CUSHING ACID WOOL DYES

Cushing Acid Dyes are suitable for wool, mohair, nylon and some silks. They are not intended for cotton or other cellulosic fibers. The term “acid” refers to the pH of the dye bath.

Material to be dyed should be pre-washed with a mild detergent, and should be wet through when it goes into the dye-bath.
Dissolve the dye powder in a small amount of boiling water; this is the dye solution. A pack of dye will dye a pound of fiber to a medium shade.
The dye-bath consists of water, vinegar, water softener if the water is hard, and the dye solution.
You will need a big enough dye-pot, and enough water, for your material to move freely. Otherwise it will not dye evenly. Add a cup of common white vinegar per pound of material to make the dye-bath acid. If your water is hard, fabric softener can aid the dyeing process by allowing better penetration of the dye into the fiber. Finally, add the dye solution and stir thoroughly.
Enter the pre-washed and wetted material and start to heat. Continue to stir as the dye-pot comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
The dye-bath will become clearer as it is exhausted; that is, as the color is taken up into the goods. Different colors take up at different rates. For example, blue takes up faster, and at lower temperatures, than yellow. So a green dye, made up of blue and yellow, will start out by turning the fiber mostly blue. The yellow will develop later, making green. If the goods are removed prematurely, uneven or off-shade (in this case excessively blue) dyeing may result. It is important to let the dye-bath simmer till take up is complete.
After the dye-bath is exhausted, remove the pot from the heat and allow everything to come to room temperature. Rinse the material well in cold water and allow to dry.