Help with Coffee Dying Wool

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VixenSingsBlack
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Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Sat Feb 27, 2010 1:00 am

So, I keep trying coffee dying, and it keeps failing me. That matted piece of wool is the color I come out with; it's white wool dyed in strong, strong coffee boiling on the stove for ten minutes with vinegar. I want it to be the color of the felted dreadlock also in the picture. Any recommendations? Should I just give up on coffee and move on to something else?
Image
PS I actually tried Coca-Cola. The coloration seems to be right, not too yellow, but it didn't absorb a lot of the dye in the Coke. Bah!

I thought Wilton's Ivory food coloring my make it, but as you can see from the pics below it's REALLY orange, like a pumpkin. It's a beautiful color but not what I was looking for.
Image
Image

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Stilldawn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Stilldawn » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:16 am

try soaking the wool in vinegar water first then do the coffee or maybe even tea as I think it dyes better(like lipton or nestea). Not sure it will work but its worth a try, I know if you soak in vinegar first you need either no or very little vinegar in whatever your using to dye it with. Let me know

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CancerHybrid
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by CancerHybrid » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:42 am

i am pretty sure there was a thread on coffee and tea dying on the old board. but i have to go to work, so i dont have time to look.
*Manda*

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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by schwarz_engelblut » Sat Feb 27, 2010 3:36 am

I dye mine in a crock pot after felting :) came out pretty nice
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VixenSingsBlack
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:50 am

I soak for one half hour in 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water prior to dying. I then dye that exact same mixture and set it on the stove to boil. I've looked over coffee/tea dying tuts (that I can find) and I've asked a lot of questions about it myself, and I've tried several times. All with the same kind of cruddy, light colored result. Thank you for the suggestions I'll try tea again and see what happens.

Any other brown colored foods/drinks/natural items to try? I'm looking for something less yellow and darker.

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Stilldawn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Stilldawn » Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:58 am

well it was worth a try, I havent tried to get that color you are trying for so Im not sure what to suggest. what about tye dye dyes?

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miasmahair
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by miasmahair » Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:09 pm

Maybe if after you boil it for a bit, just turn the heat off and leave the wool in the cool coffee for, well, ages. I got some quite dark with just tea after leaving it in overnight. Or use (if you have any) a sort of biscuity, skin coloured or even a light natural wool instead of white. Like... these colours...
Image Image Image
They look sort of unnatural just as is, but get them in the coffee and they go a rather pleasing dark blonde. But yeah, try leaving it in overnight first and see how it goes (and make sure you show us! :D)

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brandalynn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by brandalynn » Sat Feb 27, 2010 4:52 pm

I know this works well for my henna, so maybe it's worth a shot in your case. Have you tried adding like 3 TBS of instant coffee to the ultra strong coffee you brewed up? When I add instant coffee to my brewed coffee with henna, it greatly enhances the brown colors, so perhaps it will work on wool. :?: Good luck. :)
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VixenSingsBlack
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:05 pm

miasmahair wrote:Maybe if after you boil it for a bit, just turn the heat off and leave the wool in the cool coffee for, well, ages. I got some quite dark with just tea after leaving it in overnight. Or use (if you have any) a sort of biscuity, skin coloured or even a light natural wool instead of white. Like... these colours...
Image Image Image
They look sort of unnatural just as is, but get them in the coffee and they go a rather pleasing dark blonde. But yeah, try leaving it in overnight first and see how it goes (and make sure you show us! :D)
I know that the color I am aiming for is natural colored lama's wool; I'd just order more but FraggleSpice has gone away. I can't afford lama's wool because it seems to be more expensive, but I have tried several different natural colored Merinos/Corriedales. However, they just aren't the same color as the lama's wool. The sheep's wool always seems to be more grey then I want or too dark. I will try leaving it in over night as you've suggested. I guess the stove would be off during that time, right?
brandalynn wrote:I know this works well for my henna, so maybe it's worth a shot in your case. Have you tried adding like 3 TBS of instant coffee to the ultra strong coffee you brewed up? When I add instant coffee to my brewed coffee with henna, it greatly enhances the brown colors, so perhaps it will work on wool. :?: Good luck. :)
I think we have some instant coffee! I will try this as well and see what happens.


Thanks a lot ladies!

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Jane Doe
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Jane Doe » Sun Feb 28, 2010 7:23 am

To get the color in your dreadlock, use onion skins.
It'll have a slightly richer/amber color but it's pretty close :)
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Stilldawn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Stilldawn » Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:11 am

I realise you are trying to get this one your own by dyeing but in the event that you can't try some of these....

How about starting with buff from here...

http://www.pacificwoolandfiber.com/Dyed%20Wools.htm

or something like the mocha/camel/buff from here....

http://www.theyarntree.com/store/fibers ... erino.html

or chino from here...

http://www.outbackfibers.com/superfine/ ... roving.htm

or mocha...

http://www.outbackfibers.com/fiber/ab1.htm

maybe the fawn from here....

http://www.norwegianwool.co.uk/coloursM ... lectorview

rust from here?

http://www.virginiafarmwoolworks.com.au ... titled.jpg

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VixenSingsBlack
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Sun Feb 28, 2010 4:36 pm

http://www.pacificwoolandfiber.com/Dyed%20Wools.htm
http://www.outbackfibers.com/fiber/ab1.htm
http://www.theyarntree.com/store/fibers ... erino.html

I'm 90% certain the three sites above are all selling the exact same mass produced wool roving. There's a wholesaler called Ashland Bay; those 3 websites are buying in bulk from Ashland Bay and reselling on their website, just like BlueGooseGlen.com does. I've seen mocha and buff; mocha is too green, buff is way too light.

http://www.norwegianwool.co.uk/coloursM ... lectorview
Fawn from these people might just work. But it's really stupid expensive because it's from the UK. And then I spend all that money, and what if it's not the right color? It all goes down the drain.

I still have 3/4 pound of white wool to be dyed; I'll just keep moseying down that road. But thanks for that Norwegian Wool site; when I'm desperate enough I'll go to that.

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Stilldawn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Stilldawn » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:25 pm

What if you used the dying methods you are doing on top of the buff?

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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by VixenSingsBlack » Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:45 pm

Stilldawn wrote:What if you used the dying methods you are doing on top of the buff?
Hmmm.... yes, yes! I think I still have a little bit left of the buff. I'll pull it out and try dying it. Buff is a lot pinker than you'd think, but with the yellow from the coffee maybe they'll balance out and be wonderful.

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Stilldawn
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Re: Help with Coffee Dying Wool

Post by Stilldawn » Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:48 pm

Good Luck!

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