Things That Work: Salt and Vinegar

When I finished making the Wavy Scarf for Ramen's Favorite, and washed it in preparation for blocking, this happened...

The above photo is actually after several wash and rinse baths.

This yarn was purchased at a Wool Festival about 10 years ago from a small farm/dyer.  None of the color came off onto my hands while I was working with it.  But since it was an indie-batch dye lot, I expected a small amount of dye in the basin after the first wash, but this amount was shocking... and completely surprising for it to continue beyond multiple washings.

At some point I remembered using salt "to set the color" after tie-dyeing with RIT dyes as a kid.  So I did a quick internet search and found this video.

I figured I didn't have anything to lose.  So I did a salt bath, followed by a vinegar bath, followed by another soapy bath, and several rinse baths.

The change after the salt bath was remarkable.

And a little better after the vinegar bath.

And finally, the last soapy bath

The fibers in this yarn are Superwash Wool, Silk, and Viscose.

So I'm hear to tell you that you don't have to buy anything special if your dyed items bleed.  You likely already have salt and vinegar on hand... and they are extremely cost effective.

Salt and Vinegar definitely work.