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Carlyle Bear Co.I am getting ready to order some viscose for the first time and even though it is available in a few colors I am wondering if it can be dyed? If so, do you use Dylon or Kool-aid? I believe it is manmade material so a protein dye is not needed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. 
Is viscose the same thing as rayon - derived from wood pulp? If so, a protein dye doesn't make sense, but my rayon clothes have certainly been dyed!
You could try asking Johnna Rice at Intercal (or on Facebook).
Becky
Carlyle Bear Co.I really don't know if viscose and rayon is the same thing but it doesn't look like it to me. You can purchase viscose in the basic browns and tans for teddy bears but there is also a lovely white that I wondered about dyeing.
Donna's Duin BruinsKool-aid should work just fine. Also Rit Dye would be a good choice.
Have fun!
Donna
Carlyle Bear Co.
Thanks Donna! I love kool-aid dyeing. I also purchased a colorwash guide off of Etsy from S. Reetz Bears that I can't wait to try out! It is so neat.
desertmountainbearI'm going to question Kool Aid here. It is an acid dye really. It works well on protein based fibers. It does not dye the cotton backing on mohair very well. If it is like cotton then you will need something like Procion dye, or Rit which works well on everything.
Please let us know what works.
Donna's Duin BruinsI'm guessing you are going to be dying small pieces not large amounts at one time. If that is the case, I say experiment and see what happens with different dyes. The kool-aid may leave the backing a lighter color or no color at all similar to the cushing dye that Intercal sells. But that can have a very nice effect. Do try to keep track of what you do so that if you want to repeat it you have something to refer back to. The important thing is to have fun with it and learn along the way.
Donna
Inner CreaturesCould you tell me where to buy viscose?
Donna's Duin BruinsIntercal has just brought in a selection for viscose.
Carlyle Bear Co. Thanks for all the great tips! I will let you know what works. It may be awhile before I get back to you on it but I think I'll try a couple of methods as suggested and see how it goes. I'm also wondering if Viscose has alot of "give" to it unlike mohair? I just love the look of it on bears so I want to try one or two.
The viscose dyes really well, you'll have lots of fun experimenting with it!
Donna's Duin BruinsThe viscose I have used was on a woven backing just like the mohair and alpaca. So there was not stretch or contortion to the design if that was what you were thinking. It made darling bears and I have know some famous old timers who have used it for years.
Carlyle Bear Co.I have ordered my viscose and it is on the way! I'll give you an update when I use it. 
I dyed some the other day. It was a long laid pile and after I dyed it it went really curly and very fuzzy..so I had a brainwave. I ironed it with a steam iron and it was fab....I tried it on some mohair I had dyed too and it was superb. Never tried it before but I learned something very useful.
I use Rit dyes mainly but also have some I bought on line...Omega dyes...they are very good but I love Rit Dye.
