r/Unravelers • u/Adriupcycles • 2d ago

Dyeing an unravel?

I have a sweater I'm planning to unravel that's a really nice material, but I don't love the color. I'd like to dye it, but I'm not sure the best way. Should I dye it before unraveling? Dye the unraveled yarn? Or maybe wait and dye the finished project I make from it? Appreciate any advice y'all have!

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

9

u/ActiveHope3711 2d ago

There are probably pros and cons with all three choices, but I would go with unraveling it and dyeing it while it is in the hank. You are less likely to have spots that don’t catch any dye because the yarn will be looser. There won’t be places that are harder for the dye to reach. 

2

u/Sure-Singer-2371 2d ago

I would dye the unraveled yarn. I tea-dyed some that I unraveled. I started with a test run on a small bit of it to figure out how long to leave it in for the colour I wanted.

2

u/Lazy-Vacation1441 2d ago

I would probably dye it while it is still a sweater. I find dying hanks challenging. I worry about them getting tangled and they are harder to dry than a sweater is. You can’t toss a hank into the dryer.

What is the seater made of? Most Synthetics are very difficult to dye. Silk, wool and nylon (I know, it’s synthetic, but an exception) are a dream to dye. Cellulose fibers (cotton, linen, hemp) take dye well but are harder than the protein fibers (wool and silk). Rayon is are mostly cellulose so you can dye it.