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Monday, January 21, 2013
Is it possible to set the dye on silk fabric or yarn using a large canning pressure cooker instead of a steamer?
Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker
All-American 41-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner
Linda Knutson's book
Synthetic Dyes
for Natural Fibers
provides a thorough
Country or region: Idaho mtns.
Message: Please tell me if it's possible to set the dye on silk fabric or yarn using a large canning pressure cooker instead of a steamer. Also, could I use a plastic Reynolds oven bag instead of all of the newsprint? What temperature is necessary for "steaming" to set silk dyes?
For immersion-dyeing silk, it is a good rule of thumb to keep the temperature below 90°C (194°F), because of the damage potential of higher temperatures. The best target temperature for the dye/fiber reaction, when immersed in a liquid dyebath, would be about 85°C (185°F). For setting dyes on silk, there is no need for the temperature to be increased to over 100°C by the use of high pressure. Depending on how high you are in the mountains, though, the temperature of steam can be considerably lower. At 2000 feet above sea level, it is 208ºF (98ºC); at 7000 feet, it is 198°F (92°C). If your steam is penetrating your fabric well, the latter temperature should be perfectly adequate. At 10,000 feet, the boiling temperature of water is 193°F, which should still be sufficiently high for setting silk dye, though it may take longer for the heat to penetrate throughout the layers of silk and paper than at higher temperatures.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Do you have any tips for successfully using Retayne on new, unwashed clothing?
Rit Dye Fixative
Rit Dye Fixative solves the problem of fading and bleeding when you dye clothes with all-purpose dye. Like all dye fixatives, it cannot be used for tie-dyed clothing. Use one-half bottle per pound of fabric.
Country or region: USA - North Carolina
Message: I have read what you have posted about using Retayne for setting dye in purchased clothing. I have 2 pairs of jeans that I know will bleed (have similar ones from the same company). The only reason I won't return them is because the fit is great - so I want to nip the problem of fading in the bud, before I wash or wear the jeans. I tried Retayne on a pair that had been washed and it helped. Do you have any tips for successfully using Retayne on new, unwashed clothing? The instructions I have found are generally vague - just wondering if there are any extra steps I should take to ensure success. Thanks for your help and for a GREAT website. I learned so much that was helpful when I set out to dye a faded pair of jeans.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Where in Saskatchewan Canada can I find the Lanaset Jet Black B dye? I bought a gorgeous wool/cashmere ivory coat and would rather dye it than have it dry cleaned.
Linda Knutson's book
Synthetic Dyes
for Natural Fibers
provides a thorough introduction to hand-dyeing
Country or region: Canada
Message: I've never dyed anything before. Where in Saskatchewan Canada can I find the Lanaset Jet Black B dye? I bought a gorgeous wool/cashmere ivory coat and would rather dye it than have it dry cleaned. Thanks so much for your reply. I couldn't find this answer in the FAQ.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Do you know where I can buy some ready made Procion dye in China?
Country or region: USA to China
Message: I want to dye some cotton T-Shirts. Do you know where I can buy some ready made Procion dye in China as I live here now? Unless you recommend something else. I want colors Navy blue, Royal blue and Baby blue. Please help me.
Is it possible to set the dye on silk fabric or yarn using a large canning pressure cooker instead of a steamer?
Name: Angie
—ADVERTISEMENTS—
Pressure canners can correct for the lower temperature of steam at high altitudes.
Presto 01781 23-Quart Pressure Canner and Cooker
All-American 41-1/2-Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner
Linda Knutson's book
Synthetic Dyes
for Natural Fibers
provides a thorough
introduction to hand-dyeing
Country or region: Idaho mtns.
Message: Please tell me if it's possible to set the dye on silk fabric or yarn using a large canning pressure cooker instead of a steamer. Also, could I use a plastic Reynolds oven bag instead of all of the newsprint? What temperature is necessary for "steaming" to set silk dyes?
Some dyers do use a pressure cooker to steam silk. Normally I don't think it's the best way to steam, because the extremely high heat, potentially much hotter than the steam in a normal-pressure steamer, can harm the silk, resulting in uneven shininess, or in creases that are difficult or impossible to remove. If you're having trouble with high altitudes, however, I can understand why you're interested in the idea.
The purpose of the high pressure in a pressure cooker is to increase the maximum temperature that can be reached. At normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, the maximum temperature is 100°C (212°F), but at fifteen pounds pressure, the maximum temperature at sea level is 120°C (250°F). This temperature may be useful in dyeing polyester fabric without a dye carrier, but it is high enough to cause damage to silk. (You can, of course, use a pressure canner at regular atmospheric pressure, as long as you keep the pressure regulator open so that it does not build up pressure.)
