Dyeing Animal Fiber: wool, mohair and alpaca

Animal fibers are dyed with acid dyes, a term that may sound scary to beginners, who imagine that the dyes themselves are caustic strong acids. In fact, the dyes are non-caustic, are often non-toxic, and are named for the mild acid (such as vinegar) used in the dyeing process, and for the types of bonds they form to the fiber. Acid dyes are used to dye animal or protein fibers such as wool, mohair, alpaca, cashmere and silk. We will prepare our fiber - which can be fleece, roving or yarn - by soaking it in a vinegar bath, prepare the dye by dissolving powder in hot water, apply dye to the fiber and then let the magic happen. Three different techniques will be explored: immersion dyeing, painting, and crockpot dyeing.

Students should bring: fleece, roving or yarn to dye, plastic ziplock bags to take fiber home in, gloves, apron.

 Materials Fee : 5 dollars: for citric acid. Fleece, roving or yarn may be purchased from the instructor by prior arrangement

Level: Beginner

Registration: Members $38 (23% discount), Non-members $46 (23% discount)

Instructor: Judi Jetson

What to bring/how to dress: fleece, roving or yarn to dye, plastic ziplock bags to take fiber home in, gloves, apron.

Please find our COVID and cancellation policies here

Interested in a Local Cloth scholarship? Apply here!