3.1.2 Dyeing Silk Thread for Ronghua(Velvet Flowers)

Q: Can cold water be used for dyeing?
A: No. Cold water has a color-fixing effect, which makes the dyeing process very difficult to control. Hot water helps dissolve dye molecules, allowing them to adhere better to the silk fibers. Therefore, throughout this dyeing section, we will use hot water at 60°C or higher. Generally, darker colors require higher water temperatures, although boiling water should not be used directly. Once this principle is understood, we can begin the dyeing process.

Dyeing a Gradient Set

01. Soak the white threads in advance.

02. Prepare the dye. Here, the author has chosen a spring green color.

03. Add 55 scoops of dye (using a standard ear scoop) to a measuring cup, then pour in 550mL of boiling water to dissolve the dye. The ratio principle here is 1 scoop of dye to 10mL of water. After dissolving the dye in the calculated amount of water, this becomes our dye stock solution.

04. The prepared stock solution.

05. First, add 1L of warm water (approx. 60°C) to a basin. Then, use a syringe to draw 10mL of the stock solution and inject it into the basin.

06. Remove the soaked white threads, wring them out, and immerse them in the dye bath. Continuously dip and lift the threads in the water to ensure even dyeing. After 2 minutes, remove the threads.

07. After removal, rinse the threads with clean water to remove excess dye, wring them out, and then hang them up to proceed with dyeing the next set of threads.

08. For the second set, change the water. Add 1L of warm water to the basin, inject 20mL of the stock solution, and repeat the dyeing steps above.

09. For the third set, also change the water. Add 1L of warm water to the basin, inject 30mL of the stock solution. The more stock solution added, the deeper the resulting thread color.

10. For the fourth to sixth sets, follow the data in the diagram below. (For a better viewing experience in this demonstration, only one set of threads is dyed per basin. If you wish to dye larger batches, you can learn the principle and then increase the dye concentration and proportion accordingly, allowing multiple sets to be dyed in one basin of water.)

•  Fourth set: 1L warm water + 40mL stock solution
•  Fifth set: 1L warm water + 50mL stock solution
•  Sixth set: 1L warm water + 60mL stock solution

11. For the seventh and eighth sets, to achieve better color saturation, appropriately reduce the amount of water—change from 1L of warm water to 800mL of hot water (80-90°C). Additionally, slightly increasing the dyeing time can result in more even and distinct color.

•  Seventh set: 800mL hot water + Total 70mL stock solution
•  Eighth set: 800mL hot water + Total 80mL stock solution

12. For the ninth and tenth sets, if the dark colors achieved using the above methods are still not very distinct, you can consider adding a little more dye at this stage to make the dark colors deeper and more distinguishable.

•  Ninth set: 800mL hot water + Total 90mL stock solution
•  Tenth set: 800mL hot water + Total 100mL stock solution

  (Note: Label on the diagram above: Water at 80-90°C can be used for the last four colors.)

13. The dyed gradient set is as shown. The diagram is specifically labeled in order for easier understanding.

14. Display of the finished dyed gradient set.

15. The above describes the dyeing method for a ten-color gradient set. If you only need a four-color gradient set, you can refer to the following method: First, add 22 scoops of dye to a measuring cup, then add 220mL of boiling water to dissolve it, creating a light red dye stock solution. Subsequently, draw 10mL, 40mL, 70mL, and 100mL portions of this stock solution, adding each to separate basins containing 1L of warm water (approx. 60°C) for dyeing.

16. The finished four-color gradient set is as shown in the left diagram.

Summary: The core principle of dyeing a gradient set lies in adjusting the proportion of the dye stock solution in the dyeing container. By gradually increasing the amount of stock solution, the color of the dyed threads transitions naturally from light to dark. Once you grasp this principle, you can freely adjust the ratios to enjoy a personalized dyeing process.