Dyeing Juzo Compression socks with Dylon dye

**tundramanq** · 21st April 12, 12:22 PM

The socks were white Juzo 5760 knee high compression socks - 85% cotton, 5% nylon, 8% lycra and 2% X-static. $17/pr.
These cushion soled compression socks are what works for me. They only come in black and white...

All socks were laundered before and after dyeing before comparing colors. After all socks were dyed and washed, they were rewashed and dried (half dryer/ half hang) two more times.

The Dye - Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye ( one envelope for 1/2 lb.fabric ) Used in warm water with salt. Per directions - unless otherwise stated.

The Kilts - top to bottom in the picture.
SWK - HW wool, Irish Saffron "Shadow Tartan".
Heratage of Scotland - PV, Heratage of Ireland.
USA - Economy (2011?), HW wool, Black Watch.
USA - Casual, PV, Spirit of Scotland.

Purple - Intense Violet color - 8.3 oz fabric wt - 1 pr socks + t-shirt. Results - two shades lighter than envelope and Sprit of Scotland. Probably due to a bit overweight and 85% cotton socks.

Brown - first run - Terra Cotta color - 6.9 oz fabric wt - 2 pr socks. Results - Much oranger than the Irish Saffron. Might have worked with the brighter Saffrons I have seen
- second run (over dye) - Dark Brown color. Results light and still quite orange. Probably due to most of the dye sites already in use.
Note - these were much closer to the saffron kilt until the final two washings, half drying in the dryer on low heat. First dye had all the good dye sites - the dark brown was mostly out of luck.

Greens - first run - Amazon Green color - 6.9 oz fabric - 2 pr socks. Results - Bright yellow shifted Green.
- second run (over dye) - Dark Green color - the light pair were pulled and rinsed at 10 minutes into dyeing the dark went the full dye time. Results the light is a good match to the white/green stripe on the Heratage of Ireland. The darker green is lighter than the other greens on the "S of I" but is a great match to the Black watch.
Note - Checked the greens against my SK Comfy Black Watches - the kilts use a darker green.

5 more Pair of whites on order ($80). May order a dark gold color Dylon dye for the saffron and S of I.

**Mipi** · 7th May 12, 11:52 PM

I just noticed your post. It's pretty interesting for me, while I was doing some experiments with wool/nylon/synthetic/??? mixture hose. The thing is that nylon takes dye the same way as wool. So you could gain some more darker shade if you use wool dye to cover those 5% of nylon. But the question is if it's worth. Don't know how lycra is taking dye (and what type). Just in case you need some experimenting ideas. Wool/nylon is taking also some "natural" dyes; like tea, coffee, food colorants, plants... you can even try some hair dyes (after all wool is some sort of hair)

Such experiments are very interesting, you never know when you'll need some suggestions. We really don't need to repeat errors that someone already did, right?

By the way, I like the results; all socks look great and make a nice accent to kilt.

Regards!

**tundramanq** · 8th May 12, 12:24 PM

The Dylon permanent dosent color the lycra/spandex at all.
This is a picture with the terra cotta/brown socks on my feet.

Dylon makes dyes that will work "on all synthetics" but they require hot processing that the Lycra would not survive.

**tundramanq** · 11th May 12, 07:38 AM

Juzo rounds 2 and 3
Round 2
This installment in the quest to match the saffron kilt includes dyeing a pair of Juzos and a pair of Sigvaris 182c cushioned cotton support (15-20mmHg) socks with Dylon Jeans Blue The Sigs ( cross ways at the bottom ) are 68% cotton, 25% nylon and 7% spandex.
Happy it didn't turn out as well as these cost about twice what the Juzos do! I stuck a bowl in both blues so you can see the none cotton component that shows when wearing on both. Its a bit larger than my calves. The white isn't very obvious in wearing from a short distance - see pictures I posted with the leather British Tan R Kilt and purple Juzo socks.
Round 3
This is another crack at saffron and is two pair Juzos and two bags of Dylon Permanent Fabric Dye - one Goldfish Orange the other Dark Brown mixed in the same dye batch - normal dyeing insructions. Pictured at left end.

