Hand-dyeing Threads

If you love threads and needlepoint, you have probably used and loved one or another kind of hand-dyed thread. I was crazy for the process of dying threads not too many years after I learned how to needlepoint and have made many forays into dyeing threads and canvases.

One of my earliest attempts used undyed Persian wool which I dyed in several shades of the same color and used to make a stitch sampler, with stitches from The Needlepoint Book. I have also dyed threads with Kool-aid, tea, and painted threads.

Recently Sharon B wrote a post about how she hand dyes threads. It’s an excellent overview of the process and looks very straightforward.

If you want to dye your own threads, the best resource is Dharma Trading Company in San Rafael, Ca. They have everything you need, including the best kinds of dye and paint, lots of instructions and pictures of inspiring results. The one difficulty is that you will have to adapt instructions for the smaller amounts of yarn used for needlepoint. Most dyeing instructions are geared to knitting yarns and make large quantities.

I hoard threads that might work (white, pale gray, cream, ecru, and very light pastels) to dye. If I find some at a thrift shop, I buy it. I’ll pull some out of my stash and once done, keep it to use in various projects.

But what if your life doesn’t allow you to dye threads?

We’re in luck because there are many people doing hand-dyed threads. Leethal.net (there is an upcoming post about her), recycles sweaters into yarn, she dyes into glorious color combinations. It’s lovely for needlepoint.

Sassa Lynne in England makes lovely hand-dyed threads, including perle, viscose, and matte cotton, that I have used in many projects. Her product packs have several threads in marching colors. They also sell on etsy. I search in supplies for “hand-dyed threads” to find additional companies. Every time I do this I find more to love.

I’ve also found some interesting people by putting “hand dyed fibers” into Google. Many of these companies make knitting yarns. Sock weight is the best size for needlepoint and is about the same weight as Vineyard Merino.

And all this is beside the hand-dyed companies we know and love, such as Caron Collection, Threadworx, Thread Gatherer, Crescent Colors, Dinky Dyes, Gloriana, Thread Gatherer, Weeks Dye Works, and many more.

It’s a wonderful time to be in love with color and threads!

Related posts:

1. Non-toxic Dyeing of Wool and Silk Yarns
2. The Great Kool-aid Dyeing Experiment
3. Leethal.net – Thread Review
4. Knitting Yarns for Needlepoint – Reuse America Part 2
5. Using Overdyed and Hand-dyed Threads on Painted Canvas

Tags: dharma trading, dyeing thread, etsy, hand-dyed thread, kool-aid dyes, leetha.net, overdyed threads, sassa lynne