{"id":15257,"date":"2015-09-22T08:51:10","date_gmt":"2015-09-22T13:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prairiewoodbasketry.com\/?p=15257"},"modified":"2018-02-02T07:08:45","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T13:08:45","slug":"dying-my-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prairiewoodbasketry.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/22\/dying-my-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Dyeing – my way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every weaver who dyes their own reed has their own method; there really are many ways to dye reed. Some ways, of course, are more effective and produce\u00a0better color and colorfastness.\u00a0Last time I wrote about dyeing reed, I just talked about the product I use most often, Rit dye. Today I am going to cover dyeing terms, water\u00a0and the process I use when I dye reed with Rit.<\/p>\n

Dyeing Terms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Natural Dyes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0are dyes that come directly from a natural source. There are several ways to extract and use these dyes, some are safe and non toxic, some are just as poisonous and dangerous to work with as chemical dyes. \u00a0If you are interested in using natural dyes you should invest in a good book about natural dyeing.<\/p>\n

Direct Dyes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0are the most commonly used dyes. Reed absorbs a direct dye, so the more dye the reed absorbs, the deeper the color. Using very hot water in your dye bath helps color intensity and colorfastness, using a mordant will help color adhere to the reed.\u00a0Direct Dyes are not very colorfast, they will fade over time. Rit and Comcraft are direct dyes.<\/p>\n

Fiber Reactive Dyes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0cause a\u00a0chemical reaction between the dye and the reed. Reactive dyes used on reed are formulated for cotton so while they are much more colorfast than direct dyes, light will cause them to fade. Pro-Chemical is a fiber reactive dye.<\/p>\n

Mordant<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>also called\u00a0a fixative, helps the dye adhere to the fiber\/reed.<\/p>\n

\"100_6352\"Water<\/strong><\/p>\n

Water is the main ingredient of a dyeing vat\u00a0and plays a major role in dyeing. Since it is full of chemicals, getting the water as neutral as possible will improve\u00a0your dyeing results. If you are not getting good dye results, use pH test paper<\/a> and a water-hardness test\u00a0to check your water.<\/p>\n

Hard water – add water softener.<\/p>\n

Alkaline water – add vinegar.<\/p>\n

Acidic water – add clear ammonia.<\/p>\n

and<\/em>\u00a0chlorinated water should sit over night in an open container so the chlorine can evaporate.<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n