What does EZ-dye mean?

EZ-Dye yarns use an environmentally-friendly, enzyme-treated 21.5 micron Merino wool fibre. This gives improved dye uptake when compared to non-superwash Merino. The main benefits are:

The yarn has increased depth and brightness of colour.
The yarn will not shrink as much as a non-superwash yarn.

Dyeing results

Top Left: 49105 Quarter Round (100% superwash Merino wool) – magenta is rich and intense.

Centre: 59122 EZ-Dye Quarter Round (100% enzyme-treated Merino wool) – magenta is bright and strong.

Bottom Right: 49188 Fine Organic Quarter Round (100% non-superwash organic Merino wool) – magenta is lighter in colour and has less intensity than the other two swatches.

These three yarns have the same twist and construction, and differ simply in the treatment of the Merino fibre. They have all been dyed with a 4% magenta levelling dye using the same method, same pH, same temperature and left to exhaust.

As you can see, the EZ-Dye isn’t quite as intense as the superwash option, but it has a much stronger colour in comparison to the non-superwash.

Interestingly, the difference in intensity of the colour is more prominent once it is knitted into a fabric.

Washing results

Fibre Treatment	Hand wash	Machine wool wash cycle	Machine regular wash cycle
Superwash	10/10	10/10	10/10
Enzyme-Treated EZ-Dye	10/10	10/10	5/10 (somewhat felted)
Non-Superwash	10/10	6/10 (somewhat felted)	0/10 (felted considerably)

Should I try the EZ-Dye range?

This range is perfect for those who love to dye non-superwash yarns, but are looking for brighter, more intense colours.

The range is brilliant for dyers who want environmentally-friendly yarns that have some resistance to felting.

If you find dyeing non-superwash yarns more challenging, and want something that will give results that are closer to what can be achieved on superwash yarns, EZ-Dye will be great for you!

EZ-Dye isn't a replacement for superwash yarns, which have their own characteristics, but they bring many benefits.