For wool and silk that needs to be water fast

By Weight of Fiber:

2-3% dye (5% + for darker colors such as black)

10% Glabers salt

4% Acetic Acid

2% Sodium Acitate

2% Abagale Set

1/2-1 cups salt per gallon of water

Paste the dye with a little boiling water before adding two cups of water to the dye.  Disolve the dye completely with the water, if you need more water, use more water.  Add chemicals, the dye solution, and water to the dye vat.  Add as much warm water as is needed to let the textile float around smoothly in the vat. Mix it together until evenly distributed. Check pH balance with litmas paper. The pH should be between 4.5-5.0.  If the pH is higher than 5.0 add a little acetic acid, if the pH is lower than 4.5 add a little more glaubers salt.

Pre wash and dry all textiles.

Pre-soak the textile in warm water.  Use warm water to fill the vat.  Try to keep the temperature of the water in the soaking bucket approximately the same as the vat until you strike the textile.  Striking is when the textile hits the surface of the dye solution in the vat.  The more similar the temperatures the less likely problems with shocking the fiber will occur.  When striking the textile, try to keep it as open as possible when swiftly putting the textile straight into the dye bath.

Gradually raise the temperature of the dye vat.  For silk raise the temperature to 185 degrees F, for Wool raise the temperature to 200 degrees F, for Nylon 212.  As long as there is no sudden change in temperature the fibers should be fine, though over 185 degrees F silk tends to turn duller, so be careful.  If you can get silk to 180 degrees that should be fine for color fastness.  After 180 if you acheive the color you want turn down the temperature of the vat, or even turn the heat off and let cool until the dye bath is tepid to the touch. Otherwise let the dye bath stay at top temperature until it is the color you want, and then follow the usual cooling down procedure.  Neutralize the dye bath with soda ash and drain.

When wet the color is very deceptive.  If you want an accurate look at what the color currently is, you have to cut off a swatch of the textile, rinse it, and iron it dry.

Once the dye bath has cooled down remove the textile and rinse off the excess dye.  Wash and dry as normal.