Dyepot Weekly #10 - Handpainting Yarn with Rit Liquid Dyes; Comparing Different Fiber Types

It is time to branch out from Food Coloring! Rit dyes can be found in most local craft stores, so I thought it was the easiest way to explore color beyond food coloring. In today's episode of Dyepot Weekly, I will explore handpainting 4 different types of yarn with the Rit Liquid Dyes: 100% cotton, 100% acyrlic, 25% wool/75% acrylic, and 100% wool. The Rit liquid dyes are only recommended for natural fibers, but I wanted to push the boundaries and see how they worked on synthetic blends, too. This episode of Dyepot Weekly was sponsored by Rachel Wielgopolski. Thank you for your support!

Since I handpaint, and wash, 4 different skeins of yarn, this is a long video. Feel free to skip to a partiuclar part in the TOC below.

VIDEO CONTENTS:
[0:00] Introduction
[1:06] Presoaking the yarns in ~12 cups of water + 1/2 cup salt (cotton and 100% acrylic) or + 1/2 cup vinegar (100% wool and wool/acyrlic blend.)
[5:54] Mixing the dyes into 4 oz squeeze bottles (45 mL of each dye and the filled the rest up with water)
[9:00] Setting up the steamer pot (~1 inch of salt water in the bottom)
[9:28] Handpainting the cotton and acrylic yarns
[19:14] Steaming the cotton and acyrlic yarns for 40 minutes (I would do this for less time next time. I don't think a full 40 minutes is necessary! Maybe 20.)
[19:35] Dyeing the 100% wool and wool/acyrlic blend yarns
[26:40] Wrapping up the yarn to steam it
[27:56] taking yarn out and putting yarn into the steamer
[28:53] Removing the second batch after 40 min of steaming
[29:42] Washing the first 2 yarns (acrylic and cotton)
[33:48] More washing the 100% cotton and 100% acrylic yarns
[36:14] Washing the 100% wool yarn
[38:37] Washing the 25% wool / 75% acyrlic yarn
[40:20] On the Drying Rack
[41:08] The finished dry yarn and conclusions

Wool of the Andes Worsted Weight 100% Yarn http://shrsl.com/k9c0 (KnitPicks Affiliate Link)

For free patterns and dyeing tutorials visit http://www.chemknits.com