This was also sock wash day. May continue doing this as the camera did'nt try to diddle with the colors - whee - one shot got it!

Picture is daylight via my skylight. Colors look accurate.

**tundramanq** · 11th May 12, 07:51 AM

This saffron is keeping me safely crazy. My eyes say its an orange shifted brown. My color wheel says it is a yellow shifted brown. Hmm, Arrg. WARNING - this is SWKs current saffron HW wool, I have seen yellow to orange to brown and everything in between called saffron!

**tundramanq** · 13th May 12, 01:37 PM

Round 4 is deep purple - One pkg of Dylon Intense Violet for 1 pair Juzo socks and the least amount of the hottest water that I dared. The Dylon says one half pound fabric to the package. One pair of the Juzo socks weights just under one quarter pound. This is very close to the violet in the Heratage of Scotland tartan Rocky uses in PV. ( Bottom kilt in first post.)

I gave up shooting both socks and kilt together rather than have my last loose screw fall out.

The black/white background trick is easier than manually calibrating my camera. I just left it in full auto and moved around until the hue and brightness was correct. The bottom sock is the correctist one.

I think I need a touch of Highland Park about now...... ( My reference standard.)

A bit of Highland Park - yep this purple:

**chrisupyonder** · 13th May 12, 04:26 PM

Errr scuse me bein a non-understanding Scotland dweller, but what's with all the matching of socks with kilts? I have bottle green, rustic green, purple, burgundy, lovat blue, black and navy blue and wear all (not at the same time) with both my MacLaren ancient and weathered kilts. I tried dying a pair of white hose with tea but they now just look flesh coloured so only wear them at home.

Chris.

**Mipi** · 14th May 12, 03:14 AM

Originally Posted by chrisupyonder

Errr scuse me bein a non-understanding Scotland dweller, but what's with all the matching of socks with kilts? I have bottle green, rustic green, purple, burgundy, lovat blue, black and navy blue and wear all (not at the same time) with both my MacLaren ancient and weathered kilts. I tried dying a pair of white hose with tea but they now just look flesh coloured so only wear them at home.

Chris.

I've noticed, too. our brothers from the other side of the Great Pond are much more focused in exact matching. For me (us) it doesn't have to be so strict. But everyone is free to do in his own way, right?

**tundramanq** · 14th May 12, 04:11 AM

You'll notice I'm not disagreeing. I'm just having fun seeing if I can match a stripe. The SWK saffron is migrating from fun to challenge at this point. I am retired with time on my hands - "idle hands....."

Both colors - four pair - of brown that I have will work fine here and with several other kilts I have. I'm just hard headed enough and a perfectionist enough to continue trying - Don Quixote, tilting at wind mills?

The variety of "saffrons" out there make me think even the pros have a rough time hitting this color consistantly.

The old traditional natural dyed saffron used a variety of plants other than the saffron flower to get the color - was too rare and expensive in old times. Garments had to be re dyed about once a year as this one fades pretty fast in the sun. The saffron flower can also produce color from yellow to orange to red depending on how much of each part of the flower you use and the variety you are using.

**tundramanq** · 23rd May 12, 05:15 AM

This round is Ocean Blue using two packages of dye for two pair of socks. I wanted to insure full saturation and see if this Dylon would go darker doubleing the dye. It dosen't. It was a bit scary as the dye mix and socks both looked dark purple - until I rinsed the socks in the cold rinse - suspect the purple is a temporary space holder to keep the dyed fabric color from getting darker than the package color when used at less than the stated weight of fabric.

The Kilt is Rocky's Heratage of Scotland Casual and the socks are very close to the kilts blue stripe.
Color is dead on and one shade lighter.

I pictured the package as I noticed on the UK sites the colors and packaging seem different for this permanent Dylon dye. It is not the one for use in the washing machines.

Picture came out well considering I had the kilt on at the time.