Name: karen

Message: I make and hand dye silk veils using rit dyes purchased in a craft store.  Sometimes I use the washing machine for the base color and then dip dye the edges, etc.  I am generally pleased, but when I try to dye the ends totally black, I get all sorts of color variations - example:  yellow veil with black edges comes out with olive green edges.  How do I correct this?  Also, what type of dye is really easiest and best to use on silk?

The best quality dyes for silk are the Lanaset dyes. These are expensive, per ounce of dye, but they are very washfast, and you do not need to use as much of a Lanaset dye to get a similar intensity of color as you would need to use from any other type of silk dye. You will almost certainly need to mail-order this dye; most crafts stores do not carry much in the way of high-quality dye.

In particular, the Lanaset Jet Black dye is very popular among experienced dyers. It is very much superior to any of the relatively low quality dyes that are used in all-purpose dye mixtures, such as Rit brand dye. Although it is a mixture of two black dyes, you do not see color separation when using Lanaset Jet Black for direct dye application. It produces a rich black color. In general, a small amount of black combined with yellow will produce an olive green; to get a true black, you need a larger amount of black, or a more intense black dye.

All-purpose dye is actually surprisingly expensive, for what you get. A box of Rit dye is sufficient for only half a pound of fiber. A two-ounce jar of Lanaset dye, which costs about $10, is sufficient for 12 pounds of fiber. So, being accustomed to buying Rit® dye, you should not find Lanaset dye to be too much of a shock. A good introduction would be to order a 4-color sampler kit for $10 from PRO Chemical & Dye.

The second-most popular dye for silk among hand dyers is PRO Chem's WashFast Acid dye line. In spite of its name, this line of dyes is much less washfast than the Lanaset dyes; however, it is more washfast than the dye contained in all-purpose dyes. This line of dyes is less expensive than the Lanaset dyes, and it is available in an enormous range of colors.

The acid dyes found in all-purpose dyes are acid leveling dyes, also known as the Kiton or Strong Acid dyes. These dyes are not very washfast at all, and they are not a very good choice for direct dye application, such as rainbow dyeing or dye painting; instead, they are at their best when a single solid color is required. The Kiton Acid dyes are considerably more economical when mail-ordered in jars of two ounces or larger than when they are purchased at local stores in to form of all-pupose dye. I do not recommend them for direct dye application such as your dip dyeing methods, because the other types of dye I described give better results.


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