Gotta dye someday, I guess...

[knotjoe 0]

Suffice it to say I’m big on alternative sources of craft fur and be it color or texture it’s best to be able to paw around at it in a store instead of sight unseen orders from shops.  Hate the tiny patches and big prices in the tying market and while the colors ain’t bad, they’re never really what I dig in more natural tones.  Found good scores at Hobby Lobby, sometimes even post-Halloween costume Walmart sales provide decent animal colors at low prices.

Happened to walk through the sewing materials aisle recently at Wally World and found the motherload!   Guitar  and dye bottles for scale (it’s BIG) and that really is the price below.  Not saying they measured properly, but after cutting a large piece of this material with their very dull scissors, I think she just wanted me out of her work area and department.  We both looked like we wrestled a shedding husky and the table was a mess.

Did not know they sold this by yardage, I though you had to buy it in blankets or tear apart the pillows to get a bigger sheet.  Not extra long, but about 2+” and ultra fine grade which is what I like.  If you like craft fur, do look for it in the big rolls…they’ve polar white, snow, and some grizzly version in my stores.  Gonna try RIT Synthetic Dye this time around instead of regular, maybe get a better brighter yellow.

Bring your own knife if you do this, sewing departments have the dullest scissors on Earth.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I've seen it and wondered if the dye process is going to work.   I don't know enough about the chemistry... but craft fur is essentially some sort of plastic filaments.   Let us know how it works for you.    My#1 pattern of 2020 has a craft fur "wing" and I got back to using some "extra select craft fur" that I had in my materials collection for many years.   It basically has three levels of strands--- a fluffy irrelevant underfur, a layer of medium length and texture strands, and an outer layer of long and fine strands.   It's not difficult to separate and even up the two usable layers, just time consuming and messy.   the results are worth it though.   JStockard had a sale on synthetics this summer so I stocked up on the Orangutan Rust, and tan, and a few other colors which will last me probably until I'm dead.    Cabela's had one or two other colors I wanted (NEEDED) and I used my bonus points to get some.   Nice guitar by the way.  

[knotjoe 0]

22 hours ago, JSzymczyk said:

I've seen it and wondered if the dye process is going to work.   I don't know enough about the chemistry... but craft fur is essentially some sort of plastic filaments.   

It's often described as "acrylic" fiber and it all takes dye pretty readily.  I bought the synthetic RIT version to see if there is a difference on craft hair, but the regular ol' RIT (or koolaid, coffee, etc) will color it well to some degree.  It's tough to get really bold colors (like steelie hot pink or chartreuse) and I think it's easier to buy those.  I get lighter/washed-yellow with the regular RIT, it'll be interesting to see what the synth will produce.  Here's a few patches of regular in yellow and and old red which looks kinda dark and subdued relative intended results.  Foam is just in there to give an idea of what a true, deep (or bright) yellow would look like.

 

[Fatman 0]

One problem you'll run into is the same one you had at walmart - it will shed hair when you dye it.  How much you'll lose is iffy.  I tried once and lost a bunch of it.  I've switched to Fly Dye from Lure Parts online https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Anglers-Fly-Dyes  it doesn't take much to dye stuff.