I want to dye a cashmere jumper!

[faustina]

Is it possible? It's a really lovely one, so I don't want to wreck it. It's currently a pale bluey green and I would like it to be brown, or maybe v dark grey

I'd be v v grateful for any advice - inc which dye to use, how to do it, if it's do-able - anything!

I have dyed lots of cashmere, so it is perfectly doable

Cashmere does not like heat so you need a coldwater dye, rather than the very convenient washing machine one. I think pale bluey green would be easier to go grey than brown. Look up the dylon site, cold water dye and have a look at the colours.

Bedtime looming but I'll be back later if I can help further!

thank you so much Juia. I do bung all my cashmere in the washing machine on the silk cycle - I think that's 30 degrees?

I'll see if I can find the exact colour it is online - I would rather brown than grey

I have tried with the machine and the dylon cold water ones and the colour always has turned out muted pastel and greyed. I tried purple on a light blue one hoping for violet and ended up with a smokey lilac/Rose. Others had a similar outcome.

I tried grey and it turned a duck egg coloured Cardigan khaki. Was a trifle displeased at that one.

ooh khaki would be ok actually - I wouldn't mind that. I've googled and can't find a photo of the colour anywhere - it's Brora Kelp, (in a thickish aran knit) but they aren't doing it this year. I'll take a pic tomorrow and put it on my profile, then perhaps one of you kind people would take a look and tell me what I could hope for? Basically anything warmish, rather than the bluey green it is now, which just doesn't suit me at all - it makes me look washed out

Hmm, the colour you end up with really depends on what you start off with. It will be hard to end up with a warm colour if you start off with blue green. You could go navy, dark green, teal or purple easily enough.

I have a bookmark somewhere about dying colours that I'll have a look for.

thanks Julia - I've put two photos on my profile now (hopefully). Do you still think brown would be out of the question? Navy or dark green sound like good alternatives

I'll have to think about the brown! The greeny blue will react with brown and you'd probably end up with a muddy puddle colour.

But navy or dark green would be very straightforward.

Why not just have a moment of madness and put it in the washing machine with a brand new red coat.

• eeww Dolomites - poor you - did you do that to a jumper?

I SO want to be able to wear mine, but it just makes me look very very ill in its present colour. I'll await your words of wisdom Julia. Muddy puddle might be quite nice actually!

Hi there
I just saw your message and if your jumper is blue it would need red and some yellow to become brown. maybe a deep orange dye would get it brown? Dyes work exactly the same as mixing paint.
Kind regards

Jumping on this thread with great interest. I bought a shit-colouredbrown cashmere jumper online and the colour is putrid. I want to dye it black. Do you think that would work?

gosh this is a VERY old thread! I did try dying the jumper and all that happened was a slightly muted version of the original colour, which still didn't suit me, so I gave it to someone else!

faustina did you do cold water or machine dye?
I tried it before with cold water and it didn't take at all.
I have been given a bright pink cashmere jumper, so NOT my colour, would love to try something like burgundy...