If you decide to try steaming in a pressure cooker, I strongly advise you to use the lowest setting, and certainly not the fifteen pounds pressure maximum, when steaming silk. Note that the pressure regulator on pressure cookers is not always reliable when purchased, sometimes resulting in a higher pressure; I've heard that you can get your local county extension service office to check your pressure regulator for you, for free, since it's a safety issue.
The pressure cooker setting indicates how much higher its pressure is than the atmospheric pressure, so the temperature for a given setting will be lower at high altitude than it is for the same setting at sea level. At the mean elevation of Idaho, 5000 feet, the air pressure is 12.2 pounds per square inch, as opposed to 14.7 pounds per square inch at sea level. Ideally, to correct for the difference in pressure at this altitude, you would need to add 2.5 pounds per square inch, which is below the lowest setting provided by pressure cookers (which often have settings of 5, 10, and 15 pounds per square inch about the outside air pressure). At 10,000 feet altitude, the air pressure is 10.1 pounds per square inch, so the 5-pound setting should restore the boiling temperature, and the temperature of your steam, very nearly to what you would see at sea level.
As far as wrapping in plastic is concerned, it is essential, when you heat-set dyes in silk, that there be some moisture present for the reaction between the dye and the silk. (This is the opposite of silk paint, the acrylic binder in which is set with dry heat, using an iron or a hot commercial clothes dryer.) Newsprint paper allows the penetration of some of the water in the steam; when you wrap your silk in newsprint for steaming, you allow it to dry first. If you wish to wrap your silk in plastic, instead of paper, the silk should be damp during the steaming process, so as to provide some molecules of water to the dye/fiber reaction. In one way or another, you must provide moisture for this reaction. Obviously there will be limitations depending on what sort of design you are setting, since a wet piece of fabric is not likely to hold as finely detailed a line.
If you are going to use plastic to wrap your wet silk for steaming, then Reynolds oven bags are a very good choice, because they are so heat-resistant. Reynolds oven bags are made of a nylon that is supposed to be safe up to 400°F (or 200°C). Some plastics have a much lower melting point.
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(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
Friday, January 18, 2013
Do you have any tips for successfully using Retayne on new, unwashed clothing?
Name: Ellen
—ADVERTISEMENTS—
Rit Dye Fixative
Rit Dye Fixative solves the problem of fading and bleeding when you dye clothes with all-purpose dye. Like all dye fixatives, it cannot be used for tie-dyed clothing. Use one-half bottle per pound of fabric.
Country or region: USA - North Carolina
Message: I have read what you have posted about using Retayne for setting dye in purchased clothing. I have 2 pairs of jeans that I know will bleed (have similar ones from the same company). The only reason I won't return them is because the fit is great - so I want to nip the problem of fading in the bud, before I wash or wear the jeans. I tried Retayne on a pair that had been washed and it helped. Do you have any tips for successfully using Retayne on new, unwashed clothing? The instructions I have found are generally vague - just wondering if there are any extra steps I should take to ensure success. Thanks for your help and for a GREAT website. I learned so much that was helpful when I set out to dye a faded pair of jeans.
If the jeans were dyed in the usual fashion, with indigo, then some fading will happen no matter what you do. This is because the manufacturers deliberately choose inferior dyeing practices, since people usually want their jeans to fade. The fashion for non-fading jeans is relatively recent, for this turn on the wheel of fashion, and manufacturers have not changed their dyeing practices to reflect the current desire for dark denim.
In some cases, the dye is not attached to the fiber properly, a serious fault because it can cause crocking, in which dry dye rubs off onto furniture and other clothing, ruining it. I've gotten sad letters about purses, shoes, jackets, or couches which have become permanently stained with indigo from extremely poorly-dyed indigo denim jeans.
In other cases, the manufacturers deliberately choose to create a dyeing fault called ring dyeing, in which only the outermost layer of each cotton fiber is dyed; this means that even a small amount of wear, by removing the top surface of the fiber, removes the dyed section, exposing the white inside of the fiber. This creates an effect of instant age, an effect which has come back into fashion many times over the years, without the drawbacks of loose dye that will ruin other items.
Although you are avoiding it for this pair of jeans, in general, if there is crocking, the first thing to do is to wash the jeans in the hottest water you can, hoping to wash out any unattached particles of dye. This will work to prevent crocking if the dyeing was not done too badly, but it will not work in the worst cases. Of course, this step will do nothing to preserve the original dark color of the denim (in fact, it may accelerate its loss), but it can help prevent damage to other items, in mild cases. You can add a half cup of vinegar to the rinse water, if you like, as a fabric softener (use less in front-loading washers), but vinegar will not fix the indigo. Sometimes people who know nothing about dyeing claim that vinegar can be used to set dyes in purchased clothing, but it's not true. If it seems to work, it's only because the additional washing itself helps removing the last bits of unattached dye, reducing the chance of bleeding dye afterwards.
