Crochet guide
Dyeing crochet
Crochet can be dyed if its fiber takes the dye. Cotton and other plant fibers take the cold dyes used for tie-dye. Wool takes acid dyes, set with heat. Acrylic takes neither. You can dye the yarn before you crochet with it, or tie-dye or dip the finished piece.
On this page 8 parts
What decides it: the fiber
Dye bonds with the fiber. So the question is never whether a thing is crocheted. It is what the yarn is made of. The yarn's label names the fiber. Crochet yarn types explains the kinds.
| Fiber | Dye that works | How it is set |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton, linen and other plant fibers | Fiber-reactive dye, the kind in tie-dye kits | Cold, with soda ash |
| Wool and other animal fibers | Acid dye. Food coloring is one | Heat, with vinegar or another acid |
| Acrylic, polyester and other synthetics | Neither of those. Only a dye made for synthetic fibers | Very hot water, near boiling |
Three things follow from the table.
- Acrylic is the hard one. The first two dyes do not hold on it. Dyeing it takes a dye made for synthetic fibers and a pot kept close to boiling.
- Blends come out paler. In a blend, each fiber takes the dye differently. The color is lighter or uneven.
- The wrong pair does not last. A dye that does not suit the fiber gives a pale color that washes out.
Dye the yarn first, or the finished piece?
Dye can go on at either stage.
The yarn first. Yarn is dyed as a loose loop, tied in several places so that the dye reaches every strand. It is then rinsed, dried and wound into a ball. Winding yarn into a ball covers the winding.
The finished piece. Tie-dye and dip dye are done on finished things. The how-tos are written for cloth garments, and the same rules of fiber apply to a piece of crochet.
A warning for wool at either stage. Wool felts when it is stirred hard or moved between hot and cold water. Stir gently, and let it cool before you rinse it.
Tie-dye on a finished piece
Tie-dye is a resist method. The piece is folded and bound so that the dye cannot reach every part. Where it is bound tight, it stays lighter. With fiber-reactive dye on a plant fiber, the usual steps are these.
- Wash the piece first. Oils and dirt keep the dye out.
- Fold and bind it. Fold, twist or crumple the piece, and bind it with rubber bands or string.
- Soak it in soda ash, if the dye calls for it. Some kits have it in the dye already.
- Put the dye on. Squeeze it from bottles onto the bound piece, or dip the piece into a bucket of dye.
- Keep it damp and wait. Wrap the piece in plastic and leave it for several hours. The longest wait given is about a day, for the strongest color.
- Rinse and wash it. The last part of this guide says how.
Dip dye
For dip dye nothing is bound. Part of the piece, or part of a loop of yarn, is lowered into the dye. Another part can then go into a second color.
How to rinse and wash a dyed piece
- Rinse in cold water until no more color comes out of the piece. That is the loose dye leaving it.
- Wash it by itself for the first few washes. Dye can still come out and color other things.
- After that, care for it as its fiber asks. How to wash crochet goes through each fiber.
Before you start
- Wear gloves. Dye stains skin.
- Wear a dust mask when you mix dye powder or soda ash.
- Read the dye's own instructions. Dyes differ, and the packet has the last word on amounts, heat and safety.
Questions people ask
Can I dye acrylic yarn? Not with tie-dye kits or food coloring. Those dyes do not hold on acrylic. Only a dye made for synthetic fibers works, with very hot water.
Can I dye yarn with food coloring? On wool and other animal fibers, yes, with vinegar and heat. Plant fibers and acrylic do not hold it well.
Can I tie-dye a cotton piece I have already made? Yes. Cotton is the fiber that tie-dye kits are made for.
Where to go next
- For color worked in as you crochet, see changing colors and stripes.
- For choosing colors that go together, see crochet color combinations.