Greenwood Fiberworks

Something New

Dyeing fiber is one of my favorite things to do, and even though I've been doing it for many years, I've never tried dyeing nylon. I've heard that nylon, although a synthetic fiber, can be dyed using the same acid dyes used on protein fibers. Always being one to test things out, I thought I'd give it a go.

I decided to try dyeing Louet's sparkling white icicle fiber. I've used the white fiber in some of my blended fiber batts to add glitz and sparkle. Wouldn't if be fun to dye it in colors? My only concern was if it would still sparkle after being dyed.

In my non-scientific way, I wetted the fiber, put it in different dye pots, added water, poured in "glugs" of dye along with a bit of albegal set and citric acid, then heated the pots until the dye bath was clear. I rinsed the fiber and laid it out to dry. I was pleasantly surprised to see how vibrant the colors were, and even more surprised to see that they still sparkled!

The next day I blended the fibers with some black wool and sari silk/rayon threads and created "Northern Lights" Batts. I think I'm in love!