like small crystallized pieces) in cold water for about 10 minutes to soften the product. Then add boiling water enough to dissolve the hide glue completely. Stir vigorously until you see no particles. Then add to your dyebath at the above rate along with your dyestuff and proceed with dyeing! Again, I find it beneficial to add to a dyebath with any dyestuff to keep fiber lustrous and soft.
Hide glue is available in our store and it is an inexpensive way to protect your fibers, especially in the indigo vat.