How to get a kettle dyed effect on bamboo yarn

This works for any cellulose fiber, aka plant derived (cotton/bamboo/hemp etc).

**MORDANT YOUR YARN**

Cellulose fibers need soda ash to allow the dye to fix to the fiber. The PH of your water should be between 10 and 11 for best results. Test your tap and then add soda ash tablespoon by tablespoon until you get the right PH. I leave my yarn for a full 12 hours before I add dye for the deepest, most vibrant results.

**APPLY THE DYE**

In this case, I am using low water immersion and applying dye powder directly to the yarn and working it in. After the first pass is done, I go back with tongs looking for white patches. Then I do a 3rd pass speckling in complimentary colors and adding little pops between the skeins.

**WAIT AT LEAST 24 HOURS FOR THE DYE TO CURE**

And finally, rinse the yarn to clear. To lock in the color and prevent any residual bleeding, put the yarn in a dye fixative bath (2 gallons cool water, 6 pumps Dharma Trading Dye Fixative). Let it sit for half an hour, rinse, then put in a fabric softner bath. 2 gallons cool water and 2 tablespoons fabric softner. Let it sit for another half hour, strain out excess water and put in the spin cycle of your washer. Hang in direct sunlight to dry.

I used Dharma Trading Fiber Reactive dye, soda ash, and dye fixative.

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