Dyeing is an interesting part of the textile process and can simply be a lot of fun. Some people are not particular about how their projects turn out or if the results are uniform. Many times variation gives handmade items their charm. However, if you want your yarn to have an even appearence here are a few suggestions.
The most common cause of uneven dyeing is oils or soil in the fiber. With very oily wools (in particular) this can be a BIG problem. The oil or dirt acts as a *resist* which keeps the dyes from penetrating the fiber at that location in a nice even fashion. So you get light areas in the fiber, yarn, or cloth you have dyed. Batik and katazome dyers do this on purpose, but generally light spots are an accident. Not evenly mordanting the fabric or dyeing in too small a pot so that some areas are compressed and can't recieve the dye cause streaks and light spots also.
If this happens while fiber dyeing the whole fiber mass can be well mixed and carded to even the lot. This is often a better choice rather than risk felting by dyeing and agitating the fiber a second time.
If you are dyeing cloth or yarn make sure it is well scoured BEFORE dyeing. Prevention is the best cure. If you get a spot you can scrub the light area(s) rinse well and re-dye.
Another problem is that one gets streaks from uneven application of mordant. To prevent this, mordant in a vessel large enough to soak all the fiber with the mordant.
To prevent streaks from compression in too small a pot make sure to use a large enough vessel for your dye lot. It should move freely in the pot with lots of room. If you didn't do this on the first try re-dye in a larger pot.
To sum up to avoid streaks: 1)wash fiber well before dyeing 2)mordant evenly 3)use a large enough pot to expose evenly to dye
Good Luck!
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