Amy Reader

Posted on: Bristle Dyeing techniques Sand DuneApril 22, 2021

Mossy Green on Bristle

Spring is here and that means fresh green grass, flowers peeking their heads out of the earth, and new leaves growing on trees. One of the best sources for color inspiration, in my opinion, is out in nature. Today we are dyeing up a cozy, mossy green inspired by the beautiful greens found in the forest. Bristle yarn is a blend of merino wool and hemp and is 100% organic. This undyed yarn is the perfect yarn to kick off spring dyeing! The yarn is light and soft in hand and would be perfect for a spring crochet project where you are looking for a good mid-weight yarn and a medium level of warmth. Let’s get dyeing!

Supplies:

2 skeins BRISTLE yarn (This project is meant for BRISTLE, but SAND DUNE would also work well here!)

Dharma Trading Co Acid Dyes in EMERALD GREEN, PEACOCK BLUE, BRILLIANT YELLOW, and PEACH BLUSH

Metal chafing pan

3 cups for dye mixing

Tongs

Citric Acid

Gloves

Gram scale for weighing dye

PRESOAK YARN:

Fill your chafing pan with 2 inches of water and dissolve a dash of citric acid into the water. Add your undyed yarn and allow it to fully absorb all of the water – this takes about an hour. Drain the chafing pan and squeeze out any excess water so the yarn is damp to the touch but not dripping wet. Return the yarn to the chafing pan and lay it down so it lies flat inside the pan.

PREP THE DYE:

In one cup, dissolve .5 grams of EMERALD GREEN dye and 1 gram of citric acid in 6 ounces of warm water.

In a second cup, dissolve .25 grams of PEACOCK BLUE, .25 grams of BRILLIANT YELLOW, and  1 gram of citric acid into 6 ounces of water.

In the third cup, mix .5 grams of PEACH BLUSH into 1.5 grams citric acid. Do not add any water. This is for speckling later on in the process. Cover this cup and set it aside. 

When working with dye powders, be sure to wear a respirator mask and gloves for your protection. Additionally, any dishes and utensils used for yarn dyeing should be reserved only for dyeing and not used for food again.

ADD THE DYE:

Add the EMERALD GREEN dye first by pouring it onto the yarn in the chafing dish. Leave about 50% of the yarn bare. Use tongs to move the yarn around to achieve your desired level of dye saturation. 

Add the PEACOCK BLUE and BRILLIANT YELLOW dye mix onto the sections that were left bare previously. Use the tongs to shift the yarn around and work the dye into the yarn as desired. If some sections of yarn are stacked onto others, the dye may not penetrate fully leaving breaks of bare yarn. This can add a lovely bright effect to the finished yarn or you can choose to saturate each strand fully. Shifting the yarn around with tongs will help ensure the dye hits every strand of yarn.

HEAT SET:

Cover and add heat to the dyed yarn. Allow it to set for at least 15-30 minutes.

ADD THE SPECKLES:

The secret weapon of this dye recipe is the PEACH BLUSH. This adds just a hint of brown at the end and gives a subtle speckling to some sections of the yarn making it feel like that perfect splash of moss on the side of a rock while you’re on a hike in the woods.

Sprinkle the cup of PEACH BLUSH and citric acid overtop of the yarn working in sections and lifting the yarn up with the tongs to distribute the speckles throughout. 

Cover and return the yarn to heat for another 15 minutes.

COOL AND RINSE:

Allow the yarn to cool fully before rinsing it out. Rinse the yarn under cool running water until the water runs clear. Gently squeeze out the excess water and hang to dry.

Now you are ready to crochet a cute springy top, knit a shawl, or maybe some seed stitch pillows for your living room. Don’t forget to tag us on social media at @knomad_yarn! We can’t wait to see what you create!