I have a brand new white fleeceworks therawool (wool fibres woven into cotton) half pad. I would like to dye it gray. Has anyone successfully done this, and if so, how did you do it?
You can purchase some gray tie-dye and dilute it depending on how light or dark you want the gray to be. Instead of like a regular tie dye I just put a bit of the dye and water in a regular water bucket and dunk the saddle pad in the water until I get the desired shade and finish it off like regular tie-dye. You can add water or add more dye depending on what it looks like as you’re dunking it in It may lighten after you put it through the wash once. Of course, if you want a sure guarantee of what you want it might be better to buy one.
Rit says you can dye washable wool (if it can be washed in warm water) and Fleeceworks says to wash the therafleece in cold water. I might try dying in lukewarm water.
Is the fleece white or an off-white/cream/beige? that color may show through the dye if you aren’t dying a darker grey and give you a weird color.
Thanks MissAriel. The fleece is pure white and I would like to dye it a dark grey. Where can I buy Rit colour? I am in Canada if that makes a difference 
Wool and cotton take up dyes differently, and technically you need different dyes for each, but Rit dyes contain both a dye for plant fibers and one for protein fibers (like wool). So I agree that would probably be the simplest solution. Around here you can find Rit dyes all over the place - craft stores, places like Target or Wal-mart, and sometimes even in the grocery stores - but I have no idea if it’s the same in Canada.
I would not be surprised if you got a bit of a heathered look to it when you’re done, though, since one or the other of the fibers might take up the dye more readily than the other.
I’ve never dyed a saddle pad, but I raise sheep, and spin and knit, so I do dye a lot of wool, and sometimes some cotton.
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OP,
Getting a uniform appearance is not going to be easy. Wayside is right. You could end up with a heathered look.
I have a side business making hand dyed yarn and roving and have a lot of experience with this. You would need to be able to manipulate the halfpad inside a large container or dye bath in order to have a chance at achieving the effect you want. A small skein of yarn is one thing, a large and UNfolded halfpad is another.
if the gray look is really important to you, sell the white one and buy a gray halfpad. I found several types you can buy in that color, including some that look like a mattes pad.
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Thank you so much! You’ve talked me out of it LOL. I’ll keep the white pad for shows maybe and try to find a black or grey for the rest of the year. I’m a little OCD and the thought of something coming out not looking professional after the dye job is enough to change my mind.
OP you do realize it will turn light grey or at least a dull beige soon enough on its own!
Probably not the look you want.
I have always found that dying things a dark colour is rather hard. You can dye things washed out pastels, but hard to get a really vivid colour.
Yes, the colour “dirt” is what I’m afraid of LOL! Its so perfect and white right now… Last night I dropped it in the cross ties on top of some wet mud I scraped out of her hooves and nearly had a heart attack. I have to shopping for more white before my first dressage show season. Not looking forward to it at all!
