Dyeing wool

Okay, this is how I dye yarn or knitted woollies.

The same would apply to wool wraps, but I wouldn't like to say how the heat/vinegar would affect the elastic or fastenings

You can use either food colouring (with vinegar to set the colour) or koolaid (which has citric acid in to set the colour).

1. you need to soak the wool until it is wet through (colour will only be absorbed in the wet bits so it needs to be evenly wet).
2. Mix up whatever you are using with water - and vinegar if necessary - and add to a bigger bowl of water. The amount of water doesn't matter (as long as there is enough to completely colour the item) but the more food colouring or koolaid, the stronger the colour
3.Put your cover in it and swish it round so the dye goes all over it, the more you swish the more even it should be (although you are unlikely to get a completely 'solid' colour).
4. Then you need to fix the dye with heat - either in a microwave for 2mins at a time cooling in between, or put the bowl over a steamer and heat like that. When the water is clear the dye has all been absorbed and you are done
5. Rinse and lanolise!

Does the wool shrink at all when being heated in the microwave? I assume you do it before you knit it into anything, but wondering what would happen to a wool wrap or something already knitted up.

As long as you leave it alone when it is hot (so don't stir etc in between heating) and allow to cool before handling it should be fine. I have dyed knitted up shorts with no problems.

Hi, can you dye wool that has already been dyed? It's a mustard yellow and want it pink!!

Also, how much vinegar do I need to use please?

Thanks x

Yes you can over-dye wool that has already been dyed, but with longies etc you would need to wash it thoroughly (with washing up liquid or similiar) to remove all the lanolin or else the dye won't be absorbed well.

You do need to bear in mind how different colours mix together though. Putting pink on top of mustard yellow won't give you a pink shade but some form of brown - just the same as if you mixed pink and yellow paints.

I don't tend to measure the vinegar - just splosh in a good amount. For longies I would say probably 100ml to be sure?

Thank you so much for the quick reply.

It's for a skort and at least she'd have things that go with brown - I have no tops that will go with mustard yellow

I'll give it a go - nothing to lose

You could take the drawstring out and test the dyeing on that. At least you'll know what sort of colour it would turn out.

a deep red would look good, then you'd get dark orange/brown bits.

I did these with a dark red to give you an idea

Oh yes that looks great thanks. Plenty to go with red and got the food colouring already in the cupboard

Thanks again - I'll post a picture if all goes well!

I know I have a durr brain when it comes to most things , do I put the food colouring and wrap in the microwave and then just keep microwaving until the food colouring is all in the wrap and not the water?

Also guessing I need to lanolise once done too it's a preloved beehinds wrap that arrived today!