Space Dyed Yarns

Space dyeing is a technique used to give yarn a unique, multi-colored effect. A space dyed yarn is made up of two or more different colors repeating themselves as compared to a typical yarn which is of a same color throughout. Space dyed yarn is also known as dip dyed yarn.

A special chemical called mordant is used for space dying yarn. The purpose of a mordant is to help permanently fix the dye to the yarn after the space dyeing process.

Space dyed yarns are either in coordinating shades or contrasting shades. Space dyeing yarn in coordinating colors provides a subtle yet sophisticated look, whereas Space dyed yarn in contrasting shades offers a funkier feel.

Spaced dyed yarn is most commonly used for knitting and crocheting. When space dyed yarn is made to make a knitted or crocheted item, the resulting project features uneven horizontal stripes that produce a collage-like effect. However, the size of the stripes in the finished piece depends on what size of yarn is used. For e.g., thicker yarn produces thicker stripes. Blankets, scarves, stockings, caps, etc. can be easily made with space dyed yarns.

Benlon India can offer space dyed effect in almost all available yarn qualities to enhance the look and aesthetic properties of the fabric. Our speciality fancy yarns are widely accepted throughout India and abroad. We are manufacturing high quality of Space Dyed Fancy Yarns suitable for ladies wear, men’s wear and furnishing. 

The space dyeing can be performed on different type of textile yarn like Cotton, Viscose, Polyester, Wool, Silk, Acrylic, Nylon and their commonly used blends by using various dye classes suitable for dyeing these substrates.

There are six basic processes used to create this effect:

Space Dyeing in Package Form

In a package dyeing machine, the color is injected at a fixed place at a high pressure and collected through a vacuum. The result is different patches having different colors which may or may not be at fixed intervals and, hence space dyed yarns are obtained. Various package dyeing machines are available in which we can dye up to 8 colors.
This results in beautiful patterns of dyed patches on package, with good sharpness. The dyeing time is extremely low. The packages are then taken for further color fixation and washing on another set of machines such as autoclave and yarn dyeing machines.

Space Dyeing in Hank Form

This is a simpler process to produce tie dye effects in knitting yarns and embroidery threads. The process which can be employed is –

a.       Spray the colors on a layer of hank at fixed places, which are fixed through hank with pressure and collected underneath by vacuum. Dry the yarns, cure them for color fixation and then wash them.

b.      The roller dyeing machines can be used very effectively for space dyeing with vat and naphthol colors.

c.       Space dyeing machine with fiber carrier can also be used for space dyeing in polyester hank, however the method involves a higher labor cost.

The Yarn Printing or the Warp System

Warp printing is roller printing applied to warp yarns before they are woven into a fabric. In the Warp yarn printing process, the roller printing is applied to multiple strands of yarns which are continuously printed at specific space intervals with different colors. These yarns have usually long spaces of each color.
Warp printing is used for expensive cretonnes and upholstery fabrics. Mordants are used to chemically bond the dye to substrate. These yarns when woven into fabric produces eye-catching designs.

The Knit-de-Knit Process

In the knit-de-knit process, the yarn is first knitted into tubular fabrics and then overall length of all loops is dyed to a solid color. All solid-colored dyed loops of tubular knitted fabric are dyed with up to seven different colors. After dyeing, tubular fabrics are passed through an ager, where they are steamed for 3-10 minutes in saturated steam. Mordant is used to chemically bond the dye with skein. This is followed by rinsing, washing, finishing and drying.
The socks are then de-knitted, producing contrast effect between overprinted and base colors because the overprinted color does not penetrate at the yarn crossing points.

The Continuous Dye Process

In the continuous dye process, yarn is dyed as singles or plied yarn and color is applied either by air jet or dye troughs. This process allows for yarns to have either long or short spaces of color.

Pot Skein Dyeing Process

This process involves the following steps –

1.       Yarn skein is added to the pot having water before heating it. This helps in the reduction of movement of dye in the pot when added, enabling maximal separation between the colors.

2.       Water present in the pot is boiled and skein is adjusted in the pot with a spoon.

3.       Different colored dye is added into the pot with each drop in a different spatial area. There is no stirring the contents of pot in whole process as we want as little movement in the dye bath as possible.

4.       The skein is left in the pot undisturbed until all of the dye has been absorbed into the skein.

5.       When skein is cool enough to touch, it is washed with warm water and mild soap until the rinse water runs clear.
Multicolored skein is obtained in this process with each strand of yarn having random colors on it at random intervals which produces very distinct designs when transformed into fabric.

Such space dyed yarns produce beautiful effects after weaving and knitting and are used to produce fancy design effects in apparel wear, dress material, children wear and home furnishing. Also, use of such space dyed yarn is becoming popular in carpet making industry which in its subsequent tufted fabric form imparts an effect of random, unorganized designs. Carpets made of space dyed yarns are being widely used in corridors, lobbies, offices, classrooms, hotel rooms and other public areas.

Suitability of Space Dyed Yarns:

·         It gives a streaky appearance to the fabric that is woven from space dyed yarns.

·         On wool, space dyeing is affected by knit process.

·         The fabric that is knitted is sparsely dyed and then deknitted to be used in other fabric constructions.

Advantages and Dis-advantages of space dyed yarn

Advantages:

·         Space Dyeing Yarn is less costly than stock or top dyeing because the processes are more productive.

·         Space Dyeing Yarn permits excellent penetration of dye in to the fibre and thus produces a great clarity of colour.

·         Fabrics made of Space Dyed Yarn tend to be more colour fast than those dyed after the fabric is woven.

·         When yarns are dyed separately, interesting colour effects can be introduced in to the weaving process by combining yarns of different colours.

·         In general, yarn dyeing is less labor intensive than fibre dyeing.

·         Space Dyeing Yarn permits the use of variously coloured yarns in a single fabric, thus giving the designer latitude in creating plaids, checks, stripes, muted colour arrangements and iridescent effects.

Disadvantage:

·         The major disadvantage of Space Dyed Yarn is the sensitive timing. Applying colour so early in the production stage means that colour forecast must be extremely accurate to provide adequate yarn for fabric production and avoid a costly oversupply.

·         It is more costly than piece dyeing and printing.

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