Ask the Knitters

Dear Knitters,

I'm making socks with hand dyed yarn that is dark in color and I see what I'm assuming is dye on my fingertips and creases on my fingers where the yarn runs through. Not a lot, but enough to cause concern about washing. It's grey in color from the black dye. Should I be worried when I wash these socks for the first time? Or am I putting the worry-cart before the horse? I don't want the sock to have a muddy look in color. But I also don't want to have to fuss with these socks too much.

Can you help me a) with tips for washing these for the first time? b) tell me how often I should expect to see this? I've been knitting and crocheting for years now and this is a first for me.

Thank you!

Stella in OH

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Comments

[Maureen]

If you are putting in the delicate cycle of your washing machine there is something called Dye catcher by Shout. They are like a 6x4 sheet that will catch colors from bleeding.

[Maureen]

https://www.shoutitout.com/en-us/products/color-catcher-dye-trapping-sheet

[Susan]

I just add about a 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar and wash in cold water the first time I wash something, if I have concerns about the colour running.

[Aimee P]

I soak the item in white vinegar to help set the dye a little better and then rinse it a few times, sometimes I’ll repeat the vinegar soak. And then soak them in wool wash like I normally would. Usually that’s enough to take care of any extra dye that might have been left by the dyer.

[Donna]

The first time I wash them. I’d put a “glug” of vinegar in both wash & rinse water. If a lot of color washes out, I might try it with the next wash or 2 also. For knits that are not Superwash, I use Brown Sheep wool wash & the directions call for adding vinegar to both wash & rinse water. Not only does it help the color stay in, it also softens the yarn nicely.

[Donna]

I’d just like to add that I’ve knit socks with very dark yarn & had the color come off on my hands. But, not a bit came out in the wash. I think it might have to do with the warmth & slight moisture of our hands when knitting. These socks are an alpaca blend & require hand washing but have never bled into the water.