How to Dye Wool in the Crockpot.

An Alternative dying method for a busy lifestyle

I’ve been processing my own wool for several years now. I got started after learning to run a fiber studio and hosting my first fiber festival in 2015. I studied hard under several very talented professionals who taught me to sheer, clean, dye, card, and spin lovely locks of all kinds. Needless to say, I got hooked!

Today we are going to talk about my favorite method for dyeing wool. With three kids running around, endless chores, and so much on my to-do list my head spins, I needed a hands-off method to get my dying projects done. A way to get it done without sacrificing a full day or more to the task. Enter my buddy the crockpot!

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The Crockpot or slow cooker is a lifesaver in most modern family homes. Who doesn’t love being able to get dinner going without worrying about having the stove on while you tackle the other things you need to get done? Some slow cookers can even be programmed to start while you are at work. How convenient right? so it only makes sense that it would be helpful when dying wool as well. Now here (I am going to treat you like I do my first graders for a second. Because you just never know) I am going to emphasize that you should never use the crockpot you cook in for crafting or dying purposes because….ewe! Seriously though, the chemicals in procion and acid dyes, the lanolin leftover in some wools, and the glues or chemicals in other crafts you might do can be poisonous so always have a separate designated pot for crafting.

For today’s project I am dying a small batch of alpaca wool.

If I am dying wool for a product, I usually have a much larger setup. For personal projects, my small 4-quart crockpot is simple and easy. When I am dying a small batch for my own personal use, I love to have a final project in mind. You may enjoy just seeing where the colors lead you. We all work in different ways, so go with your creative process. For this particular batch, I am thinking of a small soft shawl with some pretty fall colors. I plan to mix some alpaca, dyed green, with some natural brown alpaca, and some golden oranges and rusty reds. I want this blend to be soft and warm, so I may blend it with some angora and bamboo fiber as well.

Let’s get started. If your wool is not washed already this will be your first step. If you are unsure how to wash your wool without felting it, let me know and I can help. I wash my wool with unicorn scour in a hot tub. I love that it keeps my wools soft while stripping away the oils and VM or vegetable matter.

You can also use Dawn dish soap and it does a wonderful job of removing oils from wool as well.

This method of dying is easy on wool in all stages of processing from raw to roving to spun yarn. First, soak your wool thoroughly in plain warm water. Make sure you gently push out all the air bubbles and make sure it is fully emersed. Do this very carefully. Messing with the wool too much, while wet, can lead to felting which makes using it (unless you intend to felt it) very difficult. So gently push it down in the water and be very careful not to mess with it. Let it soak for a while till you're sure water has filled all the small air pockets in the wool. This step can be done in a small container, bathtub, bucket, etc. For a job as small as the one I am working on today you can just use the crockpot itself.

While your wool is soaking, you can begin mixing your dyes. This method works with all sorts of dying material from plant and bug-based to cool-aid, to food coloring, to acid dyes. Today I am using metal-free acid dyes from Greener Shades. I love this company for so many reasons. Like I said these dyes are metal-free and therefore much cleaner than other dying methods. This is important for me because I am in the country, on septic, and the water table is very close to the ground surface. The last thing I want to do is hurt my septic system or contaminate the groundwater. I love how vibrant the colors come out and I really love how cost-effective these dyes are. It does not take much powder to create vibrant beautiful colors. Here is the link if you would like to check them out!

I want this wool to be my main color in this blend. That deep evergreen color will be my base so that the vibrant reds and oranges really pop in the final blend. In mason jars, I combined warm water, a 1/4 a teaspoon of green, and 1/8 a teaspoon of blue to get an emerald-looking deep green. See I told you! You don’t need much to get beautiful colors.

Now my wool is thoroughly soaked, and my dye is mixed. Very gently drain the water from the container you were soaking your fiber in, careful not to tease the fiber too much. Then transfer the fiber into your crockpot. Now in future posts, I will show you how to create color combinations. Today I am just focusing on the process. If you are attempting to create multiple colors let me know and I can help you out. Now that we have the fiber drained and in the pot, pour your dye mix in and gently push the wool around to make sure it is completely covered. You should wear gloves to avoid harm to your skin.

Here is where things are going to be a little different depending on what you are doing. If you are dying raw fiber you are going to want to set the crockpot on low to avoid boiling. The movement of the bubbling will tease your fiber and felt it a bit making it harder to work with. If you are dying spun yarn or fabric or planning to wet felt, you can set the pot to high as felting won’t be an issue. Let the wool sit covered and in a well-ventilated area for at least four hours.

How do you know when it’s done? Take a plastic spoon or knife (a white one is preferable) and put it in the water above the fiber if the water is clear then the fiber has soaked in all the dye. If it is not let your fiber soak longer. once your fiber has soaked in all the dye, we are going to set the color by adding (and this is only for the acid dye) a bit of citric acid powder. This is included in the greener shades kit I mentioned above. Add 1 tsp of citric acid powder or substitute white vinegar for other types of dye, and gently mix it into the water. Let the fiber continue to soak on high for 10 to 20 minutes and then allow the fiber to cool.

With gloved hands remove the fiber from the pot and spread it out to air dry. I use a sweater drying rack like this one…..

for several reasons. The layers are mesh so the wool can dry on top as well as on the bottom with great airflow. I can use multiple racks for large projects or just one for small projects. It folds up into a small bag making storing it while not in use super easy. Note: I always place a towel on the lowest rack to catch any dripping that may occur during drying.

Here it is!

Beautiful green, just like I wanted. I hope your happy with the outcome you had.

Thats all it takes to get beautiful color without a whole days’ worth of work. Here are a few more recourses to help you with your dying.

In our next post, we will be discussing how to card, blend, and prepare fiber for spinning. Creating rolags, roving, and batts. If you like the next post in this series to come straight to you, sign up below for our fiber art email series.

Feel free to leave questions, comments, and your ideas in the comments below.

Have fun with all your projects!