Asking for More Info on Dying Kilt Hose

[Riverkilt]

O'Neille mentioned dying white kilt hose with tea to get brown kilt hose. Didn't want to steal that thread.

Would like more info on dying white wool kilt hose. The tea idea is intriquing since my area is lousy with sage and it'd be cool to dye up some sage colored kilt hose.

I have way more pairs of white kilt hose than I need, bought early on in my kilt addiction before I "got it."

Most curious about how to keep the newly dyed colors from fading - both onto my leg if I sweat, and when being hand washed.

Thanks for any help.

Ron

[Woodsheal]

American black walnut hulls will yield a very nice brown, but I don't imagine you have alot of walnut trees there!

And, colors derived from natural dyes will generally fade over time, from exposure to sunlight, and laundering. They're not as "fast" as modern chemical dyes, which you can get at your drugstore, and work great. Look for "Rit" brand dyes - very easy to use right in your washing machine....

[cavscout]

I've heard of people using white vinegar to set the dye. Here's a web site that outlines it pretty weel

http://www.amherst-antiques-folkart....ooking_Dye.htm

[neo71665]

Chewing tabacco lends a rich dark brown. I can get black walnut shells if the price is right

[O'Neille]

Tea is a little different. It actually gets a little darker before it starts to fade. Think green tea...if you leave it out overnight you have tea colored tea the next day. Just remember not to put your hose in boiling hot tea. Let it cool until it is very warm, not hot. I've never had a problem with it coming out. I just soak them and let them dry.

Here is a great site for natural dyes http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

[Wompet]

Cavscout & O'Neille,
Thanks for the links. I've been planning on doing some fabric dying prior to making the next kilt, and those sites will help with some of the details.

[JimB]

Ron,
Be careful with the natural dyes. You're in the right place to check out some of the navajo dye charts that they sell at the trading posts. A lot of things give some suprising colors. Sage may not give you a green that you'd like.
I'd agree with the suggestion to go with the RIT dyes.
Tea is an intriquing idea though.

Just as an aside, I had no problem finding brown hose at the local Scottish shop. The color I'm having trouble finding is grey.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

JimB,

Try asking for oatmeal, which to me appears grayish, but on the beige side.

[Riverkilt]

Thanks Jim,

I have the Navajo Hopi book on dying wool. Looks like the sage comes out sort of a yellow with a greenish tinge. The sage that's so heavy around here is a "Sand Sage" with little tiny leaves, not the broadleaf sage from farther north, or even up in the higher country around here.

And, Sand Sage isn't in the dye book....could be a wild experiment...

Ron

[Pleater]

Getting the right colour can be a long process, you can change the shade, or sometimes the colour with the pH of the dye bath, also using an iron container often 'saddens' the colour.

There are some chemicals which will act as a mordant, hanging onto the colour with one 'hand' and the fabric with the other, so keeping the colour fixed on during washing - though it can't help if the dye fades in sunlight. You dissolve the mordant and soak the fabric in it before imersing it in the dye bath.

You might also need to know the fibre content of the item you are dyeing, particularly if you are using chemical dyes, as some work on plant material such as cotton and some on proteins such as wool, and they often require different mordants and conditions of pH and heat.

Some things, such as tea or coffee are what I call stains - requiring very little help to colour a fabric, or even skin.

When dyeing you do need to use a large container in order to get an even take up of the colour. About twice the minimum size for washing cloth of that length and width, because whilst it does not really matter if the suds hit a particular part of the cloth thirty seconds after the rest, it will result in an uneven colour if it is a dye bath, where you are relying on exposing every part of the cloth to the same concentration of dye for the same length of time.