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Dying sheepskin: photos added

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JoJoDapyro:
I recently made a sheepskin quiver. I wanted to dye it, so I gave it a shot with Rit. I dyed 2 of them, and attempted black. First issue is that the 2 are completely different colors. One is Dark Purple, and one is splotchy purple. The second issue is that they both shrunk considerably. Any tips on round 2? Thanks in advance. I guess you can't always win.

The one on the left was like 20 inches, it is now 14, the one on the right was 19 and is now 15. They were both dyed at the same time, for the same length of time.

Zuma:
Jo,
What was your process?
Did you use a dryer or something like that?
I am not familiar with Rit??
I guess you are a purpleaphobe. Joke
Let's figure this out.
Zuma
I like lanolin

JoJoDapyro:
Ok, from everything I read (Mostly wrong I suppose) it (several websites, Rit included) said to heat water, add dye mix, add 1/2 cup vinegar and add sheepskin for 30 minutes keeping the water warm. I did that in a 3 gallon pot. Both quivers were in the same amount of time. The only difference between the 2 is the one that shrunk the most, and didn't take dye well is the one that had the wool trimmed. While neither of them are super black, mine took dye better, and shrunk less. The other strange issue is that the deer antler button on the bottom of mine dyed jet black, and I have read that antler doesn't dye well. Anyway, if no one here has any info on what I did wrong, I can still remake them, as I have enough sheepskin for a few more yet. And on the plus side, the quivers themselves are quick to sew.

One website I found today says to not use the heat method to dye sheepskin, but the post that contained the info was buried so deep I never found the full context.

And I have no issue with a Purple quiver, it looks kinda cool. Now if it would quit raining and the humidity would return to the Utah norm of about 3% they may dry.

stickbender:
Were the two tanned by the same method?  Could have been residual lanolin that caused the one to not take the dye well.  Can you soak the one that shrunk, and then stretch it again?  Might be useful to just  use that one, for a hand warmer, or boot liners, leggins, or lining a jacket, coat, or make a toasty warm winter hat, or vest.

                                                          Wayne

JoJoDapyro:
Both of the quivers came off of the same hide. The only difference I can tell is that I sewed one of them, and my friend (Selfsufficienttyke) sewed the other, and he trimmed the wool first. I even asked him right after if he had attempted to wash it before (he didn't). He was thinking of using it for a Liquor coozy.  >:D

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