Amy Reader

Posted on: Acid dyes EgretMarch 12, 2021

Sunrise Speckled Egret

Speckles add such a fun dimension to any hand-dyed yarn. The pops of color peek through like little confetti adding cheer to anything you create. Today on the blog we are going to be dyeing up two skeins of EGRET with warm, sunrise-inspired speckles in a slow cooker. Two skeins is a great quantity of yarn for a cowl and the fine organic merino is soft against the skin. Perfect for giving as a gift to a friend, or for yourself!

Supplies

Two skeins EGRET

Dharma acid dye in Brilliant Yellow, Peach Blush, and Flamingo Pink

Small cups

Citric acid

Tongs

Spoons or popsicle sticks

Slow Cooker

Large bowl

Zip ties

Spray bottle with water (optional)

Prepare Your Yarn

Loop zip ties around each skein of yarn to keep them from tangling. Mix a solution of water and a dash of citric acid in a large bowl and add your yarn to presoak. Allow the water to be fully absorbed into the skein. This takes a few hours. Squeeze out as much excess water as possible. The drier the yarn the more defined the speckles will be. It should still be damp to the touch but not dripping. 

Prepare The Dye

Add a half teaspoon of citric acid each to three small plastic cups. In the first cup, add a quarter teaspoon of Brilliant Yellow powder dye to the citric acid and stir. In the second add a quarter teaspoon of Peach Blush and stir. In the third add a quarter teaspoon of Flamingo Pink and stir until the dye and citric acid are evenly mixed. The mixture should look like cinnamon sugar and be evenly distributed without any lumps.

Whenever you are working with dyes, be sure to wear respiratory protection the entire time the dye is in powder form. Ensure that any tools used for dyeing are only used for dyeing as they are not safe for food use.

Add The Dye

Lay the bottom of your first undyed skein of yarn flat in the bottom of the slow cooker. The rest of the skein will remain outside of the slow cooker for this part. Using a spoon or a popsicle stick, gently scoop out and shake the powdered dye and citric acid mix across the yarn. Less dye will result in more muted colors and more defined speckles. More dye will blend softly for a more painterly, watercolor effect. 

Once you have finished adding dye to the first section, lay the next section of yarn on top of the first. Gently shake and layer more of each of the citric acid and dye powder mixes onto the new section of yarn. Use tongs to move the different layers of yarn around to achieve your desired dye penetration. 

Continue adding more yarn and dye to the slow cooker one section at a time until you have sprinkled dye onto both skeins. Turn on the slow cooker to high heat up the yarn for 30 minutes. If desired, spray some sections with water to blend the colors in some areas and leave other areas with more defined speckles. I sprayed some of the yellow sections for a softer light background color and left the darker colors alone. 

Rinse and Dry

Turn off the heat after 30 minutes and allow the yarn to cool fully. Once the yarn is fully cooled, rinse it under cool water until the water runs clear. Squeeze out all of the excess water and hang the yarn up to dry. 

Once the yarn is dry, you’re ready to knit it into a cozy cowl, crochet it into a cheerful hat, or gift it to your creative friend. Don’t forget to tag us on social media #knomadyarn and share your dyed yarn! We can’t wait to see what you create.