making brown dye

[lomahfelt]

My next question...what am I doing wrong when it comes to making a nice rich chocolate brown...the colour of a block of dark, bitter chocolate? My brown dyes ALWAYS split...it doesn't seem to matter what fibre I'm dyeing... or even what kind of dye I am using.Yesterday I tried again...using Lanaset dyes I mixed what looked like the right colour..a mix of red, blue, yellow and a touch of violet. It looked the right colour in the solution..and an a piece of rag before I used it...the result is always patchy redy brown, greeny brown,purple/brown and grey/brown...and very few spots of chocolate!! I dyed merino tops + silk tops + silk fibre (not sure what to call it); immersion, stove top, monitored and controlled temp - no higher than 95*C for wool and 75*c for silk. Starting temp approx 35*C...raised temp over approx 30mins to top temp...removed fibre to add acid...held temp until dye nearly all gone...then cooled to hand temp before rinsing. Another attempt was to dye viscose fibre with procion dyes (cold; salt and soda method)...and it split!!!!...into brown, greens,pinks and yellow...gosh it was beautiful viscose and I loved using it...but it wasn't chocolate coloured!!!!. I always pre soak 1st...sometimes a couple of hrs, sometimes over night...depending on fibre. Usually a little soap and vinegar in pre soak (probably no vinegar for the procion). Nothing is a disaster or wasted in my house...I love colours and variations and hazy shades...it just bothers me that I can not achieve chocolate!!

[Shepherdess]

I am not sure why you are removing the fiber to add the acid. I always put dye and acid in at the beginning and then add the wet fiber. As to why it splits am not sure. I recommend Paula Burch's site All about hand dying. www.pburch.net/dyeing.shtml She has different methods and explains how and why very well. she explains what each chemical is for and when you don't need it. I use her low emersion method. I am always hoping the dye will split and it never does. I think it is my hard water that is the problem.

[MTRuth]

Blue dyes do not strike at the same time as the other dyes. They also don't hold as well. I also put my acid in at the beginning of the process.

I like to use natural brown fiber. There are some really nice dark browns that you don't have to dye.

[lomahfelt]

Hi Ann and Ruth...Ann,I like your suggestion for Paula Birch... has been my reference page for quite some time...very good info. I also find Earth guild very helpful. In my learning on dying I have even immersed myself into some rather scientific papers!!!...the question why do I add acid at later stage?...I don't always...depends on what effect I want. With fast acting dyes like Lanaset (and most acid dyes I think) they will adhere to the wool quickly with acid present...therefore if they haven't dispersed throughout the wool before acid is added the colour can be patchy....the long slow warming is meant to give the dye time to move in and out of the fibres and evenly spread through the pot. By adding the acid later the dye fixes where it is, which in theory should be more evenly dispersed. For colour variations, the opposite approach would be good..ie acid first, quick heating and even add dye just before max temp...this way most dye will set in the first wool it hits and less will make it to the bottom of the pot.If you particularly want patchy colours try adding some colour early to the pot, then more when max temp is reached...can add more of same colour...or I often throw in a new colour then. Hope that makes sense. Hi Ruth...yes I read recently about blue not taking as quickly...and even advice to dye the blue 1st then add the other colours...what puzzles me is that my pot is exhausting...so obviously the blue has taken...but still not the brown of the original stock solution. I have some gorgeous natural chocolate corriadale fleece...but was trying to achieve same colour in a fine merino..and some complimenting fibres of silk/ viscose etc

[koffipot]

I pre-soak my wool overnight in acidified water, (either Citric acid or white vinegar) and add acid to the cold dyepot, then add the dyes, stir well, add the wool, the apply heat, raise temperatire VERY slowly to 85C and hold until all dye has been taken up and liquid is clear. You can add a glug of acid at this point to ensure all dye is exhausted.
Leave to cool completely in dyepot, then rinse in water as near to the temperature of the cooled dyepot as possible.
Using a dedicated colander to rinse and drain reduces handling. The woo,l still in the colander,can be washed at this stage, just immerse the colander into the washing and rinsing waters. Leave to drain well then spread out to dry completely.
I use Lanaset dyes and haven't had a split.
The optimum temperature for dye take up on wool is 85C. so if you are adding dye when the dyebath is hot, you are not going to get a level result.

[lomahfelt]

Hi Judith...what you describe is how I used to dye...acid and dye in together at beginning...don't think I even dyed brown back then...was into the brights and fantastics....then I started reading all sorts of tech advice and decided I must be doing things wrong...haha...I was very much 'she'll be right"!!!..and was always happy with what I got...lol...in fact I love colour splits as I don't have to blend in colours when I lay out!!!...I don't particularly mind the brown thing...its just annoying that 'I'M NOT IN CONTROL'...hahahaha. There may be something in the early acid addition...if acid binds the dye then maybe more of the colour binds early on in its original mix (ie brown) and doesn't have time to 'do it's own thing' gallivanting around the dye pot and splitting into its own colour groups....will try brown again....although I've got quite a growing pile of browns now
I have a strange strainer thing - like a cake pan with holes in the bottom, that I tip upside down in dye pot to keep wool up off direct heat...I then tip it the other way up in rinsing to use like a colander...I don't know what it was made for...found it in a thrift store and decided it looked perfect for the job.
When you say you heat the dye pot VERY slowly....over what time frame? eg 30mins to hot or 1hr...or more?....also do you hold the hot temp like most instructions say to?....I have never seen the point as nearly always my pot has exhausted in about 5-10mins, so I turn it off and allow to start cooling

[Shepherdess]

I do remember reading that you can add some salt to act as a leveling agent and more even dye.

[lomahfelt]

After a weekend dying I have tried out a few new things...but my Lanaset dyes are still splitting...made some beautiful (split) olive green - using above mentioned brown dye mix plus green!!!....I got some advice last week from Dharma Trading who sold me the dye, who suggested I soak the wool in dyebath at room temp before heating...so I gave this a go....no change. I did an extremely slow temp raise...think it was about 1 1/2 hr nearly before it was hot. Funny thing is it dyes my silk perfectly. I'm wondering if the dyes are so reactive with the acid on the wool from the initial soak....that I might take the vinegar out. I also think I might just use the Lanaset on my silks and go back to my other acid dyes for wool.