All Cotton Socks Are Not Created Equal

Yesterday's dyepot contents have now been washed and dried. It was a black direct dye (RIT type) which normally dyes cellulose and protein both in one pot, so when I want to dye socks with Lycra in the ribbing, it usually colors both fibers. Not this time. Or, maybe the sock labels lied when they listed fiber content. Always a possibility, especially given the difference in the colors I got out of the pot.

The pair on the far right is much darker in the ribbing, lighter in the foot. The pair on the left I knew wouldn't take the dye in the creases of the ribbing - it's a plaited knit with an undyeable elastic only in the back side of the ribbing. Same with the shorter socks next to them. I knew the "gold toe" socks would still have a gold toe - that's probably acrylic. But the difference in the degree to which the socks absorbed the dye is surprising. Must be some synthetic in there somewhere. It's a good thing I needed some grey socks, isn't it?

Speaking of black, while the socks were dyeing, washing, and drying, I managed to finish winding the jacquard warp. Hooray! Now, on to the knotting.............