Concentration levels for Acid Dyes

[pamdn]

Hi, going to have a go at dyeing for the first time this week using Jacquard acid dye on a merino roving. I understand it is best to make up a concentrate of about 1 & 2/3 tsp per 1 Ltr of water But..... what concentrations do you like to  dilute it to after that?

[koffipot]

Hello Pamdn

I am dreadful at remembering to make notes and tend to "guesstimate"

However, here's a link to a tutorial by one of our more organised members. Not using Jaquard dyes but it might be of help. I don't know who made it, but I'd say it has to be zed's work.

feltingandfiberstudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/direct-dyeing1.pdf

Do let us see your dyeing.

[Pandagirl]

I tend to use 8 oz of water to two teaspoons powder dye, then use a couple of tablespoons to the dye pot depending how deep of a color you want. You can always add more during the heating process to get the color you want. Just remember the dry color will be lighter. The nice thing about acid,dyes is they will keepmfor a long time if stored properly. Have you looked on the jAcquard site they have a lot of good information there. Have fun!

[pamdn]

Hey thanks I love this site. Everyone is so helpful. I try not to just ask without searching first but I did not see the dyeing tutorial, so many thanks for the link and tips.

[MTRuth]

Good luck and do show us your results!

[Shepherdess]

The main thing is to be consistent if you want to reproduce colours. It doesn't mater what the concentrate is as long as you do it the same every time. Keep notes so you know 2 tablespoons of read and one of blue to get this colour. working from liquid concentrates is safer. You only have to worry about the powder getting air born once instead of for every dye pot.

You can get a small scale form dharma trading so you can weigh the dye if you want to be really accurate. different dyes weigh differently. you will see it in the containers. one colour the container is almost full and in another there it is less than a quarter full but they all weigh the same.

On the other hand I usually wing it because I don't care if I can get the same colour again.

[zed]

Did you guess that was me from the mess I made, Judith?

I don't know how Ashford or Eurolana compare to Jacquard, if Marilyn uses two teaspoons to 8 oz water though, I'd guess they were very different and Jacquard are less concentrated. (or that makes up concentrate for diluting)

[koffipot]

zed - Your signature colours were the give away. I can usually spot Lyn's work just from the colour combos too.
You are bright, primary, rainbow, whereas Lyn is more Neopolitan ice cream!

I'm not familiar with Jaquard dyes, but I find Eurolana are more concentrated and more economical than many dyes - 10gms of Eurolana is all dye, whereas some brands have additives, such as Citric Acid included in the weight. However you have to do more mixing as there isn't such a wide choice of colours as say, Ashford.

[Shepherdess]

When I started dying I used to make concentrate. I think it was about what Pam suggested, if I remember right and then you used 1 mil in the dye water for every gram of fiber ( dry weight).
Reading this again I think that might be more what Pan was after.

[zed]

I see what you mean, Judith

But like you say, there are less colours with Eurolana, so I tend to just make up the primaries, then lots of inbetween shades, even though I love rainbows, for some reason when I mix dyes for fibres, I make lots of muted or what I think of natural and metallic shades. Whether I then use them much is a different matter!!