Dyeing Instructions
Prep the Socks
To pre wash your socks to remove any sizing in yarn, fill dishpan or sink with 4 quarts [4L] of hot water (if your water is hard, use filtered or distilled water), ½ tsp [2.46 mL] Synthrapol and your Panda Cotton socks. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Soda Soak the Socks
Pour out water and squeeze excess water from socks. Soda ash is a fine powder and may be inhaled, so wear a dust mask for protection when you do the next step. Don dust mask and rubber gloves, then fill dishpan with 4 quarts [4L] of hot water (see above recommendation for hard water) and 1 cup [236mL] soda ash, making sure soda ash is thoroughly dissolved. Add socks and soak for 30 minutes.
Mix the Dyes
Dye is a fine powder and may be inhaled, so wear a dust mask for protection. While wearing rubber gloves, measure out 1 tsp [4.92mL] Fuchsia dye powder into a small jar and add a tiny bit of warm water (ditto on the hard water warning) to make a paste and stir well. After all lumps are gone, gradually add 4 Tbsp. [59mL] water until the dye is thoroughly dissolved. Repeat with other colors as shown on right.
Dissolve powder in water, stirring to remove lumps. Mark jars to identify.
Treating these four dye solutions as concentrates, make four softer shades by diluting with water. To dilute, pour 1/3 cup [78mL] water and ½ Tbsp. [7.39mL] peach concentrate in small jar. Repeat for orange and raspberry. To dilute fuchsia, pour 1 cup [236mL] water and ½ Tbsp. [7.39mL] fuchsia concentrate in small jar. Set aside all dyes for 1 hour.
Paint the Socks
Prepare a surface for dyeing by clearing a space on your kitchen counter or table, covering with a waterproof tablecloth, tarp, or plastic sheet. Remove socks from Soda Ash soak and squeeze out excess water. Transfer to prepared work surface and stuff the socks with plastic wrap to prevent dye from seeping onto the opposite side of the sock while you are working.
In order to dye white socks to match the Firebird knitted colorway, dyes will be applied with sponge brushes in large sweeping swaths. Beginning with the four dilute dyes to provide a background of color blocks and stripes, the colors are built up by adding a second layer of more concentrated color blocks and stripes, with a final unifying delicate peach added last.
To begin, dip a sponge brush in dilute peach and apply dye to sock in random swaths as shown in photos at left and below. Quick light strokes along the sole and toe make the striping pattern.
Using the Firebird colorway as a guide, apply the blocks of color in large swaths along leg and instep.
Next brush on dilute fuchsia, then dilute orange, and finally dilute raspberry following same pattern. The photos below show progression of color blocks and stripes.
Brush on dilute fuchsia, leaving small gaps between colors.
Lay dilute orange down on the fringes of the peach blocks to create depth. Repeat with raspberry for fuchsia blocks.
To set these four colors, follow batching instructions below using either method. This locks in these colors so that the following colors don’t muddy the previous.
Now switch to concentrates and repeat the process using only orange and fuchsia as shown below.
The concentrated orange is a pumpkin shade, and it adds even more depth to the orange-tone blocks. Don’t be shocked by the darkness of the concentrated fuchsia. Its addition brings needed richness and dimension to the pink/purple-tone blocks.
Brush on Orange concentrate, again laying strokes beside lighter peach.
Brush on Fuchsia concentrate, laying strokes beside lighter fuchsia blocks. Finally, fill in any white gaps on socks with very light peach dye.
To make light dye, add 2/3 cups [156mL] of water to dilute peach, and sponge onto socks in between blocks of color to ensure no white spots remain. Try to keep light peach dye from contacting newly added orange and fuchsia concentrate, or blurring will occur. Now batch socks to set colors.
Batch the Socks
Put the socks in a gallon-size zip-lock plastic freezer bag, seal, and leave in a warm place (70 degrees [21C] +) for 24 hours. Use two bags if necessary to prevent socks from contacting each other.
Or, for instant gratification, allow dye to set for about 30 minutes, then place sealed bag in microwave and heat for a minute, watching closely to look for the moment when the bag inflates with steam. Press the “open” button to stop the microwave just as the bag is about to pop. Touch the bag to see if the socks feel hot. If they are hot all over, front and back, the dye is set. If the socks are not hot all over, simply return to microwave and repeat as many times as need to completely heat through. Remember to watch VERY CLOSELY to avoid a messy dye explosion inside your microwave. And, open sealed bag VERY CAREFULLY as steam is HOT and could burn you. Allow socks to cool before removing from bag.
Rinse the Socks
Put on your rubber gloves and rinse the dyed socks with cool water, then slowly raise water temperature to warm while continuing to rinse. After 3 or 4 rinses the water should be almost clear, although the Fuchsia may not be released until the Synthrapol soak stage due to its massive color intensity.
Next fill dishpan with 2 gallons [8L] very hot water, 1½ tsp [7.39mL] of Synthrapol, and the dyed socks. Leave to soak for 20 minutes. Synthrapol is liberating excess dye from the fibers, and you may have to repeat this soak several times for the water to get out all of the extra Fuchsia. Your results will vary according to humidity, water hardness, and a host of other factors, so play with it. Rinse 3 times in warm water. Wring out water and air dry.