RELAXED COLORING

 Making Dye Stock Solutions
Acid Dyes are for Protein fiber including silk and also nylon

Equipment
Measuring Cup Plastic (2 cup minimum) that you will dedicate to dyeing and not use for food
1 TBS of dye powder (in sampler it is the entire plastic packet)
Lots of Newspaper to product all surfaces
Boiling or at least very hot water in a measuring cup
Popsicle sticks or craft sticks to stir
Pint Jars either glass or plastic for hot dye
Dust Mask when handling the powder
Heavy rubber gloves and clothes you don’t mind getting dyed

Instructions
Prepare your work space.  Be very generous with newspapers or other protectors for the floor, table and/or counter surface.  Many people discourage working with any dyes except in an area that is dedicated to dyeing and not in the kitchen where you will be cooking.  It is easy to make the dye stock solutions outside if you wish but not on a windy day.  Remember the most danger is from the dry dye powder.  Please use a mask and dampen the paper to avoid contact with the dry powder.  Manufacturers have all the dangers listed on web sites. 

Put on a mask and then carefully empty the dye packet into the pint jar.  (I found out the hard way that it was not possible to use empty water bottles or dishwashing detergent bottles at this stage because the hot water can melt the plastic.)

Pour out almost two cups of very hot or boiling water and set aside.  If you prefer you can pour two cups and take out a couple of tablespoons.   Use a stick and a small amount of the water to make a smooth paste. (Some colors are harder to stir into a paste and you may need to add small amounts of water several different times.)  When you have a smooth paste, add the remainder of the water to make a pint.  You should now have one pint of dye stock solution that is close to a 1% dye stock solution. 

Please remember you can get as scientific about measurements as you wish.  The purpose of this tutorial is to get you started having fun.  If you enjoy dyeing, then the resources and methods are limitless.  If you follow the above method to make the dye stock consistently, then you can expect consistent colors as you learn to mix your formulas to make any color you can imagine.

If you use 1 tablespoon dye stock for each 1 ounce of protein fiber, then this amount of dye should dye 1 pound of fiber to a medium shade.  If you like pastels you can dye more fiber and if you want the darkest shades, you’ll dye less than a pound. 

The beauty of a stock solution is the ease of use and the limited amount of time you are exposed to the dry dye powder.  There are wonderful instructions available at sites such as www.prochemical.com, www.earthguild.com and many others.  If this sampler kit gets you addicted, you’ll want to explore the topic in depth.  This sampler and this method is just one way to get your feet—or rather your wool---wet and colored.  As with any fiber activity there are as many methods as there are dyers.

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