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If you've ever wondered what the process behind a hand-dyed skein is like, today I'm opening the doors of my workshop to tell you how I prepare the wool before dyeing it (this post is the beginning of a series in which I will teach you the complete dyeing process for Yarnitas skeins).
Properly preparing skeins before dyeing is very important for achieving perfect results and long-lasting colors, although this pre-dyeing step often goes unnoticed.
Why is it so important to prepare wool before dyeing it?
Although most of the wool we dyers use comes labeled as clean or ready to dye, the truth is that it's necessary to ensure that those skeins are actually clean and free of any residue. From the moment the wool is sheared, it goes through a number of different processes until it reaches our hands: washing, carding, spinning, and sometimes specific treatments like superwash , etc. All of these processes can leave dust, impurities, or oils on the wool, even if they're not visible. And of course, this affects how each skein absorbs the color from the dye bath. Preparing the skeins before dyeing ensures better dye absorption, resulting in more vibrant and long-lasting colors and a softer texture in the final skein.
How I prepare each skein
The first thing I do is open the skeins and check them for knots, loose ends, and anything else that shouldn't be there. I also attach a reusable cable tie to make it easier to remove them from the water, place them in the dyeing trays, etc. The ties also help prevent the skeins from tangling during the dyeing process, even though the skeins come pre-prepared.
Next, I wash each skein by soaking it in cold water and a neutral soap (without perfumes or additives). I first soak them in the water with the added soap and let them sit for at least 30 minutes. This way, I ensure the soap does its job and all the fibers are completely saturated. I give them a little shake occasionally, but there's no need to rub or twist anything.
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Once the soap has worked, I rinse the skeins with clean water. I like to fill a bucket with water and put all the skeins in, this way I make sure any soap residue comes out and they're clean. I drain all the skeins well.
From here, there are two possible uses for the skeins: if I'm not going to dye them that day, I let them dry and then store them. However, if I'm going to work with them, I soak them in clean water, waiting for the dye bath. Whenever we dye, we need the fiber to be damp so that the color is absorbed evenly. If we put dry wool in a dye bath, all we'll end up with are areas or patches with different color intensities as the wool soaks, and that's not what we want!
Occasionally I soak them in water with citric acid, but that's something I'll explain another day ;)
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After this little preparation, the skeins become a perfect blank canvas, ready to absorb the colors intensely. This small pre-dyeing step seems insignificant, but it's actually essential for everything to turn out just right!
Would you like to see the entire dyeing process on video? I'm preparing content to show you what a dyeing session is like from start to finish, so stay tuned or subscribe to the newsletter so you don't miss out.
