I used basically only Coolaid and simlar dyes, and don’t want to use the more expensive Vernard type dyes.
Has anyone used a Coolaid or Rit dye that gives a nice grass green, not a chartreuse or lime green. I have not had any luck getting a true green with Rit.
If you have a method that gives a nice grass green it would be much appreciated.
Here is a quote from an article “Kool-Aid Dyeing”…
“To get one of the popular olive shades, make up a green batch and have red[rasberry or strawberry] in a separate container. Then just add a splash of red at a time to achieve the color you want.To get a nice clean olive,dye the material first in green and then in a more diluted red shade the second time.”
I haven’t tried this but would be interested in anyone’s results.
I am not a dye expert and all my dyeing knowledge comes directly from A.K. Best’s book Dyeing and bleaching Natural fly-tying materials . I have not ventured far from the text in this book but there is one green recipe that may be of use for you.
Olive Green: 2 tablespoons of Rit Kelly green #32, 1/2 tablespoon Rit tan #16, 1/2 Tablespoon Rit gold #23, 25 cups water, 1/4 cup white vinegar.
the text says this recipe will dye up to six rooster necks or three buck tails and not to reduce the formula by over 50% if you are dying less than those amounts or use less than 16 cups of water. this formula has made some nice green feathers for me but I am not sure if it will make the shade you are looking for but hopefully it will help. good luck!!!
try this for gold 23 as I couldn’t find it on the website either but is what we used last time.
2 tablespoons golden yellow
1 1/2 tablespoon tan
both are powder.
The ‘indoor’ season is upon us, and interest in what to do with the goodies we’ve collected from our hunting friends heats up. The following tips are a partial list from Dyeing And Bleaching by A. K. Best. I have left out those which deal specifically with methods or recipes A. K. includes in the book, but used those which generally apply to dying. ~ LadyFisher
"Remember the following before you attempt to dye:
[ul]
[li]The temperature of the dye bath should never exceed 140 degrees Fahrenheit. [/li][li]All material to be dyed (except tanned hides) must be degreased. [/li][li]Constantly stir and turn the material in the dye bath. [/li][li]All wet material will appear darker than when dry. [/li][li]Be certain that all excess dye has been washed away before drying and storing the dyed material. [/li][li]You must have white to dye to bright. [/li][li]The quality of your water supply may affect some of the recipes. [/li][li]Always clean your bamboo tongs with Formula 409 and a damp sponge when you have finished dying and rinse them thoroughly. [/li][li]Always clean your dye pan with Formula 409 and paper towels each dye bath. Rinse with hot water and dry. [/li][li]Never save used dye."[RIGHT]~ A.K. Best[/RIGHT][/li]
I’ve used Rit dyes for some time and find they do well. I don’t have my notes in front of me but for olive I believe I used Royal Blue #29 and Yellow #1 (1:15). I will have to check to be sure.
700ml water heated in a 1 liter wide-mouth mason jar in the microwave (~90C)
5g urea
1ml Royal Blue #29
15ml Yellow 1
Pre-wet the material and wash with a detergent. Rinse thoroughly, then add material and stir occasionally. Time left in the dye bath varies from 15min to overnight depending on material and color uptake. I take the material out occasionally to check. When the material is colored to my satisfaction I screw on the mason jar ring (without the lid) ring with a nylon mesh cut insert (screen material from the hardware store) and invert. I then run cold water into the jar till the water is clear. I’ve dyed snowshoe rabbit feet, white rabbit fur and pheasant rumps this way. I started out using the powdered dyes and made a stock (1 pkg/200ml hot water) but find the liquid versions are handier and less trouble.
When I was into dying materials I would use a section of white paper towel to test my batch, dipping it in as I added color(s) or water until it came as close as possible to what I was after. Assuming “grass green” is a nice medium green as opposed to olive, I would just start with the Rit color closest to what you want. Of course when it dries the color looks different so I often used a hair dryer to hasten the process so I could check. Obviously the color of the feathers you are dying will alter your results unless they are as white as the paper towels.