It's a good day to DYE

If you've ever ooooh and aaaaahed over the reed in JChoateBasketry's kits this week's blog entry is what you've been looking for.

What do I need to dye?

• A good place to do it.  I always dye OUTSIDE because I feel like it's the safest place to do so.  I'm not saying it's the only place but I tend to be exuberant in my workplace (aka a slob) and I don't want dye all over everything in my house.
• A heating source.  I use a deep fat fryer propane burner (with a bottle of propane of course).
• WARM water.  Hot tap water will do. It should be hot to the touch but NEVER boiling.
• Pans to heat water and hold reed.  I have several different types depending on what I'm dying that day.  #3 RR works good in a tall stainless steel soup pot.  Flat reed needs more space so I use those round rubber totes.  DON'T use porcelain lined canning pots.  I must have gone through 5 of them before I figured out that the salt was eating through them over time.
• Rubber gloves, to keep the dye off your hands.  If you forget put some bleach on them the dye will come right off but better to use the gloves.
• Wooden spoon for stirring the pot.
• Salt (LOTS of salt)
• Soda Ash (Arm & Hammer Washing Soda)
• Measuring cup, measuring spoon.
• Face mask.  It's a very good idea but because I'm dying outside I don't use this.
• 4 pounds of reed (for this demonstration we'll be using #3 RR)
• pieces of old wood and rocks to hold the reed down in the dye pot

 

 

 The Procedure:

• FIRST DAY:
• Put 4 pounds of reed in appropriate pan
• Pour WARM water on top and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes
• Pour off water into second pan.
• Add 1 pound (container) of salt and 2 tbls of dye.  I buy mine from ProChem Dye (procion or MX)
• Stir well until salt/dye is dissolved.
• Pour back on REED (thanks Cricket for catching this).
• Keep submerged with boards/rocks.
• Wait a day.
• 
• SECOND DAY:
• Pour off dye into second pan.
• Add 1 cup of washing soda, stir well.
• Heat until WARM.  NOT hot, and definitely NOT boiling.  If it boils it's ruined and the fumes are TOXIC.  It should be steaming and warm to the touch.
• Pour back on reed.
• Keep submerged with boards/rocks.
• Wait a day.

• THIRD DAY:
• Pour off dye bath 
• Hang reed to drip and dry completely before storing.  I mean CRISPY dry with not a hint of moisture.

 

Things I've learned about Dyeing:

• The appropriate pan makes a BIG difference in how the dye takes.  Flat reed needs to expand more to take the dye while #3 RR can fit in a compact space and takes the dye fine.
• SALT is the necessary mordant for the dye to take on your reed however SALT also draws moisture.  If you are in a humid environment that can mean that your reed will get wet and also it CAN cause mildew if not corrected.
• Flip it - flip it good.  When dying flat reed, half way through the process (with a gloved hand) grab that reed and flip it over.  The reed at the bottom always takes better and it moves things around so your dye takes better.
• If you don't like the color or it didn't take well you can ALWAYS re-dye.
• Storing your reed in a SEALED PLASTIC BAG?  You've just created a hot house for mold growth if there was ANY moisture in it at all.  

WE NOW SELL OUR BOUTIQUE DYED REED IN SEASON (meaning not winter) - CLICK HERE

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