Hand Painting with Dye

Another way you can apply the dye to your yarn is called hand painting. This method gives you more precise and repeatable blocks of color, and can even be used to create long color repeats, like self striping yarns.

I like to have several things available when I do this, here is a list.

First, an apron or old clothes, because this process can get quite messy. I also do this on a table outside in the back yard, because I don't like dye all over my kitchen floor.
Some plastic wrap.
Jars or squeeze bottles.
A Microwave
Dye stock and of course yarn.

First lay your plastic wrap out, you want enough length wise to match the length of the yarn, plus a little, and enough width wise to wrap it all up like a burrito.

In this picture I have my dye up in the upper right corner, and my skeins in the pot soaking in an acidulated water solution (just water with a glug of vinegar). The skein I am about to dye is on the plastic wrap on the left, laid out neatly.



Next, I apply the dye. I pour it on, leaving a tiny bit of white space between. You can always add more dye, but I don't want it to run together and muddy my colors, so I leave that white space and then squish it around with my fingers to get it where I want. Make sure to check the yarn strands closest to the table! Sometimes the back side gets white spots as the dye all binds or "strikes" the top of the yarn.




















Next, I roll up my yarn in the plastic wrap like a burrito, they are really pretty when in jellyrolls like you see to the right here.

I put these rolls onto a microwave safe plate and heat them in the microwave, 2 minutes on, 5 minutes rest, repeat 2 more times, and then let it cool in the jellyroll overnight. Your microwave times may be different, but you want to get it VERY hot, at least 180 degrees at the center, but not boiling. After cooling overnight, you can unroll the yarn, rinse it in clean water until the water runs clear, and then hanging it to dry on a rack.