Name: Vonda
Message: I am confused as to how much Turqoise and Kelly Green to use per 8 oz cup of dye. I was under the impression that I needed far more of these 2 colors in particular, but Dharma (who I bought the dye from) says to only use 4 tsp per 8 oz. You also state to use double, in this case would be 8 tsp per 8 oz. My girls want bright colors, how much color should I use? We are also using Midnight Blue. Only 3 colors.

Dharma's instructions include an asterisk by some colors, such as turquoise, kelly green, and midnight blue, and specifically states that colors that have one asterisk require twice as much dye, while those with two asterisks require four times as much dye. See the notes at the bottom of that page. Most colors lack any asterisk, but Dharma applies one asterisk to turquoise, kelly green, and midnight blue. For no-asterisk colors, they recommend 3 teaspoons of dye per cup of water, so they are recommending 6 teaspoons of dye for the colors that have single asterisks.

For the most predictable and repeatable results, it is better to weigh your dye, instead of measuring teaspoons; Dharma's chart of "Fiber Reactive Dye Yields (How Much Do I Use?)" will tell you how much to use. However, if you are less particular, it is certainly easier to use a teaspoon to measure volume, instead of a laboratory scale to measure weight. I myself prefer to measure by volume, when it doesn't matter, just to reduce exposure to dye powder.

How much dye you really should use all depends on how dark or intense you want your colors to be. 4 teaspoons per cup will work, unless you prefer colors that are more intense. It's a matter of taste, and only trial and error can tell you which you prefer. It also depends on your fabric. Rayon and mercerized cotton both produce much brighter sand more intense colors than cotton that is not mercerized.

If you want lighter colors, use less dye, or more water. If you want darker colors, use more dye, or less water. If you want your midnight blue to be darker than your turquoise, use a similar amount per cup of water. If you want it to be closer in intensity, either use twice as much turquoise, or half as much midnight blue. A lighter shade of midnight blue, obtained by using less dye, will probably be a duller blue than some others. Using a dark midnight blue might make a very nice contrast to lighter turquoise and kelly green.