Retayne works very well on many types of dye, but it does not work on the indigo used to dye most denim for jeans. If your jeans have been dyed with another type of dye, then Retayne will help to fix it. Retayne works well on poor dyes like Rit, and it can help considerably to make dye more permanent if the jeans were dyed with another kind of cotton dye, called direct dye; it even helps fix fiber reactive dye that has not been fixed to the fabric properly. Retayne is more likely to help in cases in which the denim has been dyed unusual colors, such as a black-blue that is darker than denim blue, or another color altogether such as black, green, or brown.
Retayne is very easy to apply. To use Retayne, all you need is a large enough bucket, a long-handled spoon or stick for stirring, and a source of very hot water. You can also apply Retayne in a older top-loading washing machine, but not in a front-loading washing machine or a high-efficiency washing machine, because they do not allow you to use enough water. Here is the method:
1. First weigh your jeans, while they are still dry, so that you know how many pounds of fabric you have to treat.
2. If you are using a five-gallon plastic bucket, place your jeans in the bucket, and cover the jeans with enough VERY HOT water for them to move freely when stirred. You may need to heat some of the water on your stovetop in order to get your Retayne bath hot enough; it should be 140°F (or 60°C), which is hotter than most people set their water heaters to these days.
3. Remove the jeans to one side and, wearing waterproof gloves, mix the Retayne with the water, using one tablespoon (15 milliliters) of Retayne for every pound of dry fabric. (You would use one teaspoon for a yard of quilting fabric, which typically weighs about a third of a pound.)
4. Return the jeans to the water and soak them for half an hour, stirring occasionally to make sure all areas of the fabric are exposed equally to the Retayne. Wear gloves to avoid skin exposure to Retayne.
5. Launder the jeans as usual in cool water before wearing.
Unfortunately, Retayne will not work well to fix indigo. Most jeans are dyed with a particular dye called indigo, synthetic in origin but chemically identical to the indigo from plants. This dye falls into a peculiar category of dyes called vat dyes, in which the dye molecules do not actually attach to the fiber in the usual way. Instead, they are first chemically "reduced" to a water-soluble form, which penetrates the cotton fibers; then, when they are returned to the original "oxidized" state, they revert to insolubility, meaning that any particles of dye that are stuck inside the fiber are there to last.
Inferior dyeing practices leave a lot of indigo dye particles on the outside of the fibers, where it cannot be fixed. Good dyeing creates indigo-dyed fabric that will keep its color well, without dye bleeding; the fading of properly-dyed indigo jeans takes place as the dyed layers of cotton are worn away physically. Bad dyeing creates indigo that bleeds into the wash water, or that crocks, rubbing off on other clothing or furniture when worn.
The reason why Retayne does not fix indigo is because of the way it works. It is not a sticky glue. Instead, it is a positively-charged chemical. Both cotton and most dyes are negatively-charged molecules. Just as the north pole of a magnet will cling to the south pole of another magnet, Retayne will cling, by its electrical charge, to both the dye molecules and the cotton fiber molecules. Unfortunately for this, indigo is not a negatively-charged dye. Vat dyes, including indigo, have no positive or negative charge at all; their method of functioning works only on the change from a soluble form of the dye to an insoluble form. This means that Retayne does not work to fix indigo dye on fabric. In contrast, all-purpose dyes, direct dyes, fiber reactive dyes, and acid dyes are all negatively-charged molecules, so Retayne works quite well to encourage increased washfastness between dyes in those classes and the natural fibers on which they are used.
The only way to make indigo permanent, so that it does not fade, is to apply it correctly. There is no way to retroactively make the indigo in jeans stay dark forever. However, the color will stay dark longer if you always, every single time, turn your jeans inside-out before washing, so that there is less wear on the outside of the jeans, and always wash them in cool water. Cool wash water helps to keep dyes from washing out. Using cool water for laundering also extends the time over which Retayne is effective; laundering in hot water can eventually wash out the Retayne. You need hot hot water to apply Retayne, but hot hot water can also help to remove Retayne, so don't make a habit of washing in it.
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Where in Saskatchewan Canada can I find the Lanaset Jet Black B dye? I bought a gorgeous wool/cashmere ivory coat and would rather dye it than have it dry cleaned.
