Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Craftsmanship => Accoutrements => Topic started by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 02:57:50 PM

Title: dying wool ??
Post by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 02:57:50 PM: anybody have any experience dying wool. i picked up a small point blanket at a garage sale cheap, but it is the brightest lime green you've ever seen, dam neer glows in the dark. would like to dy it a darker color, i figure brown is about my only choice.
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Post by: jasontn on July 08, 2008, 03:01:26 PM: theres a lady here in memphis,susan wallace, she posts a lot on frontier folk. she really knows her stuff about dying wools with natural dyes. ill see if i can get her contact info.
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Post by: Uncle Russ on July 08, 2008, 03:23:12 PM: Good question David.........I am also interested in dying some wool blankets, and my big concern is;
If I have a blanket that is color A, to start with, and I want to use color B, will my blanket turn out to be color B? Or, will I actually get color X?....In other words, what color(s) will I end up with?? :rotf
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Post by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 04:12:22 PM: was wondering that myself Russ. lime green and brown, what'd ya think i'll get, puke yellow maybe. might turn out worse than the lime green.
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Post by: Minnesota Mike on July 08, 2008, 05:03:56 PM: Got a red one that is good color - but seems determined to put bits and pieces of red fluff on everyone and everything it can . . . Can our blessed lady of the fabric save me too????

r/
MM
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Post by: jasontn on July 08, 2008, 05:47:15 PM: she may be able too she really knows her stuff about period fabrics and dyeing. i m awaiting her answer to a pm, cant find her contact info. i have had a lot of the same problems with colors too. tried to dye a shirt tan this weekend nad, well it kinda looks orange/green
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Post by: Uncle Russ on July 08, 2008, 05:50:02 PM: Quote from: "david32cal"
was wondering that myself Russ. lime green and brown, what'd ya think i'll get, puke yellow maybe. might turn out worse than the lime green.

I couldn't even begin to guess what color you might end up with.

Here is another example, from my list of bad experiences, and tells you in a nut shell everything I KNOW about dying blankets....

A couple of years back, I had a Gray blanket and wanted it Red. The only "Red" color I could find was "Red Cherry", I was hesitant to try it, but try it I did, and it turned out to be the nicest Red of anything I had at the time.

Now, here is something else to consider. A couple of years back Hawkeye, one of our own, found this outstanding sale at Harbor Freight on Red blankets....I immediately jumped in and ordered five of them, because, at the time , I somehow thought Red was the only color I would, or could, ever want.
These particular blankets are properly called "Shop blankets, or Fire Blankets", and I have been told by those who know a little bit about such things that "Fire Blankets", by law, must contain some kind of fire retardant......now my question is, was this the reason for the gawd awful color?? :evil:

Then, to add insult to injury, and from out of the blue, my wife calmly asks me what did I expect, with the Red being much darker or bolder than the Brown?
So we had a long discussion on the proper "mixin", along with some do's and dont's on doing every day laundry...about this time some of this witchcraft started to come into perspective....well kinda.

Bottom line, IMO, is this.... The chances of getting close to the desired color is always easier if you start with a lighter shade color, ie, white, or gray.
Then, if the moon is in the proper phase, four of any of the planets are in alignment, and the Tides are listed as 'out' for your area, you have a 50/50 chance of getting a good color.

Now, if the "blessed lady of fabrics", or anyone else, would kindly step up and show us the error in our ways, I feel confident it would be most appreciated ny many.

Uncle Russ...
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Post by: jasontn on July 08, 2008, 05:58:19 PM: i did find this

http://www.wyomingagclassroom.org/_pdf/ ... ngWool.pdf (http://www.wyomingagclassroom.org/_pdf/_agtivities/DyingWool.pdf)
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Post by: Uncle Russ on July 08, 2008, 06:17:50 PM: Wow Jason, that's a good one for sure. I ear marked that puppy!

Now, if you can just get your blessed lady of the fabric over here, I think she just might be an over-night sensation.

Sooooo much to learn, sooooo little time!

Uncle Russ...
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Post by: Mitch on July 08, 2008, 06:23:32 PM: to dye a lime green blanket-best thing I've used is nut hulls-walnut,hickory or pecan...use a mordant on the fabric first for best results. this is my way and the way I was taught by some top notch dyers in Arkansas-mix up 1 pound of salt, one gallon of vinegar, and one gallon of water. I use a 5gal bucket for this. Put the fabric in the bucket, let it soak good, wring it out(back into the bucket). then the fabric goes in the dyebath for "awhile"....works good and with nut hulls, you'll get a nice brownish blanket...good luck
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Post by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 06:38:53 PM: wonder how Rit dye would do. is that what you used on the Harber Frieght blankets Russ.
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Post by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 06:43:37 PM: wonder if i might have better results going a darker green instead of trying to go to a compleatly different color.
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Post by: jasontn on July 08, 2008, 06:48:00 PM: rit dye is a funny thing. i use it a lot but sometimes get some goofs on it. if you use it you may try some of the coco brown. i used tan on the knife sheath i just sent you a picture of, it was originally white. i never thought of kool aid till i seen that site. only thing is i have never seen a brown color of it. still waiting to hear from susan. sent her an invite here too.
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on July 08, 2008, 06:55:30 PM: One thing you might try guys is to use the rit color remover on the blanket first then try the dye, the wife did that with some curtains we had and they went from brown, to a real nice ecru color with the remover then died with a navy blue, turned out great!
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Post by: jasontn on July 08, 2008, 06:57:14 PM: how did she get the rit to set? i been having trouble with it bleeding out
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Post by: tac on July 08, 2008, 11:28:47 PM: Hello all ,
I took rit die (lite brown ) and poke
beeries mixed them in a wash tub
and died a shirt turned out kind of a
Oringes brown not bad I like it .
To set rit die you need to add
salt, I add about 2 or 3 hand fulls
and stir in good that seems to work
for me .Hope this helps .
TAC.
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Post by: david32cal on July 08, 2008, 11:36:59 PM: only cold water for wool....right?
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Post by: tac on July 08, 2008, 11:42:39 PM: David ,
I have used warm water on wool
wash it in the washing michine first
leave it wet then put it in the die.
TAC
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on July 09, 2008, 12:24:36 AM: She sets it in ice cold water, even adds cubes to the washer then into the dryer, course they were curtains that could be wahsed and dryed, wool and a dryer .. not a good thing unless you want that blanket for a cabbage patch doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by: Uncle Russ on July 09, 2008, 10:04:17 AM: Quote from: "BEAVERMAN"
She sets it in ice cold water, even adds cubes to the washer then into the dryer, course they were curtains that could be wahsed and dryed, wool and a dryer .. not a good thing unless you want that blanket for a cabbage patch doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jim Beau, I should have been talking to you all along about this.
I know, beyond a doubt, there is very little in this game that you haven't "dabbled" in a bit, and amassed a tremendous, overflowing, store of knowledge in doing so.

Still yet, while knowing all this, I can not think of you without thinking of leather. Leatherman = Beaverman!

When I think Beaverman, I think of quality leather work! Plain and simple.
When I think Jim Smith, I think of a fellow Buckskinner with many talents, plus a very close and dear friend of the family....Go figure!

Uncle Russ...
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Post by: BEAVERMAN on July 09, 2008, 01:01:59 PM: Quote from: "RussB"
Quote from: "BEAVERMAN"
She sets it in ice cold water, even adds cubes to the washer then into the dryer, course they were curtains that could be wahsed and dryed, wool and a dryer .. not a good thing unless you want that blanket for a cabbage patch doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:oops: :oops: :rotf :shake