A professional who tends machines that dye and finish knitted garments, such as hosiery and sweaters. Respnsibilities include:

• Turns valves to admit water and steam into machine to specified level.
• Pours dye, cleaning agents, or finishing chemicals into machine.
• Turns thermostat and timing device to set temperature and dyeing time, according to formula.
• Places garments in compartments of machine and starts machine.
• Periodically examines garments from each dye or finish lot to detect variations from processing standards.
• Adds dye, reducing agent, or finishing chemicals, according to instructions, if standard is not matched.
• Drains solution from machine at end of dyeing or finishing cycle.
• Removes dyed or finished garments to handtruck and labels each lot.
• May tend extractor.
• May weigh or measure cleaning agents and chemicals.
• May be designated according to type of machine used as paddle-dyeing-machine operator; rotary-drum dyer.