Name: Wendy
—ADVERTISEMENTS—
Linda Knutson's book
Synthetic Dyes
for Natural Fibers
provides a thorough introduction to hand-dyeing
Color in Spinning
by Deb Menz
mixing your own colors
with Lanaset dyes
Country or region: Canada
Message: I've never dyed anything before. Where in Saskatchewan Canada can I find the Lanaset Jet Black B dye? I bought a gorgeous wool/cashmere ivory coat and would rather dye it than have it dry cleaned. Thanks so much for your reply. I couldn't find this answer in the FAQ.
It's very difficult to find a source for this dye locally, so, like most serious dyers everywhere, you would need to order your dye online or by telephone. You can order Lanaset dyes from Maiwa Handprints in British Columbia, under the brand name of Telana. They are the exact same dyes, made by the same manufacturers; only the name is different. (Here is a link to the Telana dyes on the Maiwa web site.) This is an excellent dye for both wool and cashmere.
However, I can't recommend you try to dye your beautiful coat. Dyeing a wool coat is fraught with difficulties, especially if the coat is stained, since stains are difficult to cover using dye. It is essential to clean any garment thoroughly before dyeing it, as otherwise both visible and invisible stains will prevent the dye from reaching the fabric evenly, resulting in severe blotchiness.
Shrinkage is an serious issue; even if the coat is still large enough to fit you after you dye it, the wool/cashmere outer layer is very likely to shrink more than the lining of the coat, which will ruin the shape of the garment, especially in the shoulders. It is much better to dye wool before using it to construct a garment, so that any shrinkage presents fewer difficulties.
Another important issue is the expense of buying a sufficiently large non-aluminum dyeing pot, one which you do not plan to ever use for cooking food. Because wool requires considerable heat for dyeing, you cannot use a plastic bucket. You would need to buy a stainless-steel or enamelware cooking pot to do your dyeing in that is large enough for the coat to move around freely while submerged in the dye mixture; this pot would probably have to be five or ten gallons in size. A smaller pot will result in an uneven "tie dyed" effect, which can be nice but does not sound like what you are looking for.
I recommend this kind of project only for those who are already experienced in dyeing wool, and even then only in cases in which you are willing to take the risk of destroying the coat. It would be far better for you to start your dyeing experiences with either dyeing wool yarn, before knitting it into a garment, or dyeing cotton clothing. Your chances of success with those projects will be much higher.
Here's a link to another blog entry on my site about the difficulties of dyeing a wool coat: "How can I dye a washable bright yellow lined wool peacoat?".
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
Friday, January 04, 2013
Do you know where I can buy some ready made Procion dye in China?
Name: Robert
—ADVERTISEMENTS—
Country or region: USA to China
Message: I want to dye some cotton T-Shirts. Do you know where I can buy some ready made Procion dye in China as I live here now? Unless you recommend something else. I want colors Navy blue, Royal blue and Baby blue. Please help me.
I am sorry that I do not know about any sources for small quantities of dye in China. There are many dye factories in China that manufacture "Reactive M" or "Cold Brand" dyes, which are the same dichlorotriazine dyes as those sold as Procion MX dyes. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to find one which will sell you small quantities, less than a pound per color. You do not want to order an entire barrel of each of your dyes!
I recommend that you do a web search for "reactive cold brand dye", combined with the name of the nearest large city to you. It seems like Ali Baba, at http://alibaba.com, might be a good way to find a manufacturer, but I have never purchased through them, and haven't heard from anyone who has, so I don't know. If you get results that way, contact some of the dye factories and ask whether they can sell you samples of their cold brand dyes. You might be able to find a company that will be willing to send you small enough packages of dyes. A 100-gram sample would probably be sufficient for you.
You will also need to buy soda ash or washing soda, Na2CO3, but that should be easy, as this chemical has many uses in the household and in manufacturing.
The best way to specify which dyes you want will be to use the Colour Index generic names. For example, a good navy blue Procion MX type dye is Colour Index reactive blue 109, often referred to as blue MX-2G or blue M-2G. To find the generic names, look at the first table on my page, "Which Procion MX colors are pure, and which mixtures?". There are several good navy blues. The best medium blues are blue MX-G (or Colour Index reactive blue 163) and blue MX-R (or Colour Index reactive blue 4). You can also get a perfectly good royal blue by mixing some turquoise with a little fuchsia or magenta dye.
Do not buy a baby blue dye. Baby blue is what you get when you use a small amount of blue dye on white fabric. Instead of buying baby blue dye, use your medium blue or navy blue dye, diluted ten-fold with water, compared to the concentration of dye you would use for the more intense color. See my page, "How much Procion MX dye should I use?", and also take a look at my recent blog question and answer, "How can I gradate one color to get 10 different hues of that color?".
Good luck in finding a suitable dye supplier in your area.
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)
(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)