Aurinko Dyes Dye Instructions

Aurinko weak acid dyes are for use on wools silks, mohair, dog or other animal fibres. They will not work on cottons, linens or synthetic yarns. Aurinko dyes are environmentally friendly as there is very little waste. All of the dye solution can be used. The afterbath of the dyepot should be clear (look like water) when all the dye has been absorbed. This can be safely disposed of in your sink. Aurinko dyes are premixed with water into a liquid concentrate, so there is no messy handling of dye powders required. Just add some of the dye solution to hot water dyebath and add vinegar. The household vinegar is used as the "acid" that will set the dye colour. It takes about 20 minutes of heat to set the colour. The dyes have a long shelf-life. They can be stored and used again. All of the 6 colours can be mixed to obtain an infinite range of colour.

Safety Precautions

• Keep all dyes out of the reach of children.
  
• Do not use the same pots for dyeing as you use in your kitchen.
  
• Try to do dyeing outdoors (not in your kitchen).
  
• Use precautions when handling hot liquids (just as you would in your kitchen).
  
• Always wear rubber gloves and protective clothing when handling dyes.
  
• Dyes will stain your hands or skin on contact(eventually this wears off)
  
  
• In case of contact with skin:
  
• Immediately flush skin with plenty of water.
  
• In case of contact with eyes:
  
• Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes

• Shake the dye bottle well before use.
  
• 1 ounce of dye will dye approx. 1 lb. Of wool, depending on the colour that you want, and the type of fibre you are dyeing. Deeper and more complex colours may require more dye. Also some fibres absorb dye easily and give intense colour, others dye to lighter shades.
  
• Fill a dyepot with hot water.
  
• Add 2 Tbsp. Vinegar to 1 oz. Of dye.
  
• Stir.
  
• Add wet fibre or yarn to the dyepot.
  
• Heat for 20 minutes or longer, until all the dye is absorbed, or you have achieved the colour that you want.
  
• Turn off the heat and let the fibre cool before removing it from the dyepot.

Additional Notes re: Dyes

• Each colour is absorbed by the fibre at a different temperature. The blues and greens require less heat to be absorbed.
  
• The Magenta requires a hotter temperature - almost boiling, and takes longer to begin to react and dye the yarn.
  
• Black can be difficult to dye. Black is a combination of all of the colours. You might notice that as you are dyeing with black, the fibre might look blue and the dyepot may still have some pink or red dye left in it. If so, leave the fibre or yarn in for a bit longer, and increase the heat slightly. This is because the magenta shades of the dye have not absorbed into the fibre yet.
  
• Black can also be used when mixing colours, to darken the shade.
  
• If you find that you have lots of dye in the dyepot and your yarn isn't taking the colour, remove the yarn from the pot and add a bit more vinegar to the dyebath. Stir, and put the yarn back in.
  
• If the dyebath is clear, and your yarn isn't the right shade, remove the yarn from the dyebath. Add a bit more vinegar and some more dye. Stir well and put the yarn back in.
  
• If your yarn isn't dyeing evenly and looks "splotchy", there is too much vinegar in the dyebath. Remove the yarn, and add a drop of dishwashing liquid to the dyebath. This will neutralize the vinegar. You won't be able to rescue the yarn and get even colour. You will have to dye more yarn. However, you can redye the yarn using a variegated dye method, such as painting or rainbow dyeing.
  
• If you are finished dyeing, and you have dye left in the pot - don't throw it out. You can reuse it. Just let it simmer until some of the water has evaporated, and you can pour it into a jar for storage. (Let it cool first.)
  
• If the dye develops a bit of mold, this is because there was some vinegar in the dye solution. This can be safely scraped off, and the dye can be used.