eaiest way to dye wool shirt??

[adkmountainken]

I have a off white wool longhunter shirt that my mother made me, was going to use it for winter but the off white really stands out. would like to dye brown, grey or green if possible, any suggestions on how to do it?

[Tree Killer]

Take a look at the dyes from Dharma.  They have lots of different dyes. I use their acid dye for dying barred turkey feathers with great results.

 http://www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/

[Michael Arnette]

I used coffee with good results

[elkhunter-27]

Michael, thanks for the tip, I was hoping my wife's coffee would be good for something.  

I had a couple of solid grey wool shirts that I dyed. One I tried to just make brown and the other I tried to make brown blotches.  I used regular cloth dye stuff from the local store, that needed really hot water.  The one I sunk in the tub, squeezed out, and then tacked it to a piece of plywood.  The other I tie dyed.  The one that I dunked and tacked turned out to be the weirdest shaped thing that was ever made out of cheap wool.  I never found the right shaped little kid or midget that it would fit.   The tie dyed one got a little more on one sleeve than the other.  If you know anyone with a withered  right arm that is six inches shorter than his left arm,  I have custom wool shirt for him.

[BRITTMAN]

You need Acid dyes like trre killer was saying and some acetic acid . Water need to be at a boil for best results but you can dye at 160 degress but no lower . The procedure would be :
1. Big pot with wool shirt in water with 3 oz of liquid soap and dyes , mix for 5 min. cold.
2. Take up to a boil SLOW to insure dye is level  , keep dye bath mixing.
3. Add 1 oz. acetic acid watered down slowly while still mixing .
4. check color in 20 min
5. if color is ok let cool down to about 160 degree
6 . Rinse with cold water till clear .

Mike

[Pine]

Wallnut hulls soaked in water .
Make sure what ever you use to have the water cold or you can give the shirt to a small boy .

[lablover]

Originally posted by Graps:
Wallnut hulls soaked in water .
Make sure what ever you use to have the water cold or you can give the shirt to a small boy .

x2 it works great and is easy you can order hull dye through some of the long hunter sites if you don't have your own walnut trees available.

[Bobaru]

For dying protein (wool and feathers, etc), use an "Acid Dye."  Cotton fabric use a different type dye.

Acid Dyes work.

[BRITTMAN]

I've been Dyeing textiles for 33 years . It what I do for a living .

[Bladepeek]

BRITTMAN; and that hot water doesn't shrink the wool?

[Chuck Jones]

Spray paint the outside with flat brown paint. If you get it hot enough for the dyes to work, it will shrink.

[Chuck Jones]

Spray paint the outside with flat brown paint. If you get it hot enough for the dyes to work, it will shrink.

[Sam McMichael]

Have you ever taken a look at the polar bear? They are way off color, yet they are fairly successful hunters in the snow and ice. Be sure to research thoroughly so you don't shrink it.

[charles m]

Permanent market!!!

Don't dye.  Hot water is needed plus I think the ph has to be correct.

[charles m]

Is he going polar bear hunting???  Did I miss that?  Or, are the Adirondack a polar cap now???

[BRITTMAN]

Originally posted by Bladepeek:
BRITTMAN; and that hot water doesn't shrink the wool?

Not if it was pretty shrunk in the original process like it should be . Wool is dyed at 212 degrees for about 45 min. Then cooled down due to cracking of the fiber if you don't cool it down . Hot rinsed several times at 120 degrees then ran thru a fix process that keeps the color from bleeding at 160 degrees then more hot rinses at 120 degrees till clear , then softer at 110 degree

It it's quality yarn and dyeing process it will not shrink once in stores . If it's cheep yarn or
Not dyed and preshrunk right ( like China made goods) it will .

[woodchucker]

I'd just hide behind one of those big Beech Trees, Kenny...