How steam dyeing is done

Steam dyeing is not as easy as microwave dyeing. But it isn’t hard either. It is fun to do and you can influence the colours while steaming, by sprinkling more dye at the spot where you want it. Another good thing is that you’ll need only very little dye. It doesn’t get flushed away with the water. You put the dye directly on the yarn/wool which never touches the water. The colours just steams into it. After dyeing there is hardly any dirty water left, so it’s a clean way too.

How the dyeing is done:

You'll need:
- Yarn (or unspun wool)
- Dye (powder) like Colortex
- Enamel rice cooking pot or…
- large enamel pot and a cake tray that fits in it plus 4 small twist-off jars
- Spray bottle
- Vinegar
- Liquid wool wash
- Disposable plastic ice spoons (one for each colour)

Pour approx. 2 cm water into the pot. Add a cup of vinegar and a cup of liquid wash;
Fill jars with water. Put them in pot and place tray upon them, so the tray doesn’t reach the water. (Or hang inner pot in rice pot)
Spread about 100 gr. wool/yarn out on tray /bottom;
Sprinkle a half or whole spoon of dye over yarn of each colour you want.
Spray yarn and dye with the spray bottle and divide colour over and trough the yarn;
Put pot on stove. Let it steam;
Spray the yarn again every 10 minutes;
Turn yarn/wool after about 20 min. to see if dye has reached all the yarn. If not, add a bit of dye.
After 30 min. you can add a second layer of yarn/wool. Add as much dye as for first layer;
Let it steam for 30, 40 more minutes, spraying every 10 minutes. (Turn second layer once too).
Take care you spray enough water so the pot doesn’t run dry.
Put yarn on rack to cool;
After it’s totally cold, rinse it in water three times. Add vinegar in last rinse
Leave yarn to dry.