To dye or not to dye

Have you tried dyeing your own yarn? If you haven't, what is holding you back?

Is it the daunting task of picking out colours?

That you don't have the materials?

Or that you don't have days to spend labouring away on a work of art?

That you don’t know why to bother creating your own colourways when there are so many other talented dyers out there?

I've got some tips below to start you on your hand dyed journey!

1. Choosing colours

Creating your own colourways has so much freedom, but it can be daunting to pick out colours and start dying. My advice is to just jump in and go for it, don't worry about making it perfect as you can dye over it later anyways. 

Hop on to Pinterest and search 'colour combinations' or 'colour theory' for some gorgeous pairings!

It also helps to take inspiration from your surroundings. See a gorgeous sunset or blooming garden? Jot down some colours that you can use to craft a skein of yarn with!

2. Dyeing Materials?

There is lots of information on the internet about acid dyes or toxic dye powders, which can turn off a beginner dyer. 

Did you know that you can use food dyes as a long lasting, non toxic alternative? I love Wilton's food dyes as they have gorgeous, long lasting colours!

This is a great way to ease into dying, as you can practice with materials you already have in your kitchen before you invest in expensive equipment.

You can also dye with natural ingredients such as plants from your garden! The yarns on the right was dyed using onion skins and rosemary, which both gave beautiful colours without being toxic!

Some other natural materials I’ve dyed with include avocado seeds, yellow onion skins, and blackberries.

3. Too much yarn, too little time!

Are you worried about the lengthy hours and days spent intensively dyeing yarn that may not even turn out?

What if I told you that this process takes less than 15 minutes (yup, you read that right!) and you’ll end up with a gorgeous skein of yarn?

It’s true that the yarn does need to dry, but you can leave it to air dry on a washing line just as you would clothes.

4. What’s the point when there are so many other dyers?

Dying yarn is an incredibly rewarding process, and it means you can create the colours that you want, whenever you want.

It’s fabulous to support other small businesses, and I love to (and encourage you to) buy from indie dyers! However, it is also fun to be able to make your own. You are also more likely to finish projects with yarn that you have dyed yourself (no more wips from 4 years ago…) and see the process through to the end.

How to dye?

I’ve got a few tutorials on dyeing your own yarn and there are so many ways to learn on the internet. I actually learned how to dye with food colouring from Narda Campbell, a Sydney based designer with this course. You can also watch my full tutorial on dyeing yarn with rit dyes here.

Have I convinced you to try dyeing yarn? If you do, I’d love to see what you make! Tag me (@lilypurldesign) so that I can see your fabulous creations.