Dyed Cheviot Fiber
Diluted Dyes
Use common sense safety precautions. Label your containers. Keep the dye in a locked area away from children and animals at all times while mixing, applying, and storing. Wear goggles, a face dust mask if using powdered dyes, and rubber gloves. Keep vinegar and water on hand for quick rinses of dye off body parts. Keep kids and pets away from the dyeing area. Boiling kettles of colored wool do not mix well with underfoot traffic.
Landscape Dyes
I prefer using these dyes since they are simple to use and come in a good variety of colors.
I limit the size of the fiber batches to 1-2 lbs if I'm dyeing in the pot. I use my old granite canner for the dye bath and steaming. I often use smaller batches according to amount of fiber needed of a specific color. If I'm doing hand-painted techniques where the dye is applied directly to the wet fiber and then steamed in the pot on a rack, I am still limited by the size of the canner to 1-2 pounds of dry fiber at a time.
Steaming kettle
Measure the weight of the fiber or yarn. Read instructions on dye for amount of dye needed and correct dilution for intensity of color you'd like. Cover the area where you will apply the dye with newspaper, then plastic wrap. You will need several 6' lengths. I recommend taping the wrap to the surface to keep it flat and tight. Fill the sink with warm water and a bit of dish soap.
Wool presoak
Plastic covered work area
Place the yarn in the water to soak. Be sure it is all wet. Drain water and squeeze. Spin out excess water in the washing machine. Place skeins evenly around drum or the washer will go off balance.
Lay the yarn neatly on the plastic wrap. Load 35mL or 50mL vet syringes, squirt bottles or other squeezable containers with a small squirt nozzle with the dye of the desired concentration. Apply the dye in patterns of your choice. I have applied in stripes across the entire skein, patches going around the skein and random zigzags across the skein. Each gave a different effect later when knitting the yarn.
Prepared yarn for dyeing
Dyeing woolAfter the color is applied, fold in the sides of the wrap, then roll the 6' section to make a small round bale. Carefully keep this wrapped tightly and place on a rack in the steaming pot. This pot should have enough water in it to steam for 30-40 minutes, but not touch the yarn from beneath. Keep the bales separated in the pot while steaming. Steam 30-45 minutes covered.
Have the sink full of warm water. Grab the steamed fiber bales with tongs or an oven mitt and gently let the fiber slide out of the plastic wrap and into the sink. Let rinse. Drain and change water. Keep the temperature about the same to prevent felting. Do not agitate for the same reason. drain. Squeeze out water. Spin out excess water in washing machine. Hang to dry. Hang with a small weight on the skein if you want to dry the yarn under tension. Some people prefer to do the final rinse in fabric softener and/or very diluted vinegar. Be sure to keep records of you dye solution make up if you plan on trying to reproduce a certain effect or color. Be sure to dispose of dye bath water where it is unavailable to pets and children and unable to contaminate your drinking water. Destroy your dye mixing containers if they were originally for food (like milk jugs), or clearly label them that they are not for beverages. Most importantly, have fun discovering the effects you get from each dye batch.