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SeaStar
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 8:58am | IP Logged
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My knit dishcloths are great, but they fade to an ugly grey after a while of use. Is that just what happens?
I read that not putting them in the dryer would help.
What do you think?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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Betsy
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 10:08am | IP Logged
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Unfortunately, that is what happens. 
I know some women who only knit in "ecru" color or beige so they don't have to deal with their lovely colors fading.
It has to do with cotton and how it takes color. To dye cotton yarn it is a very high temperature, difficult process. And, even with all of that it will fade over time.
Wool on the other hand takes dye very easily. In fact you can dye wool yarn with KoolAid and it will last for a good long time!
Melinda, does that help?
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Kristie 4
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 11:03am | IP Logged
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I use darker colours- think green and brown! I do use some whites as well- they hold up for a while and if they get grey I bleach them or they become bathroom rags!
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Tami
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 11:05am | IP Logged
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Oh, no!
I'm in the process of making a set as gifts ….. yikes!
Any recommendations, Betsy?
And I was going to post in the other knitting thread about the dyes running… blocked 2 discloths side by side, apparently touching in one small area, and the pink ran into the blue. 
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JodieLyn
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The color fades but bleaching them does help keep them cleaner looking. And varigated also helps.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Christine
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Perhaps it depends on the yarn. My dishcloths have faded slightly, but never changed color. We made ours using Lily Sugar 'n Cream. Some of the dishcloths are eight years old.
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Tami
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 12:35pm | IP Logged
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Christine, that's good news! I just found a local sewing shop that has a few rolls of Sugar 'n Cream.
Now, to see how the Peaches and Creme hold up!
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When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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Betsy
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 1:05pm | IP Logged
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Re Bleeding: You can soak you dishcloth in mixture of vinegar and hot water which can help set the color. I don't usually do this, but I would if I was working with RED which is notorious for bleeding.
Re Brands of Yarn: Peaches & Cream and Sugar & Cream are now owned by the same company. PC use to be made in NC by a small family owned business 2 years ago they sold it off to SC. I use to much prefer PC because they used long staple cotton fibers, which is much softer. They are now both the same.
As for fading colors between PC or SC it is probably more of an issue between colors than the brand. Some colors bleed or fade more quickly than others.
My opinion FWIW: Cotton yarn is going to fade over time. It is no different in commercial yarn in sweaters or bathroom towels, etc. I am sure that laundering does matter, but over time all of it is going to fade. Like I said before different colors will fade a diferent rates....but there is no hard fast rule as to which ones and how much faster, etc.
So, big picture I wouldn't worry about it much! As I claim on my dishcloth wrappers on my patterns, "100% Cotton was used to hand knit this dishcloth. Wash with like colors in warm water. Some shrinkage and fading will occur over time like a favorite pair of jeans. "
I think a faded dishcloth is a icon of days gone by when fabric shrunk, faded and wrinkled. Enjoy your dishcloths every day in the colors they are that day....and know that you can always knit (ETA: or crochet!) more. 
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JodieLyn
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I crochet mine.. but I enjoy the fact that they do "wear out" so that I can make more. The scarves and afgans last so long.. it's nice to have something that you can sit down and make fairly rapidly and know that you'll actually need it sooner or later. 
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Tami
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| Posted: Feb 04 2013 at 1:58pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Jodie for the advice. The cloth I made for my daughter was red/pink/white P&C striped yarn. It bled when I wet it to block. Are the proportions for vinegar in the water important.?
I'm wondering if I should do this with the remaining yarns I have before I use them? I was thinking of trying a log cabin pattern with my leftovers from all the dishcloths I've been making.
And I don't mind fading, per se, it was the thought that they would go to grey that worried me.
Yes, dishcloths are such fun. I started a new one last night during the Superbowl that is purples and white. It looked so nice against my plum nail polish.  Go Ravens!
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Betsy
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ETA: This post is about color bleeding and suggestions to help that, maybe! 
Vinegar There isn't really a recipe. I just put a "glug" in some hot water that covers the cloth. However, I was just searching on Ravelry and at least one professional dyer commented that the vinegar soaking doesn't work? But, tons of people recommend it. I agree with her the the vinegar doesn't set the color like wool....so I guess it's a question if the vinegar helps lift the excess dye off?
Salt Soak Some people also recommend a salt soak. Put a table spoonish or more of salt in a bowl of water that covers the cloth and leave over night. I have never done this and I don't know any of the science behind it. (Where is Ms. Frizzel when you need her??)
Color Catcher I have never used Shout Color Catcher, but I would guess that it would help. Someone recommended this, as well, on Ravelry so I thought that I would pass it on.
If it makes everyone feel better there are pages and pages of threads about bleeding dishcloth yarn and fading colors.
Oh, on a last note, the dyer that I referenced above also said that the dishcloth cotton yarns do use lower quality dyes. So, if you want a longer lasting cotton colored yarn you might have more luck with a high quality yarn. IMO, this cost would be justified for a sweater but probably not for a dishcloth. However, I didn't know for a fact that higher end cotton yarns do you higher quality dye....you learn something new every day!
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SeaStar
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This has been very helpful. Thanks, everyone!
I use Sugar and Cream yarn for mine, and I have had some that just fade, and some that have gone grey. The greens and yellows seem to hold up better than the reds and pinks. Anything lighter color seems to go faster.
I do usually toss them when they start to look grey and nasty. As Jodie said, it is fun to make more. But I did read that keeping them out of the dryer could help, so I have started that as an experiment.
The color catches trap dye that gets out into the water during washing is my understanding, so that if a color bleeds (say purple) it won't stain other clothing in the wash. I don't think it prevents fading, but I could be wrong on that. In any case, I use color catches often, and my dish cloths still fade
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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Betsy
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SeaStar wrote:
The color catches trap dye that gets out into the water during washing is my understanding, so that if a color bleeds (say purple) it won't stain other clothing in the wash. I don't think it prevents fading, but I could be wrong on that. In any case, I use color catches often, and my dish cloths still fade |
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Thanks for that follow up, Melinda, as I have never used this product. I should have been more clear, though, I was thinking that the color traps would help with the bleeding. 
Unfortunately, I don't think much is going to help with the fading.... *sigh*
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JodieLyn
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My experience using vinegar for dark colored tee shirts is that it slows the fading, doesn't prevent it. And I've also heard it should be red wine vinegar But I bleach my dish clothes so I don't worry about it with them.
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Betsy
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JodieLyn wrote:
| My experience using vinegar for dark colored tee shirts is that it slows the fading, doesn't prevent it. And I've also heard it should be red wine vinegar But I bleach my dish clothes so I don't worry about it with them. |
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I have never heard of using Red Wine Vinegar! Well, I learned two things today! 
I wonder it's because RWV is more acidic then white vinegar?
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: knit dishcloth question...
