Ok, I've been wanting to get a handle on dyeing wool with Procion fiber reactive dyes for a long time. I knew it could be done. I just hadn't got around to trying it out. I dye rayon chenille and cottons and other cellulosic fibers with fiber reactive dyes all the time. I've got that down, no problem, and I really didn't want to start dyeing wool and silk and soy silk with a whole different class of dyes. Lazy, maybe, but definitely more practical.
I've been on line a lot, searching for other dyers' experiences with wool and fiber reactive dyes, but found very little. I finally found some instructions on the Pro Dye website on how to do this, and this week I've had some time off, so yesterday I gave it a go.
I followed the Pro Chemical & Dye directions up to a point. I wetted the wool in water and synthrapol, and then I put it into the vinegar soak. I mixed a solution of water and urea to mix with the dye powders. I mixed four colors and I used the strength of dye recommended: 2 tsp. of dye to a cup of water. In retrospect this was way too dark and I knew it probably would be, but I wanted to try it their way first.
I painted each skein with the dye paints. I didn't use a thickener paste, and I didn't use the wool assist (whatever that is). Each skein was wrapped in its own saran wrap and rolled up nicely. Then I steamed the skeins, one at a time in a crockpot for 2 hours on high setting. I do all this in the basement, and it was a good thing, because the smell was pretty strong.
I let the hot skeins cool, and then rinsed them out very gently. I didn't do an ammonia rinse or a vinegar rinse. Chemically, I don't know why those steps would be necessary. I soaked the skeins in Eucalan, which I love, and the excess dye rinsed out fairly quickly. The skeins feel really soft, probably softer than before they were dyed.
The colors I used were from Dharma. They are teal, avocado, kilt green, and olive drab (which is really a nice sage green). From the picture, they look pretty dark and this is because I used way more dye powder than I usually do. I thought the color shifting on wool was a nice variation.
The wool I used was recycled from a sweater I bought at the Goodwill, so this "mad scientist" dye experiment had virtually no cost except my time, and I'm really pleased with the results. Now I know I can get good results with my fiber reactive dyes, and incorporate new fibers into a variation of my usual dye routine. Sweet!
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