dying a sheepskin rug?

[iowaorganic]

yesterday I found a sheepskin rug: we only have one and both of my little ones fight over it- so this is perfect! Anyway- I have to clean it good- since it is kinda yucky right now- but once it is all nice and clean and everything- I kinda want to dye it! It is is this bright orange (really really old- probably like 40 years old at least) and that just isn't attractive to me.

So I figured that if I can dye wool yarn (which I do)- it must be possible to dye a whole sheepskin right? But the burning question is how? I know I will need a high quality and volume dye and a big old wash tub and a fire probably- but perhaps you mamas with all the experience could point me in the right direction? And provide color suggestions for overdying a bright orange skin?

Thanks in advance!

[Angi]

Personally, I tend to use Kool-Aid on wool, but it's also undyed natural wool when I start.

For overdying, which is pretty much what you will be doing, you could try an acid dye.

A few spinning friends of mine like Jacquard:
http://www.spinnerschoice.com/Jacqua...cid%20Dyes.htm

If you have a local yarn shop or spinners around where you are, they would be able to guide you a lot better. I would say that with bright orange, you may end up going either a darker, burnt color, or maybe into the reds family. I'm not sure if you could strip the previous dyes out, though you could try.

[flapjack]

Remember your colour theory- if you overdye with purple, you should end up with a more red colour.
I would try and figure out if it's possible to use Dylon machine dyes on wool, and if so how; if you can do this in a washing machine it'll make your life a lot easier. If that doesn't work then I think I'd probably aim for a solar dye bath as your best chance to get relatively even coverage. I'd also try a coffee bath before trying anything else at all :
Are you prepared for the possibility that the skin might not survive the dyeing process? One of mine disintegrated after the abuse of frequent washing...

[iowaorganic]

I have no idea what a coffee bath is......

I am prepared for the possibility that this sheepskin might not survive this- it might not even survive being washed- I found it in an old house attic- I am sure it has been there for over 20 years untouched. I figured I would trim off the dry edges first and that would help alot.... But I hate to not even try- if you know what I mean.... I have also been thinking of redoing the kids room and with my new hopefull color scheme it might actually look good..... But I have to clean it first I guess to know how much I will hate it.

[flapjack]

Coffee bath= deliberately soak it in a lot of coffee. It might take the edge off the orange : Try washing it first- gently. See what happens then?

[iowaorganic]

I went to trim off some of it that I noticed was disintagrating - well it just kinda started falling apart from there. I decided to wash it anyway and see what would happen and it looked great- until I tried to get it out of the washer and it completely fell apart. Oh well- nothing ventured nothing gained. it was a pretty ugly orange after all. Maybe when I go to the fair in September there will be hot deals on beautiful ones! Or Acres....... there are beauties there!